UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp Has $27.20 Million Stake in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp trimmed its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 8.2% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 37,614 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 3,340 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials accounts for about 1.3% of UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp’s holdings, making the stock its 16th largest position. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $27,195,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. WT Asset Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the second quarter valued at $268,810,000. Auxano Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter worth about $376,000. Quent Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 4.3% in the 2nd quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 3,832 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,771,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 13.0% during the 2nd quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 183 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $132,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Focused Alpha LLC increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 160.0% during the 2nd quarter. Focused Alpha LLC now owns 2,868 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,074,000 after purchasing an additional 1,765 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Materials this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI-driven demand outlook remains strong. JPMorgan maintained an Overweight rating and said Applied Materials’ semiconductor-systems revenue could grow about 40% this year, with AI-related spending expected to account for roughly 80% of chip-equipment demand. Applied Materials Sees Years Of AI-Fueled Growth Ahead
• Positive Sentiment: Product launches support advanced packaging and memory growth. New equipment aimed at AI-related chip production, advanced packaging and high-bandwidth memory could benefit Applied Materials as memory manufacturers increase capacity. Can Applied Materials Sustain Its Growth Amid AI-Driven Demand?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains constructive. Berenberg issued a Buy rating, while recent research coverage and a Zacks Strong Buy momentum ranking provide additional near-term support for AMAT. Applied Materials Receives a Buy from Berenberg Bank
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent results were strong but already appear reflected in expectations. Applied Materials reported record quarterly revenue of $9.12 billion, up 24.8% year over year, and exceeded earnings and revenue estimates. Its above-consensus next-quarter guidance has not prevented the stock from declining, indicating investors may be focused on valuation, positioning and broader sector concerns. Applied Materials Delivered a Record Quarter
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional selling is weighing on sentiment. Paul Tudor Jones liquidated his common-stock position and reportedly increased his put exposure. Dr. Michael Burry is also betting against AMAT, creating headline risk even though these trades do not necessarily represent a broad rejection of AI investment. Paul Tudor Jones Liquidated His Applied Materials Stake
• Negative Sentiment: Chip-equipment stocks are facing a sector-wide selloff. Applied Materials, Lam Research and Teradyne have fallen together, raising concerns about semiconductor-cycle timing, customer capital-expenditure plans and whether AI expectations have become too optimistic. What Is Prompting the Selloff in Chip Equipment Stocks?

Applied Materials Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $496.21 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The firm has a market cap of $393.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.61. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12 month low of $154.46 and a 12 month high of $739.67. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $564.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $450.76.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The company had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.48 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 24.8% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is 18.28%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on AMAT. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, June 11th. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $700.00 target price (down from $790.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $510.00 to $770.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $740.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $659.83.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 40,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. This trade represents a 18.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Omkaram Nalamasu sold 24,263 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $593.43, for a total value of $14,398,392.09. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 146,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $87,184,361.88. The trade was a 14.17% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 277,820 shares of company stock worth $169,538,434. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Applied Materials Profile

Applied Materials, Inc is a U.S.-based supplier of equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductor chips, flat panel displays and other advanced materials. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, the company designs and sells capital equipment and related technologies that enable production of integrated circuits, display panels and materials used across the electronics supply chain.

Applied Materials’ offerings include process equipment and factory software that support critical steps in device fabrication, such as deposition, etch, implantation, inspection and metrology, as well as systems for packaging and advanced heterogeneous integration.