American National Bank & Trust Decreases Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

American National Bank & Trust cut its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 4.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 41,127 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,945 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials makes up about 1.9% of American National Bank & Trust’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. American National Bank & Trust’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $20,963,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Matrix Trust Co increased its stake in Applied Materials by 81.8% in the 3rd quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 140 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Crumly & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at about $392,000. First Community Trust NA increased its position in shares of Applied Materials by 1.0% during the third quarter. First Community Trust NA now owns 28,572 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $14,611,000 after acquiring an additional 292 shares during the period. Weaver Consulting Group grew its stake in Applied Materials by 15.1% in the third quarter. Weaver Consulting Group now owns 535 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $274,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hall Laurie J Trustee raised its position in Applied Materials by 8.5% during the 3rd quarter. Hall Laurie J Trustee now owns 35,073 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $17,936,000 after purchasing an additional 2,745 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Materials and Intel announced expanded collaboration at Applied’s EPIC Center and Intel’s Oregon R&D campus. The companies plan to develop next-generation transistors, interconnects and advanced packaging for AI chips, potentially strengthening AMAT’s position in increasingly complex semiconductor manufacturing. Applied Materials and Intel Collaborate to Accelerate Chipmaking Innovations for AI-Driven Computing
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage remains bullish on AMAT’s exposure to artificial intelligence, advanced memory, packaging and wafer-fabrication equipment. Goldman Sachs named the stock a tactical semiconductor idea ahead of earnings, while Zacks highlighted the company alongside Lam Research and FormFactor as beneficiaries of sustained AI-driven chip demand. 3 Chip Stocks Set for an Earnings Boost, and 3 to Avoid
• Positive Sentiment: The bullish thesis points to strong execution, record growth in Applied Global Services and expanding equipment demand as chip designs become more complicated. AMAT previously exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, with revenue up 24.8% year over year. Applied Materials vs. LRCX and KLAC
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials has substantially outperformed the broader market over the past year, but comparisons with Nvidia show a more modest revenue trajectory and lower profitability. This underscores AMAT’s AI exposure while highlighting that it is an equipment supplier rather than a direct AI-chip leader. Applied Materials vs. Nvidia: What Revenue Trends Reveal
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and profit-taking are likely weighing on the stock after its major rally. Coverage cites a price-to-sales ratio near 9.6 times, making AMAT more sensitive to any slowdown in semiconductor capital spending or disappointment around earnings. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold AMAT Stock at a P/S Valuation of 9.59X?
• Negative Sentiment: The chief accounting officer sold 725 shares for approximately $395,000 to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards. The transaction appears administrative rather than a signal of deteriorating fundamentals, but it adds a minor negative headline. Applied Materials CAO Sells 725 Shares

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In related news, CFO Brice Hill sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $479.25, for a total value of $3,594,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 128,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $61,637,780.25. This represents a 5.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 725 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $544.56, for a total transaction of $394,806.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,181 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,732,245.36. This trade represents a 18.56% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold a total of 9,225 shares of company stock worth $4,454,181 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price objective on Applied Materials from $450.00 to $560.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $605.00 target price (down from $680.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Craig Hallum lifted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $530.00 to $585.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $650.00 to $590.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Evercore raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $515.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Applied Materials presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $640.20.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AMAT traded down $8.59 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $521.68. 1,610,245 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,885,436. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $487.06 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $479.42. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $203.40 and a 52-week high of $739.67. The company has a market cap of $414.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a quick ratio of 1.79, a current ratio of 2.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $9.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 30.05% and a return on equity of 38.02%. The company’s revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.48 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.820-4.220 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.79 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.28%.

Applied Materials Profile

Applied Materials, Inc is a global supplier of equipment, services and software used to manufacture semiconductor chips, flat-panel displays and other advanced electronic products. Its technologies help customers build and enhance materials at the nanoscale, supporting processes such as deposition, etching, inspection, metrology and packaging.

The company’s offerings include semiconductor manufacturing systems, process-control and inspection equipment, and services designed to improve the performance, productivity and longevity of production equipment.