Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Stock Price Up 3.1% – Time to Buy?

Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) were up 3.1% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $233.20 and last traded at $230.91. Approximately 8,753,695 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 14% from the average daily volume of 7,694,152 shares. The stock had previously closed at $224.01.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AMAT has been the subject of a number of research reports. Summit Insights lowered Applied Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 15th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $170.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Cfra Research upgraded shares of Applied Materials to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, August 15th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $256.00 to $252.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fifteen have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $226.74.

Applied Materials Stock Up 3.1%

The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $219.60 and its 200-day moving average price is $190.42. The company has a current ratio of 2.50, a quick ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The company has a market cap of $183.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 1.84.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.11 by $0.06. Applied Materials had a net margin of 23.88% and a return on equity of 40.96%. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.32 EPS. Applied Materials’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.980-2.380 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 20th will be given a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.20%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Applied Materials news, SVP Teri A. Little sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $234.08, for a total value of $936,320.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 88,351 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,681,202.08. This represents a 4.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Materials

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 28.0% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 30,458 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $6,236,000 after acquiring an additional 6,657 shares during the period. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new stake in Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,640,000. Sycomore Asset Management bought a new stake in Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at approximately $4,664,000. Maple Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Applied Materials by 2.8% in the third quarter. Maple Capital Management Inc. now owns 90,930 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $18,617,000 after purchasing an additional 2,489 shares during the period. Finally, Achmea Investment Management B.V. boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 4.2% during the third quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. now owns 522,534 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $106,984,000 after purchasing an additional 20,947 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Applied Materials Company Profile

Applied Materials, Inc engages in the provision of manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, display, and related industries. The company operates through three segments: Semiconductor Systems, Applied Global Services, and Display and Adjacent Markets. The Semiconductor Systems segment develops, manufactures, and sells various manufacturing equipment that is used to fabricate semiconductor chips or integrated circuits.