GAMMA Investing LLC Boosts Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 10.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 24,813 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,247 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials makes up approximately 0.7% of GAMMA Investing LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest position. GAMMA Investing LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $17,939,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 2.1% in the second quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 1,003 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $725,000 after buying an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials by 0.7% during the first quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,288 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,124,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 4.9% in the 1st quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 531 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $181,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. One Day In July LLC increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. One Day In July LLC now owns 1,089 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $372,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. lifted its stake in Applied Materials by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 2,082 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $712,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Materials News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Semiconductor ETFs surged as much as 19% in a broad AI-driven rally, improving sentiment toward chip-equipment suppliers such as Applied Materials. Renewed expectations for AI infrastructure spending may support demand for the company’s wafer-fabrication equipment. Semiconductor ETFs Surge up to 19% in Huge Rally as the AI Trade Ramps Back Up
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see a favorable setup for Applied Materials to beat its next quarterly earnings estimates, citing the company’s strong history of earnings surprises and currently positive forecast indicators. The company’s latest quarter also exceeded expectations, with $2.86 in EPS and $7.91 billion in revenue. Will Applied Materials Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Applied Materials recently outperformed the broader market, reflecting stronger investor interest in the semiconductor-equipment group. However, the article primarily describes recent trading performance rather than identifying a new fundamental catalyst. Applied Materials Outperforms Broader Market: What You Need to Know
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts remain cautious ahead of earnings despite Applied Materials’ strong fundamentals, with at least one downgrade pointing to elevated expectations and potential downside if results or guidance disappoint. The stock’s high earnings multiple increases its sensitivity to any slowdown in AI or semiconductor spending. Applied Materials: Strong Fundamentals, But I’m Downgrading Ahead of Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Semiconductor stocks recently faced pressure over fears that Chinese competitors could intensify competition, potentially affecting pricing, market share and long-term growth prospects for U.S. equipment makers. Semiconductor Stocks Sink Over Fears of Increased Competition From China

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on AMAT. Wolfe Research increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $550.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $650.00 to $850.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $575.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Truist Financial set a $575.00 price target on Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on Applied Materials from $570.00 to $705.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $603.23.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Applied Materials stock opened at $546.62 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $554.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $434.07. Applied Materials, Inc. has a twelve month low of $154.46 and a twelve month high of $739.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The company has a market cap of $433.99 billion, a PE ratio of 51.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.61.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The business’s revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th 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, August 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.91%.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other news, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of Applied Materials stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total value of $5,092,941.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 134,631 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,534,609.56. The trade was a 6.02% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $599.77, for a total value of $5,547,872.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 40,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. This represents a 18.57% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 278,088 shares of company stock worth $169,654,805. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Applied Materials Company 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.