Keel Point LLC Trims Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Keel Point LLC decreased its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 21.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,420 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 1,197 shares during the period. Keel Point LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $1,511,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Dogwood Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 52.4% in the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

AMAT opened at $507.67 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $550.86 and a 200 day moving average of $430.85. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12 month low of $154.46 and a 12 month high of $739.67. The firm has a market cap of $403.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.61.

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

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.91%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on AMAT shares. Truist Financial set a $575.00 target price on Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Mizuho upped their price target on Applied Materials from $540.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $550.00 to $710.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $525.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Argus boosted their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $599.19.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,250 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 sale, the director owned 40,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,326,071.43. This represents a 18.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Timothy M. Deane sold 8,621 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $590.76, for a total transaction of $5,092,941.96. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 134,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $79,534,609.56. This trade represents a 6.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 278,088 shares of company stock valued at $169,654,805 over the last 90 days. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Semiconductor stocks rallied this week on strong technology earnings, while three semiconductor ETFs ranked among the largest recipients of new investor cash. The sector-wide buying provides a favorable backdrop for Applied Materials. Semiconductor ETFs Draw Cash This Week as Chip Stocks Rally
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish analysis maintains a “Strong Buy” view after AMAT’s substantial multiyear advance, citing the company’s exposure to AI-driven semiconductor equipment demand and continued operating momentum. Applied Materials: Why I’m Maintaining A Strong Buy After A 45% Run
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Applied Materials’ AI-driven momentum, record results, expanding margins and improving customer visibility. These factors reinforce expectations for durable growth. AMAT recently exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, with revenue increasing year over year and upbeat quarterly earnings guidance. The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Applied Materials
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of Lam Research’s surge indicates that AI equipment demand was already visible in industry results. This supports the semiconductor-equipment cycle generally, although it does not provide a company-specific update for AMAT. Lam Research Stock’s Surge Was Building In Plain Sight
• Negative Sentiment: Despite long-term support from initiatives such as the AI Materials Foundry, one valuation analysis argues that AMAT may not be a bargain after a 218.9% five-year gain. The elevated valuation and high expectations could limit additional upside or increase sensitivity to any slowdown in AI-related spending. Applied Materials Stock May Not Be A Bargain Despite AI Materials Foundry News

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.