Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC Has $2.63 Million Stock Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 16.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 12,832 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,786 shares during the quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $2,627,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Marquette Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 150.0% in the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 125 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the second quarter valued at $31,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the third quarter valued at $31,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the second quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Total Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 2nd quarter worth about $33,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Applied Materials

In other Applied Materials news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 609 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.53, for a total transaction of $155,617.77. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,127,653.89. The trade was a 12.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Teri A. Little sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.24, for a total value of $952,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 84,351 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,095,782.24. This trade represents a 4.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 8,609 shares of company stock valued at $2,044,898 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Price Performance

Shares of AMAT opened at $303.99 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $286.66 and its 200 day moving average is $230.31. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12-month low of $123.74 and a 12-month high of $344.60. The company has a quick ratio of 1.87, a current ratio of 2.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market cap of $241.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.70.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 13th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.11 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $6.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.68 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 24.67% and a return on equity of 39.26%. The business’s revenue was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.32 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.980-2.380 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 19th will be given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Applied Materials from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Evercore ISI reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $290.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, November 14th. B. Riley reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. DZ Bank raised shares of Applied Materials from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $325.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Twenty-four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $311.04.

Key Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target on AMAT to $400 (from $250) and reiterated a Buy ahead of the January-quarter earnings — a large bullish analyst move that likely lifted investor sentiment. Citi Jumps Applied Materials (AMAT) Target Ahead of Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks says AMAT is expected to beat earnings estimates and highlights the company’s favorable setup (earnings history + current indicators) — reinforcing the buy-side expectation for upside at the report. Applied Materials (AMAT) Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other pieces emphasize AMAT’s momentum and growth characteristics (style-score based), supporting a continuation of the rally into earnings. Here’s Why Applied Materials (AMAT) is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also highlights AMAT’s history of earnings surprises and argues the company has the right setup to beat again — another supporting signal ahead of the print. Will Applied Materials (AMAT) Beat Estimates Again?
• Positive Sentiment: MSN reports a material lift in price targets (listed as +17.14% to 329.63), adding to positive analyst-driven momentum. Applied Materials (AMAT) price target increased by 17.14% to 329.63
• Neutral Sentiment: Yahoo/other previews ask whether AMAT will beat and whether it’s too late to buy after a strong one‑year run — useful market commentary but not new fundamental data. Will Applied Materials Inc (AMAT) beat quarterly earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: General analyst/market notes on AMAT’s growth and valuation (Zacks pieces and bull-case explainers) provide context but are not immediate catalysts. Is It Worth Investing in Applied Materials (AMAT) Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: Headline reminders that AMAT will report earnings Thursday — a calendar item that markets are focusing on ahead of guidance. Applied Materials (AMAT) to Release Earnings on Thursday
• Negative Sentiment: TipRanks notes a roughly 9% intraday drop in AMAT shares on Feb. 4 despite the company “securing” something (market volatility around news/positioning) — a reminder that short-term moves can be abrupt and sentiment can swing. Applied Materials Stock (AMAT) Plunges despite Hopes for a ‘More Constructive Direction’

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.