Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. Sells 20,866 Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

Coronation Fund Managers Ltd. lowered its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 11.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 158,144 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 20,866 shares during the period. Applied Materials accounts for 1.7% of Coronation Fund Managers Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Coronation Fund Managers Ltd.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $32,378,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC now owns 55,114 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $11,432,000 after purchasing an additional 709 shares in the last quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 6.3% during the third quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,792 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $776,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. Mason & Associates Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at $215,000. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 16.1% in the third quarter. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,899 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,003,000 after buying an additional 678 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lyell Wealth Management LP bought a new stake in Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth about $202,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Applied Materials Stock Up 8.1%

Shares of Applied Materials stock opened at $354.91 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $295.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $236.72. The stock has a market cap of $281.70 billion, a PE ratio of 36.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.87, a current ratio of 2.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12 month low of $123.74 and a 12 month high of $376.32.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 38.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The company’s revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.38 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. Research analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be paid a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 19th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.83%.

Key Stories Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat consensus — EPS of $2.38 topped estimates and revenue of $7.01B beat expectations, evidence that services and AI-related demand are offsetting cyclical headwinds. This beat is the primary catalyst for the rally. Applied Materials Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Fall Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Strong guidance and AI-driven order cadence — management set Q2 EPS and revenue guidance above Street consensus and highlighted surging orders tied to AI processors and tightening memory demand, supporting a view of sustained equipment spending. Applied Materials jumps as AI demand drives chipmaking tool orders
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and price-target increases — multiple firms raised ratings/targets (examples cited include Needham, Mizuho, Citigroup, B. Riley), which amplifies buying momentum and reduces near-term downside from sell-side skepticism.
• Neutral Sentiment: Regulatory settlement resolved — Applied reached a $252.5M civil settlement with the U.S. Department of Commerce over prior export issues; DOJ and SEC closed related probes without action. The payment is a one-time cost but it removes regulatory overhang going forward. Applied Materials Reaches Resolution with the U.S. Department of Commerce
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns and bear case commentary — some analysts and op-eds argue the stock’s run has left limited upside and warn of pricey multiples; this creates the risk of profit-taking if future execution or guidance lags. Applied Materials: Little Opportunity Left After A Monstrous Run

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Materials

In other news, SVP Teri A. Little sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.24, for a total value of $952,960.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 84,351 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,095,782.24. The trade was a 4.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Adam Sanders sold 609 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were 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 owned 4,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,127,653.89. This represents a 12.13% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 8,609 shares of company stock worth $2,044,898. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on AMAT shares. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Applied Materials from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Mizuho increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $370.00 to $410.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $340.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on Applied Materials from $400.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Twenty-eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $361.03.

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.