First Financial Bankshares Inc Makes New Investment in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

First Financial Bankshares Inc bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 1,372 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $281,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Compound Planning Inc. increased its position in Applied Materials by 17.8% in the third quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 9,317 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $1,908,000 after purchasing an additional 1,406 shares during the last quarter. Dakota Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 38.3% in the 3rd quarter. Dakota Wealth Management now owns 16,865 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $3,453,000 after buying an additional 4,671 shares in the last quarter. Stonebrook Private Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the 3rd quarter worth about $201,000. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 4,755 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $974,000 after buying an additional 191 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Private Advisory Group LLC raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 11.1% during the 3rd quarter. Private Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,628 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $333,000 after buying an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on AMAT shares. Morgan Stanley set a $420.00 price target on Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $400.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $390.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $430.00 price target on Applied Materials in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $370.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $363.04.

Applied Materials Price Performance

AMAT opened at $377.93 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $309.60 and a 200 day moving average of $246.29. The stock has a market cap of $299.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.68, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 2.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $123.74 and a 52-week high of $380.51.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.88 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The business’s revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.38 earnings per share. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be given 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 payout ratio is 18.83%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related 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 value of $155,617.77. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,413 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,127,653.89. The trade was a 12.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 3,969 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $377.02, for a total value of $1,496,392.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 28,589 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,778,624.78. This trade represents a 12.19% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 10,112 shares of company stock worth $3,660,532 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat, stronger guidance and new 2nm-focused tools — Applied reported revenue and EPS above expectations, issued solid Q2 revenue/earnings outlook and highlighted new transistor/materials engineering systems for 2nm-and-beyond, plus a $252.5M export deal that underscores near-term revenue drivers. Applied Materials (AMAT) Is Up 5.3% After Strong Q1, Export Deal And 2nm Push – Has The Bull Case Changed?
• Positive Sentiment: AI/HBM demand and industry positioning — Coverage highlights AMAT’s central role in the nanotech supply chain (deposition/film tools) and rising HBM/AI chip demand that should sustain bookings and margins; analysts and scoring services cited operational efficiency and AI exposure as positives. The Supply Chain Quietly Powering the AI Boom—And 4 Ways to Play It
• Neutral Sentiment: Company supplier awards — Applied announced Supplier Excellence Awards recognizing quality, delivery and sustainability among suppliers; positive for operations/PR but unlikely to move near-term revenue by itself. Applied Materials Awards Suppliers for Outstanding Performance
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market tailwinds — A risk-on session (S&P, Nasdaq up) after easing AI disruption fears helped semiconductor-equipment names rally alongside AMAT, amplifying earnings-driven moves. Stocks Settle Higher as AI Disruption Fears Ease
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by executives/directors — Recent Form 4 disclosures show CAO Adam Sanders and Director Judy Bruner sold shares (reducing positions ~10–12%), a potential near-term headwind for sentiment even though such sales can be routine diversification. CAO Adam Sanders Form 4 Director Judy Bruner Form 4

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.