First Trust Advisors LP Raises Stock Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,101,772 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 145,050 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $635,057,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 0.5% during the third quarter. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC now owns 8,340 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,707,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 7.0% in the third quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 657 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $135,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Sunflower Bank N.A. now owns 3,287 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $673,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the period. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,233 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $252,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the period. Finally, Welch Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Welch Group LLC now owns 1,741 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $356,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market pieces highlight a renewed semiconductor opportunity in 2026, which benefits AMAT as a leading chip-equipment supplier; this underpins investor confidence in the company’s medium‑to‑long‑term demand. Semiconductor Opportunity Is Here
• Positive Sentiment: A recent feature argues AMAT is balancing near-term sector turbulence while maintaining a long‑term chip demand story — reinforcing buy‑and‑hold narratives for chip-capex exposure. Applied Materials Balances Sector Turbulence With Long Term Chip Demand Story
• Positive Sentiment: Technical commentary notes AMAT broke above its 20‑day moving average, signaling short‑term bullish momentum that can attract momentum traders. Applied Materials (AMAT) Recently Broke Out Above the 20-Day Moving Average
• Positive Sentiment: Context pieces point out AMAT has gained strongly over recent months (≈+33% over three months), showing momentum that can support share prices when markets stabilize. AMAT Climbs 33.4% in 3 Months: Time to Buy, Sell or Hold the Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group initiated coverage with a “hold” rating — neither bullish nor bearish but may limit upside from fresh upbeat upgrades. Tickerreport: Erste Group Starts Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent short‑interest data reported as zeros/NaN appear erroneous; no clear signal from short sellers right now (data should be treated cautiously).
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market pressure: Nasdaq weakness and falling futures are dragging high‑beta tech and semicap names lower, pressuring AMAT despite company strengths. Live Nasdaq Composite: Markets Buckle Under Pressure With No Relief in Sight
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical risk and rising oil amid Middle East conflict are lifting energy prices and weighing on risk assets ahead of a key jobs report — a near‑term headwind for AMAT. Stock Futures Fall, Oil Jumps as Middle East War Continues; Key Jobs Report on Deck

Applied Materials Stock Down 6.3%

Shares of AMAT stock opened at $324.74 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $326.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $255.50. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52 week low of $123.74 and a 52 week high of $395.95. The stock has a market cap of $257.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.24, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.65. 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 (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.17. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 37.52% and a net margin of 27.78%.The company had revenue of $7.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.88 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.38 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.440-2.840 EPS. Analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 19th will be issued a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 19th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.83%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Brice Hill sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.21, for a total transaction of $1,806,050.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 138,565 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $50,051,063.65. This represents a 3.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $391.71, for a total transaction of $979,275.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 26,089 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,219,322.19. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 12,003 shares of company stock worth $4,484,189. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on AMAT. Citigroup increased their price target on Applied Materials from $400.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Applied Materials from $220.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Susquehanna raised Applied Materials from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $180.00 to $400.00 in a research note on Sunday, January 11th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $470.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, February 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $363.46.

About Applied Materials

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.