BNP Paribas Cuts Stock Holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. $AMAT

BNP Paribas trimmed its holdings in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 5.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 187,068 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 10,160 shares during the period. Applied Materials comprises approximately 1.4% of BNP Paribas’ portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. BNP Paribas’ holdings in Applied Materials were worth $48,213,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in Applied Materials by 48.7% during the fourth quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 116 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 52.4% during the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 128 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 147.2% during the fourth quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 131 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Materials Price Performance

Shares of AMAT opened at $458.17 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $399.26 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $335.80. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $154.46 and a fifty-two week high of $463.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a current ratio of 2.51. The stock has a market cap of $363.77 billion, a PE ratio of 43.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.67.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.18. Applied Materials had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The firm had revenue of $7.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.39 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This is a positive change from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 19.91%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Adam Sanders sold 268 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $434.22, for a total value of $116,370.96. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 4,280 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,858,461.60. This trade represents a 5.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Judy Bruner sold 1,128 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total transaction of $507,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 26,544 shares in the company, valued at $11,944,800. This represents a 4.08% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Applied Materials from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Truist Financial set a $575.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $470.13.

Key Headlines Impacting Applied Materials

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer said he’s betting that Applied Materials “will just keep winning,” reinforcing the bullish case for the stock and adding to positive investor momentum. Jim Cramer Says He’s Betting “Applied Materials Will Just Keep Winning”
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst coverage remained constructive, with Mizuho reportedly raising its price target on Applied Materials to $540 from $500 while reiterating an Outperform rating, signaling continued confidence in the company’s long-term fundamentals. Applied Materials (AMAT) – Among the 10 Best Long-Term Dividend Stocks to Invest In According to Billionaires
• Positive Sentiment: Articles focused on Applied Materials as a trending stock and a favored “real value” AI/semiconductor name, suggesting rising investor attention and support for the share price. Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage-focused commentary emphasized that Wall Street’s bullish views matter for the stock, but did not add a new catalyst beyond reinforcing existing optimism. Is It Worth Investing in Applied Materials (AMAT) Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: Broadcom’s announcement of new AI and edge-network platforms mentioned Applied Materials as one of several partners, which is supportive context for the semiconductor ecosystem but not a direct AMAT-specific catalyst. Why Broadcom (AVGO) Is Up 11.1% After New AI Data Center And Edge Network Platforms
• Negative Sentiment: No major negative company-specific developments were highlighted in the provided articles, so there is little evidence of a fundamental headwind driving AMAT lower today.

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.