Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Insider Prabu Raja Sells 10,000 Shares

Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) insider Prabu Raja sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $633.53, for a total value of $6,335,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 346,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $219,608,106.26. This represents a 2.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Applied Materials Trading Up 3.7%

NASDAQ:AMAT opened at $640.18 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $154.46 and a 1-year high of $641.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $508.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.11, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.67. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $455.89 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $368.31.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $7.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.68 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 29.31%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.39 EPS. Applied Materials has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.160-3.560 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 12.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is currently 19.91%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Materials

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sapient Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the first quarter worth $217,000. Western Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Applied Materials by 16.1% in the 1st quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,829 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $1,650,000 after purchasing an additional 669 shares during the period. Militia Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the 1st quarter worth $295,000. Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co increased its holdings in Applied Materials by 10.9% during the 1st quarter. Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co now owns 29,297 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $10,013,000 after purchasing an additional 2,890 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Nebraska Trust Co bought a new position in Applied Materials during the 1st quarter worth about $29,488,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial set a $575.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Applied Materials from $415.00 to $510.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $550.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Applied Materials from $390.00 to $520.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Twenty-seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $495.45.

Key Applied Materials News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target on Applied Materials to $710 from $550 and kept a Buy rating, signaling stronger confidence in the semiconductor equipment maker’s outlook. A Growing Supply Gap Has Analysts Eyeing Applied Materials (AMAT)
• Positive Sentiment: Reuters reported that Applied Materials signed a long-term deal with EssilorLuxottica to develop augmented-reality display technology and AI glasses, expanding its opportunity in emerging wearable and AI-related markets. Applied Materials (AMAT) and EssilorLuxottica Sign Long-Term Deal, Reuters Reports
• Positive Sentiment: Recent commentary says AI demand may help justify AMAT’s premium valuation, with investors focusing on the company’s role in semiconductor and AI infrastructure spending. Applied Materials Is Now More Expensive Than Its Dot-Com Era Peak. AI Demand Justifies the AMAT Stock Valuation.
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider Prabu G. Raja sold 10,000 shares, a routine filing that may draw attention but does not necessarily indicate a change in the company’s fundamentals. SEC Form 4 filing
• Negative Sentiment: Some articles highlighted concerns that AMAT’s valuation is becoming stretched, which could limit near-term upside if growth expectations cool. Applied Materials Stock Looks Pricey—Can AI Demand Justify the Rally?

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.