Research Analysts’ Recent Ratings Updates for Applied Materials (AMAT)

Several analysts have recently updated their ratings and price targets for Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT):

• 1/22/2025 – Applied Materials had its price target raised by analysts at Susquehanna from $155.00 to $165.00. They now have a “neutral” rating on the stock.
• 1/17/2025 – Applied Materials was upgraded by analysts at KeyCorp from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating. They now have a $225.00 price target on the stock.
• 1/17/2025 – Applied Materials had its price target lowered by analysts at Barclays PLC from $225.00 to $200.00. They now have an “equal weight” rating on the stock.
• 1/13/2025 – Applied Materials had its price target lowered by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $210.00 to $200.00. They now have an “overweight” rating on the stock.
• 1/10/2025 – Applied Materials had its price target lowered by analysts at Mizuho from $220.00 to $210.00. They now have an “outperform” rating on the stock.
• 1/10/2025 – Applied Materials had its price target lowered by analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. from $230.00 to $202.00. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock.
• 12/6/2024 – Applied Materials had its price target lowered by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $220.00 to $210.00. They now have an “overweight” rating on the stock.
• 12/5/2024 – Applied Materials had its “underweight” rating reaffirmed by analysts at Morgan Stanley. They now have a $164.00 price target on the stock, down previously from $179.00.
• 11/29/2024 – Applied Materials had its price target lowered by analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein from $220.00 to $210.00. They now have an “outperform” rating on the stock.

Applied Materials Trading Down 3.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ AMAT traded down $6.22 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $189.29. 2,976,095 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,350,549. The company has a market capitalization of $154.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.53. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 52-week low of $158.96 and a 52-week high of $255.89. The company has a current ratio of 2.51, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $173.55 and a 200-day moving average price of $189.91.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.13. Applied Materials had a net margin of 26.41% and a return on equity of 39.26%. The business had revenue of $7.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.12 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 20th will be given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.85%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.58%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Applied Materials

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AMAT. Clean Yield Group purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. First PREMIER Bank boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 326.3% in the third quarter. First PREMIER Bank now owns 162 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at $37,000. DT Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 592.9% in the third quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 194 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the period. Finally, City Holding Co. purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at $39,000. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Materials, Inc engages in the provision of manufacturing equipment, services, and software to the semiconductor, display, and related industries. The company operates through three segments: Semiconductor Systems, Applied Global Services, and Display and Adjacent Markets. The Semiconductor Systems segment develops, manufactures, and sells various manufacturing equipment that is used to fabricate semiconductor chips or integrated circuits.