Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) Position Increased by Stonegate Investment Group LLC

Stonegate Investment Group LLC grew its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 2.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 4,931 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the period. Stonegate Investment Group LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $802,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Clean Yield Group acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. First PREMIER Bank lifted its position 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 worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the third quarter worth approximately $37,000. DT Investment Partners LLC grew its position in Applied Materials by 592.9% during 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 in the last quarter. Finally, City Holding Co. acquired a new position in Applied Materials in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Materials Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of AMAT stock opened at $172.85 on Wednesday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12 month low of $158.96 and a 12 month high of $255.89. The company has a quick ratio of 1.87, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a market cap of $140.64 billion, a PE ratio of 20.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.53. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $174.07 and a 200-day moving average of $188.14.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.19 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $7.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.96 billion. Applied Materials had a net margin of 26.41% and a return on equity of 39.26%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.12 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The company 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 dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.93%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.58%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 15th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Bank of America lowered their price target on Applied Materials from $220.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $225.00 to $200.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $220.00 to $210.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $218.71.

Applied Materials Profile

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.