Tredje AP fonden Grows Stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT)

Tredje AP fonden increased its holdings in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 1.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 224,119 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 2,233 shares during the period. Tredje AP fonden’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $52,890,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. First National Bank of Mount Dora Trust Investment Services bought a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,764,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in Applied Materials by 89.3% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 8,988 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,121,000 after purchasing an additional 4,239 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials by 5.4% in the 1st quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 3,350 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $699,000 after buying an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 1st quarter worth $243,000. Finally, Avantax Advisory Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 17.3% during the 1st quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 23,949 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $4,939,000 after buying an additional 3,529 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Thomas J. Iannotti sold 9,827 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.65, for a total value of $2,325,559.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 49,185 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,639,630.25. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on AMAT shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Applied Materials from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Applied Materials from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on Applied Materials from $260.00 to $230.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $260.00 price target on shares of Applied Materials in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $220.00 to $210.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 12th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $232.00.

Applied Materials Trading Up 0.5 %

AMAT opened at $188.59 on Wednesday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a one year low of $129.21 and a one year high of $255.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 2.86 and a quick ratio of 2.09. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $201.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $210.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $156.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.68, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.55.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.02 by $0.10. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 39.99% and a net margin of 27.74%. The company had revenue of $6.78 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.90 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 8.49 EPS for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 21st will be given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.85%. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is 18.39%.

Applied Materials Company 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.