Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-two analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $220.29.

Several research analysts have weighed in on AMAT shares. Mizuho reduced their target price on Applied Materials from $245.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 20th. Susquehanna cut their price objective on Applied Materials from $190.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 11th. Dbs Bank lowered Applied Materials from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $240.00 to $217.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $220.00 to $210.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 29th.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

Shares of AMAT stock opened at $168.37 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $137.00 billion, a PE ratio of 19.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.52. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $177.78 and a 200-day moving average of $198.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.87. Applied Materials has a one year low of $148.05 and a one year high of $255.89.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last issued 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 the consensus estimate 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.12 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Applied Materials will post 9.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 20th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.58%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Lantz Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the second quarter valued at approximately $212,000. LRI Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 140.1% during the 2nd quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 917 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $216,000 after purchasing an additional 535 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp boosted its position in Applied Materials by 24.3% during the second quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 8,952 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,113,000 after purchasing an additional 1,750 shares during the period. First Merchants Corp increased its holdings in shares of Applied Materials by 20.6% in the second quarter. First Merchants Corp now owns 3,759 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $887,000 after purchasing an additional 641 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clear Creek Financial Management LLC raised its position in shares of Applied Materials by 3.4% in the second quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 5,954 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $1,405,000 after purchasing an additional 195 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

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.