Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Trading Up 0%

Shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) rose 0% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $197.85 and last traded at $194.13. Approximately 809,689 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 87% from the average daily volume of 6,078,939 shares. The stock had previously closed at $194.04.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on AMAT shares. StockNews.com lowered Applied Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, September 14th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 17th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $220.00 to $210.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on shares of Applied Materials from $275.00 to $270.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $260.00 to $230.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $231.05.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $162.61 billion, a PE ratio of 22.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 2.09 and a current ratio of 2.86. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $197.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $210.04.

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

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 21st. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.39%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Materials

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AMAT. First National Bank of Mount Dora Trust Investment Services purchased a new stake in Applied Materials during the first quarter valued at about $1,764,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Applied Materials by 89.3% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 8,988 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $2,121,000 after purchasing an additional 4,239 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Applied Materials by 5.4% in the first quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 3,350 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $699,000 after buying an additional 172 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in Applied Materials by 5.7% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,338 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $552,000 after buying an additional 126 shares during the period. Finally, Calton & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the first quarter worth $243,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

About Applied Materials

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.