Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) Shares Sold by Stanley Capital Management LLC

Stanley Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 14.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 99,800 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 17,500 shares during the quarter. Applied Materials comprises about 4.8% of Stanley Capital Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Stanley Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $23,552,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the first quarter worth approximately $26,000. Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the first quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, RFP Financial Group LLC grew its position in Applied Materials by 96.6% in the first quarter. RFP Financial Group LLC now owns 173 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Stock Up 1.0 %

Applied Materials stock opened at $194.04 on Tuesday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $129.21 and a 1-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 stock has a market cap of $160.66 billion, a PE ratio of 22.30, a P/E/G ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.55. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $197.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $210.04.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.12 earnings per share 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.68 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.90 earnings per share. Applied Materials’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 8.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The company 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 dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.82%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 21st. Applied Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.39%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on AMAT shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Applied Materials from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Citigroup lowered their price target on Applied Materials from $240.00 to $217.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 16th. StockNews.com lowered Applied Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 14th. Mizuho lowered their price target on Applied Materials from $245.00 to $225.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Applied Materials from $255.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 17th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Applied Materials has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $231.05.

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.