Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) Stake Lessened by Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC

Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC decreased its position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 35.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 551 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after selling 300 shares during the quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $89,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Applied Materials during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. DSM Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Applied Materials during the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials by 76.9% in the 3rd quarter. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 230 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. BluePath Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Applied Materials in the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, First United Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth about $45,000. Institutional investors own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AMAT traded up $1.88 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $205.26. 2,786,965 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,081,282. The firm has a market capitalization of $170.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.04 and a beta of 1.59. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $203.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $172.40. The company has a current ratio of 2.71, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Applied Materials, Inc. has a 12 month low of $111.20 and a 12 month high of $214.91.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 15th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.23. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 43.56% and a net margin of 27.03%. The company had revenue of $6.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.48 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.03 earnings per share. Applied Materials’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 8.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Applied Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This is an increase from Applied Materials’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 22nd. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is presently 15.06%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AMAT shares. Bank Of America (Bofa) boosted their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 18th. Mizuho raised their target price on Applied Materials from $185.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 16th. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on Applied Materials in a research report on Tuesday, April 16th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $260.00 price target on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Applied Materials from $156.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $142.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and twenty have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $201.50.

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.