Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) Shares Purchased by Rheos Capital Works Inc.

Rheos Capital Works Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 2.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 170,100 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,500 shares during the period. Applied Materials makes up approximately 1.5% of Rheos Capital Works Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Rheos Capital Works Inc.’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $27,663,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Clean Yield Group acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. First PREMIER Bank lifted its holdings in Applied Materials by 326.3% in the 3rd quarter. First PREMIER Bank now owns 162 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, DT Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in Applied Materials by 592.9% in the 3rd quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 194 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Materials Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of Applied Materials stock opened at $180.35 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $146.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.95, a PEG ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.53. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $174.48 and a two-hundred day moving average of $186.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a current ratio of 2.51. Applied Materials, Inc. has a one year low of $158.96 and a one year high of $255.89.

Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm’s revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.12 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Applied Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 20th will be given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 20th. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is 18.58%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on AMAT shares. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $220.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Applied Materials from $210.00 to $200.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their target price on Applied Materials from $220.00 to $210.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 29th. KeyCorp raised Applied Materials from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $225.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Friday, November 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $218.71.

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.