Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) Shares Bought by Trust Co. of Vermont

Trust Co. of Vermont boosted its position in shares of Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 139,691 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock after buying an additional 2,296 shares during the period. Applied Materials accounts for approximately 1.4% of Trust Co. of Vermont’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Trust Co. of Vermont’s holdings in Applied Materials were worth $28,225,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. PSI Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Applied Materials by 56.0% in the 2nd quarter. PSI Advisors LLC now owns 156 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clean Yield Group purchased a new position in shares of Applied Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.56% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on Applied Materials from $260.00 to $230.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $260.00 target price on shares of Applied Materials in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Dbs Bank downgraded Applied Materials from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Applied Materials from $260.00 to $235.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on Applied Materials from $220.00 to $210.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $229.14.

Applied Materials Stock Performance

NASDAQ AMAT opened at $183.24 on Friday. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $129.21 and a fifty-two week high of $255.89. The stock has a market cap of $151.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.54. The business has a fifty day moving average of $195.71 and a 200-day moving average of $209.36. The company has a quick ratio of 2.09, a current ratio of 2.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

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

Applied Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 21st will be paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.87%. Applied Materials’s payout ratio is currently 18.39%.

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.