What changed
2026-08-08 08:03 UTC → 2026-08-08 10:06 UTC ·
added
removed
In early June, Capital International added 11,427 shares and ING Groep NV bought a fresh 80,730‑share position, pushing institutional Institutional ownership to roughly 80.6% of Applied Materials. Insider sales accelerated, with Prabu G. Raja and other executives disposing of about $27 million of stock in the quarter. By mid‑June, insiders had sold a total of 189,767 shares worth $107.8 million, while Diversified Trust Co. and several other funds increased their stakes, collectively adding multi‑million‑dollar purchases. Analysts responded by lifting price targets to a $520‑$570 range, with 27 analysts maintaining a Buy rating. Q2 earnings released on June 30 showed $2.86 EPS, 11.4% revenue growth and a $0.53 dividend, prompting Erste Group to raise its FY2026 estimate. On July 9, the stock jumped 2.4% to $602.50 after Stifel Nicolaus raised its target to $650 and market sentiment was buoyed by Meta’s plan to build its own AI chip, which could boost equipment demand. July 16 saw a 5.6% drop after Chinese AI startup Moonshot AI unveiled a model that investors feared would curb data‑center spending; the same day the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund trimmed its stake. By the end of July, the share price recovered, reaching $536.54 intraday and closing Materials has stayed near $507.67, while Bank of America lifted its objective to $720. Argent Capital Management cut its holding by 50.5%, leaving institutional investors in control of about 80.6% of the company. float as investors rebalance positions. In early August, Red Spruce Capital reduced trimmed its Applied Materials position stake by 40.9% to 40.9%, ending the quarter with 18,124 shares (≈$13.1 million), confirming continued portfolio rebalancing across hedge funds. Institutional ownership now stands valued at roughly 80.6% of $13.1 million. A later filing on 7 August 2026 confirms that reduction and adds that Teamwork Financial Advisors expanded its holding by 71.3%, purchasing 1,900 shares and bringing its total to 4,564 shares worth about $3.3 million. No new analyst rating changes have been reported since the float. July‑August period, and the overall institutional ownership level remains unchanged.