NEW YORK, Dec. 28, 2025, 3:23 p.m. ET — Market closed (weekend)
Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) is heading into the final week of the year with U.S. equity markets shut for the weekend and the next regular session set for Monday. The last available pricing shows AMAT ended Friday’s regular session at about $261.65 (down roughly 0.1%) with an after-hours quote also published Friday evening. [1]
With no new company press releases posted over the last couple of days, the most “current” AMAT-specific headlines in the past 24–48 hours have been dominated by institutional ownership updates tied to Form 13F filings—useful context, but also inherently backward-looking because they reflect prior-quarter positioning rather than real-time trading. [2]
What’s new in the last 24–48 hours: Institutional filings drive the headlines
Several weekend-dated updates focused on investors adjusting stakes in AMAT:
- Cwm LLC disclosed it increased its stake in the third quarter to 81,408 shares (valued by the filer at about $16.67 million at the time of reporting), according to MarketBeat’s summary of the filing. [3]
- Baker Chad R reported a new stake of 9,360 shares in Q3, valued at about $1.92 million in the filing summary. [4]
- Eagle Capital Management LLC reported it boosted its position by 34.1% in Q3 to 20,914 shares (roughly $4.28 million in the filing summary). [5]
- DePrince Race & Zollo Inc. disclosed it sold 58,288 shares, per MarketBeat’s weekend update. [6]
These items can influence sentiment because they speak to institutional participation—and MarketBeat’s compilation pegged institutional ownership at about 80.56%—but investors should keep the time lag in mind: 13F filings report quarter-end snapshots and can miss subsequent changes. [7]
Analyst forecasts and targets: Bullish raises vs. “valuation and China” caution
Away from weekend filing chatter, the bigger narrative around AMAT in late December has been Wall Street price-target resets tied to AI-led semiconductor spending expectations—offset by ongoing debate around valuation and China-related constraints.
The optimistic end: Jefferies goes to $360
Jefferies’ Blayne Curtis reaffirmed a Buy rating and raised the firm’s price target to $360 (from $260) in mid-December, according to a report summary of the note. [8]
The more measured camp: Mizuho stays Neutral at $245
Mizuho’s Vijay Rakesh maintained a Neutral view while raising the price target to $245 (from $205) on Dec. 17, also captured in a note summary. [9]
Where consensus sits
MarketBeat’s aggregated view (as of its latest updates) described a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target around $246.78. That figure underscores a key point for readers scanning headlines: even after AMAT’s strong 2025 run, the average target can still cluster below current prices when the stock rallies faster than analyst models reset. [10]
The fundamental tug-of-war: AI demand tailwinds vs. export-control headwinds
Applied Materials sits at the center of the global semiconductor capital equipment cycle—benefiting from advanced logic, memory, and packaging demand, particularly where AI workloads require more compute and more memory.
But a defining macro issue remains U.S.-China export controls and their knock-on effects on what tools and services can be shipped, to whom, and under what licensing conditions. Reuters has reported that Applied has warned China-related constraints could weigh on its outlook, with executives describing reduced access to portions of China’s market and a shifting China revenue mix. [11]
At the same time, Reuters also reported management commentary pointing to a potential acceleration in wafer fab equipment spending beginning in the second half of calendar 2026, reflecting customer signals the company said it was hearing. [12]
For investors, that sets up a familiar equipment-stock dynamic:
- Near-term visibility can hinge on export rules, customer timing, and digestion cycles.
- Medium-term optimism often returns when spending outlooks re-accelerate—especially in memory and advanced packaging, where AI infrastructure buildouts can be equipment-intensive.
Dividend and the next big calendar item: Earnings season is the next true catalyst
Even during quiet weekends, AMAT investors tend to watch two company-specific calendar anchors: dividends and earnings.
Dividend
Applied Materials announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.46 per share, payable March 12, 2026, to shareholders of record Feb. 19, 2026. [13]
(Ex-dividend dates can vary by venue and settlement conventions; market calendars frequently list them separately.)
Next earnings (estimated)
Several market calendars currently point to Feb. 12, 2026 as the next earnings window for AMAT (often listed as “estimated” until the company confirms). [14]
If markets are closed: What investors should know before the next session
With Monday’s session next, here’s what typically matters most for AMAT specifically—given the current news mix:
- Don’t overread the weekend “position change” headlines
The 24–48 hour news flow has leaned heavily on Form 13F summaries. These can be directionally interesting, but they’re not real-time conviction signals. [15] - Watch for any export-control or China-related updates
This has been one of the most material swing factors for sentiment around U.S. chip-equipment names, and it’s been repeatedly flagged in prior Reuters coverage of Applied’s outlook and commentary. [16] - Know the reference levels the market is already talking about
MarketBeat’s weekend summaries highlighted AMAT’s 52-week range (low roughly $123.74, high roughly $276.10) and moving-average levels used by many traders as quick sentiment gauges. [17] - Expect the next “real” repricing event to be earnings-related
In the absence of a fresh company update, AMAT’s next major repricing catalyst is likely to be earnings, guidance, and management commentary—with calendars currently clustering around mid-February. [18]
Bottom line for Monday
As of Sunday afternoon in New York, the setup for Applied Materials stock is defined less by breaking company news and more by positioning context (institutional filings), analyst target dispersion (bullish raises vs. neutral stances), and the ongoing macro overlay of export controls and China exposure—all against a backdrop where the next high-impact datapoint is likely to come from the next earnings cycle rather than the weekend headline tape. [19]
References
1. finance.yahoo.com, 2. ir.appliedmaterials.com, 3. www.marketbeat.com, 4. www.marketbeat.com, 5. www.marketbeat.com, 6. www.marketbeat.com, 7. www.marketbeat.com, 8. www.gurufocus.com, 9. www.gurufocus.com, 10. www.marketbeat.com, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. www.reuters.com, 13. ir.appliedmaterials.com, 14. www.zacks.com, 15. www.marketbeat.com, 16. www.reuters.com, 17. www.marketbeat.com, 18. www.zacks.com, 19. www.marketbeat.com
