<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Silver Oak Securities Incorporated lessened its stake in  Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT - Free Report) by 56.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,438 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock after selling 1,856 shares during the quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated's holdings in Applied Materials were worth $235,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.</p><div><p><span></span><span>Get <strong>Applied Materials</strong> alerts:</span></p></div><ul><li>Applied Materials Market Capitulates: Now is the Time to Buy</li></ul><p>Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Crews Bank &amp; Trust acquired a new position in shares of  Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000.  YANKCOM Partnership acquired a new position in shares of  Applied Materials in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000.  MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of  Applied Materials in the third quarter valued at about $37,000.  DT Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of  Applied Materials by 592.9% during the 3rd quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 194 shares of the manufacturing equipment provider's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 166 shares during the last quarter.  Finally, City Holding Co. bought a new stake in shares of  Applied Materials during the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. </p><h2>Applied Materials Stock Performance</h2><p>Shares of Applied Materials stock opened at $180.00 on Monday. The company's 50 day moving average price is $175.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $185.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $146.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.87. Applied Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $158.96 and a fifty-two week high of $255.89. </p><ul><li>Lam Research Fueled by Unyielding AI Demand Growth</li></ul><p>Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 14th. The manufacturing equipment provider reported $2.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $7.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.96 billion. Applied Materials had a return on equity of 39.26% and a net margin of 26.41%. Applied Materials's quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.12 EPS.  On average, equities analysts forecast that  Applied Materials, Inc. will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. </p><h2>Applied Materials Dividend Announcement</h2><p>The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 20th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 20th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.89%. Applied Materials's dividend payout ratio  is presently 18.58%. </p><h2>Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth</h2><ul><li>Applied Materials vs ASML: Which is the Best Chip Stock to Own?</li></ul><p>Several research analysts have weighed in on AMAT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $230.00 to $202.00 and set a &#34;buy&#34; rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price target on Applied Materials from $220.00 to $210.00 and set an &#34;outperform&#34; rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 29th. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Applied Materials from $250.00 to $230.00 and set a &#34;buy&#34; rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 15th. Morgan Stanley  reissued an &#34;underweight&#34; rating and set a $164.00 target price (down previously from $179.00) on shares of Applied Materials in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Applied Materials from $220.00 to $210.00 and set a &#34;buy&#34; rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 15th. One research analyst  has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned  a hold rating and fifteen have issued  a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of &#34;Moderate Buy&#34; and a consensus price target of $218.71.</p><p><b>Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Applied Materials</b></p><h2>About Applied Materials</h2> (Free Report)<p>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.</p><h2>See Also</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Applied Materials</li><li>What is the Dogs of the Dow Strategy? Overview and Examples</li><li>3 Volatility ETFs to Help You Profit from Market Chaos</li><li>How to Most Effectively Use the MarketBeat Earnings Screener</li><li>Lam Research: Is a NAND Upgrade Cycle the Next Growth Catalyst?</li><li>3 Monster Growth Stocks to Buy Now</li><li>Chipotle’s Slip: A Short-Term Dip or Long-Term Opportunity?</li></ul><p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9QU1BVA?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="650" height="350" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5BU0RBUSZTeW1ib2w9QU1BVA"/></p><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Where Should You Invest $1,000 Right Now?</h2><p>Before you make your next trade, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis.</p><p>Our team has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and none of the big name stocks were on the list.</p><p>They believe these five stocks are the five best companies for investors to buy now...</p><p>See The Five Stocks Here </p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Applied Materials Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider Applied Materials, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Applied Materials wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Applied Materials currently has a &#34;Moderate Buy&#34; rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

AMAT

<p>Silver Oak Securities Incorporated reduced its stake in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) by 56.3% in Q4, now holding 1,438 shares valued at $235,000. Other institutional investors also adjusted their positions. Applied Materials reported Q4 earnings of $2.32 per share, exceeding estimates, with revenue of $7.05 billion. The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share. Analysts have mixed ratings on the stock, with a consensus price target of $218.71 and an average rating of "Moderate Buy."</p>

Silver Oak Securities Incorporated Has $235,000 Stock Position in Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT)