Applied Materials Board Approves 15% Increase in Quarterly Cash Dividend

Applied Materials announces a 15% increase in its quarterly cash dividend, marking nine consecutive years of growth.

Quiver AI Summary

Applied Materials, Inc. announced a 15-percent increase in its quarterly cash dividend, raising it from $0.46 to $0.53 per share, set to be paid on June 11, 2026, to shareholders on record by May 21, 2026. This increase marks the ninth consecutive year that the company has raised its dividend, reflecting strong cash flow generation and the commitment to shareholder returns. Over the past four years, Applied Materials has more than doubled its dividend, achieving a compound annual growth rate of 18 percent over the past decade while distributing nearly 90 percent of free cash flow to shareholders through dividends and buybacks. The company highlighted that future dividends will depend on various factors, including financial conditions and the Board's discretion.

Potential Positives

Applied Materials announced a 15-percent increase in its quarterly cash dividend, highlighting its commitment to returning value to shareholders.
This marks the ninth consecutive year of dividend increases, demonstrating consistent growth and stability in the company's financial performance.
Over the past four years, the company has more than doubled its dividend per share, illustrating strong cash flow generation and effective capital allocation strategies.
Applied Materials has grown its dividend per share at a compound annual growth rate of 18 percent over the past decade, reinforcing its reliability as a dividend-paying company.

Potential Negatives

The reliance on dividends as a primary component of shareholder returns may indicate limited reinvestment in innovation or growth opportunities, which could affect future competitiveness in the market.
The forward-looking statements concerning future dividends and share repurchases highlight uncertainty, as these depend on various factors that could change and may not guarantee continued shareholder returns.
High percentage of free cash flow distributed to shareholders (nearly 90%) may raise concerns about insufficient capital reserves for unforeseen challenges or market downturns.

FAQ

What is the new quarterly cash dividend for Applied Materials?

The new quarterly cash dividend for Applied Materials is $0.53 per share, up from $0.46.

When will the new dividend be paid?

The new dividend will be payable on June 11, 2026, to shareholders of record as of May 21, 2026.

How many years has Applied Materials increased its dividend?

Applied Materials has increased its dividend for nine consecutive years, demonstrating consistent growth.

What is the company's dividend growth rate over the past decade?

Applied Materials has achieved a compound annual dividend growth rate of 18 percent over the past decade.

Who can provide more information about Applied Materials dividends?

For more information, contact Ricky Gradwohl for media inquiries at 408.235.4676 or Mike Sullivan for financial inquiries at 408.986.7977.

Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.

$AMAT Insider Trading Activity

$AMAT insiders have traded $AMAT stock on the open market 8 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 8 have been sales.

Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $AMAT stock by insiders over the last 6 months:

JUDY BRUNER has made 0 purchases and 3 sales selling 6,469 shares for an estimated $2,475,679.
TERI A. LITTLE (SVP, CLO) has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 8,000 shares for an estimated $1,889,262.
BRICE HILL (SVP, CFO) sold 5,000 shares for an estimated $1,806,062
ADAM SANDERS (Corp. Controller & CAO) has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 1,143 shares for an estimated $358,091.

To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.

$AMAT Revenue

$AMAT had revenues of $7B in Q1 2026. This is a decrease of -2.15% from the same period in the prior year.

You can track AMAT financials on Quiver Quantitative's AMAT stock page.

$AMAT Congressional Stock Trading

Members of Congress have traded $AMAT stock 2 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 1 have been purchases and 1 have been sales.

Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $AMAT stock by members of Congress over the last 6 months:

SENATOR JOHN BOOZMAN sold up to $15,000 on 02/27.
SENATOR MARKWAYNE MULLIN purchased up to $50,000 on 12/29.

To track congressional stock trading, check out Quiver Quantitative's congressional trading dashboard.

$AMAT Hedge Fund Activity

We have seen 1,116 institutional investors add shares of $AMAT stock to their portfolio, and 1,272 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.

Here are some of the largest recent moves:

UBS AM, A DISTINCT BUSINESS UNIT OF UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC removed 25,829,700 shares (-70.7%) from their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $6,637,974,603
CAPITAL RESEARCH GLOBAL INVESTORS added 17,829,377 shares (+119.8%) to their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $4,581,971,595
ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN L.P. removed 6,352,096 shares (-49.7%) from their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $1,632,425,151
KINGSTONE CAPITAL PARTNERS TEXAS, LLC removed 4,819,994 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $986,845,571
AUTO-OWNERS INSURANCE CO added 3,357,167 shares (+25824.4%) to their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $862,758,347
DZ BANK AG DEUTSCHE ZENTRAL GENOSSENSCHAFTS BANK, FRANKFURT AM MAIN added 2,920,878 shares (+257.7%) to their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $750,636,437
VAN ECK ASSOCIATES CORP removed 2,705,730 shares (-25.6%) from their portfolio in Q4 2025, for an estimated $695,345,552

To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.

$AMAT Analyst Ratings

Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $AMAT in the last several months. We have seen 14 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.

Here are some recent analyst ratings:

Needham issued a "Buy" rating on 02/13/2026
Morgan Stanley issued a "Overweight" rating on 02/02/2026
Deutsche Bank issued a "Buy" rating on 01/23/2026
Barclays issued a "Overweight" rating on 01/15/2026
RBC Capital issued a "Outperform" rating on 01/15/2026
B. Riley Securities issued a "Buy" rating on 12/18/2025
UBS issued a "Buy" rating on 11/25/2025

To track analyst ratings and price targets for $AMAT, check out Quiver Quantitative's $AMAT forecast page.

$AMAT Price Targets

Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $AMAT recently. We have seen 20 analysts offer price targets for $AMAT in the last 6 months, with a median target of $415.0.

Here are some recent targets:

Shane Brett from Morgan Stanley set a target price of $432.0 on 02/25/2026
Tom O'Malley from Barclays set a target price of $450.0 on 02/17/2026
Vijay Rakesh from Mizuho set a target price of $410.0 on 02/13/2026
James Schneider from Goldman Sachs set a target price of $390.0 on 02/13/2026
Atif Malik from Citigroup set a target price of $420.0 on 02/13/2026
Craig Ellis from B. Riley Securities set a target price of $450.0 on 02/13/2026
Charles Shi from Needham set a target price of $440.0 on 02/13/2026

Full Release

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Materials, Inc. today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a 15-percent increase in the quarterly cash dividend, from $0.46 to $0.53 per share, payable on June 11, 2026 to shareholders of record as of May 21, 2026. This marks nine consecutive years of dividend increases.

“With the increase announced today, Applied Materials has more than doubled its dividend per share from four years ago,” said Brice Hill, Senior Vice President and CFO. “This demonstrates our ability to generate strong cash flow and attractive shareholder distributions while investing to enable profitable growth.”

The cash dividend is a key component of Applied’s capital allocation strategy. With the increase announced today, the company has grown its dividend per share at a compound annual growth rate of 18 percent over the past decade. Over the past 10 fiscal years, Applied has distributed nearly 90 percent of free cash flow to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, express or implied, regarding future rates of cash dividends and our share repurchase program. While we expect to continue to pay dividends in the future, the declaration of any future dividends or dividends at any particular rate is subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend on our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, business conditions and other factors, as well as a determination by the Board of Directors that dividends are in the best interests of our stockholders. The timing and amount of share repurchases will depend on market conditions, our other funding requirements and other considerations. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements are described in our SEC filings, including our recent Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. All forward-looking statements are based on management’s current estimates, projections and assumptions, and we assume no obligation to update them.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measure
For reconciliation of the GAAP to non-GAAP financial measure related to free cash flow, see non-GAAP reconciliation materials on the Investor Relations website at ir.appliedmaterials.com .

About Applied Materials
Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMAT) is the leader in materials engineering solutions that are at the foundation of virtually every new semiconductor and advanced display in the world. The technology we create is essential to advancing AI and accelerating the commercialization of next-generation chips. At Applied, we push the boundaries of science and engineering to deliver material innovation that changes the world. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com .

Contact:
Ricky Gradwohl (editorial/media) 408.235.4676
Mike Sullivan (financial community) 408.986.7977