Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) is one of the world’s largest suppliers of equipment and services used in semiconductor manufacturing. Shares recently traded around $269 per share, giving the company a market value of roughly $213.2B.
Applied Materials sits at the center of long-term semiconductor demand tied to AI, advanced logic, and memory spending. Looking at who owns Applied Materials and how insiders are trading helps show how large investors and company leadership appear to be positioning today.
Who Are Applied Materials’ Top Shareholders?
Applied Materials’ shareholder base is led by large passive institutions that typically hold through market cycles, helping support ownership stability. Active managers adjusted exposure in both directions, pointing to mixed views on valuation following strong share price performance.
- The Vanguard Group: 76,075,463 shares (9.59%), ~$20.45B value. Reduced holdings by 842,245 shares (-1.09%).
- BlackRock Institutional Trust: 47,476,732 shares (5.99%), ~$12.77B value. Added 264,327 shares (+0.56%).
- State Street Investment Management: 38,172,102 shares (4.81%), ~$10.26B value. Reduced holdings by 748,882 shares (-1.92%).
- Geode Capital Management: 20,937,804 shares (2.64%), ~$5.63B value. Reduced holdings by 88,559 shares (-0.42%).
- Invesco Capital Management (QQQ Trust): 16,700,812 shares (2.11%), ~$4.49B value. Reduced holdings by 44,732 shares (-0.27%).
- Capital Research Global Investors: 14,877,672 shares (1.88%), ~$4.00B value. Added 10,305,182 shares (+225.37%).
- AllianceBernstein L.P.: 12,774,281 shares (1.61%), ~$3.43B value. Reduced holdings by 789,839 shares (-5.82%).
- Sanders Capital, LLC: 10,978,990 shares (1.38%), ~$2.95B value. Added 3,280,730 shares (+42.62%).
These holdings show Applied Materials remains anchored by major passive firms, while sizable additions from select active managers suggest confidence among some investors even as others appear more cautious, which is important context for investors.
Hedge Fund Highlights
One notable move came from Balyasny Asset Management LP, founded by Dmitry Balyasny, which boosted its Applied Materials position by roughly 570%, building a stake worth about $38M, suggesting the firm may be leaning more positively on long-term semiconductor equipment demand.
Squarepoint Ops LLC, founded by Shivaji Nagarsheth, increased its position by over 430%, lifting its Applied Materials stake to approximately $244M, which appears to reflect growing confidence in the company’s earnings momentum.
Schonfeld Strategic Advisors, led by founder Steven Schonfeld, expanded its exposure by more than 10,600%, resulting in a position valued around $75M, indicating a meaningful allocation despite the sharp percentage increase starting from a smaller base.
Meanwhile, Capula Management, founded by Yan Huo, raised its stake by over 123,000% to roughly $104M, standing out as one of the most aggressive hedge fund additions during the period, which may point to rising confidence in Applied Materials’ role in advanced chip manufacturing for investors.
Track the top shareholders of over 50,000 global stocks (It’s free) >>>
Applied Materials’ Recent Insider Trades
Insider trades can offer useful context around how executives and directors may be managing personal exposure. Recent filings for Applied Materials show multiple transactions clustered in mid-December at prices near $256 per share.
- Gary E. Dickerson (Officer & Director): Sold ~$33.5M worth of shares at ~$256.
- Praburam G. Raja (Officer): Sold ~$8.6M worth of shares at ~$256.
- Brice Hill (Officer): Sold ~$7.2M worth of shares at ~$256.
- Timothy M. Deane (Officer): Sold ~$4.2M worth of shares at ~$256.
- Omkaram Nalamasu (Officer): Sold ~$5.2M worth of shares at ~$256.
- Teri A. Little (Officer): Sold ~$4.0M worth of shares at ~$256.
These transactions do not materially change overall ownership levels, but it appears insiders may be reducing personal exposure after recent share price strength, which provides useful context for investors.
See recent insider trade data for over 50,000 global stocks (It’s free) >>>
What the Ownership & Insider Trade Data Tell Us
Applied Materials’ shareholder base remains supported by large passive institutions, helping provide long-term stability. At the same time, hedge fund activity shows selective but meaningful additions, while insider selling appears clustered around similar price levels.
Taken together, the data suggest continued institutional confidence alongside some caution from insiders and active managers as Applied Materials trades near recent highs, offering a balanced signal for investors.
Value Any Stock in Under 60 Seconds (It’s Free)
With TIKR’s new Valuation Model tool, you can estimate a stock’s potential share price in under a minute.
All it takes is three simple inputs:
- Revenue Growth
- Operating Margins
- Exit P/E Multiple
From there, TIKR calculates the potential share price and total returns under Bull, Base, and Bear scenarios so you can quickly see whether a stock looks undervalued or overvalued.
If you’re not sure what to enter, TIKR automatically fills in each input using analysts’ consensus estimates, giving you a quick, reliable starting point.
See a stock’s true value in under 60 seconds (Free with TIKR) >>>
