Applied Materials to Increase Strategic Stake in BE Semiconductor Industries (Besi) to ~20%

Event Overview

On October 26, 2026, Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) entered into an accelerated share purchase agreement to acquire additional common shares of Dutch semiconductor assembly equipment supplier BE Semiconductor Industries N.V. (Besi). Combined with Applied's existing stake initiated in April 2025, the transaction will bring Applied's total ownership to approximately 20% of Besi's outstanding shares.

Strategic Context & Key Terms

• Regulatory Conditions: Delivery of the shares is subject to expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.
• Investment Horizon & Governance: Applied Materials disclosed that it regards the stake as a long-term strategic investment. The company stated it has no intention to exceed an approximate 20% holding or seek representation on Besi's Board of Directors.
• Operational Synergies: The expanded stake builds upon a collaboration formed in 2020 and strengthened through Besi's role as an Innovation Partner at Applied's EPIC Center. Joint development centers on hybrid bonding, next-generation interconnect architectures, 3D IC scaling, logic/memory integration, and advanced die-level packaging architectures supporting AI computing workloads.