Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT) is expected to release earnings results for its second quarter, after the closing bell on Thursday. Analysts expect the Santa Clara, California-based company to report quarterly earnings at $1.99 per share. That’s up from $1.78 per share in the year-ago period. Applied Materials is projected to post quarterly revenue of $6.54 billion, according to data from Benzinga Pro. On Monday, Jefferies analyst Blayne Curtis downgraded Applied Materials from Buy to Hold. He also slashed the price target from $215 to $210. With the recent buzz around Applied Materials, some investors may be eyeing potential gains from the company's dividends. As of now, Applied Materials has a dividend yield of 0.74%, which is a quarterly dividend amount of 40 cents a share ($1.60 a ...