Spotlight on Applied Mat: Analyzing the Surge in Options Activity

Author: Benzinga Insights | May 30, 2024 11:16am

High-rolling investors have positioned themselves bearish on Applied Mat (NASDAQ:AMAT), and it's important for retail traders to take note. \This activity came to our attention today through Benzinga's tracking of publicly available options data. The identities of these investors are uncertain, but such a significant move in AMAT often signals that someone has privileged information.

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 9 options trades for Applied Mat. This is not a typical pattern.

The sentiment among these major traders is split, with 22% bullish and 55% bearish. Among all the options we identified, there was one put, amounting to $32,000, and 8 calls, totaling $490,730.

What's The Price Target?

Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $130.0 to $220.0 for Applied Mat over the last 3 months.

Insights into Volume & Open Interest

Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock.

This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Applied Mat's options for a given strike price.

Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Applied Mat's whale activity within a strike price range from $130.0 to $220.0 in the last 30 days.

Applied Mat Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview

Largest Options Trades Observed:

Symbol	PUT/CALL	Trade Type	Sentiment	Exp. Date	Ask	Bid	Price	Strike Price	Total Trade Price	Open Interest	Volume
AMAT	CALL	TRADE	BEARISH	06/20/25	$34.95	$34.6	$34.6	$220.00	$173.0K	34	20
AMAT	CALL	SWEEP	BULLISH	06/21/24	$88.0	$88.0	$88.0	$130.00	$105.6K	920	0
AMAT	CALL	TRADE	NEUTRAL	12/18/26	$74.05	$70.75	$72.5	$185.00	$36.2K	0	6
AMAT	CALL	TRADE	BULLISH	01/16/26	$71.7	$71.7	$71.7	$170.00	$35.8K	498	6
AMAT	CALL	TRADE	BEARISH	06/20/25	$35.95	$35.3	$35.3	$220.00	$35.3K	34	10

About Applied Mat

Applied Materials is the largest semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment, or WFE, manufacturer in the world. Applied Materials has a broad portfolio spanning nearly every corner of the WFE ecosystem. Specifically, Applied Materials holds a market share leadership position in deposition, which entails the layering of new materials on semiconductor wafers. It is more exposed to general-purpose logic chips made at integrated device manufacturers and foundries. It counts the largest chipmakers in the world as customers, including TSMC, Intel, and Samsung.

Present Market Standing of Applied Mat

• With a trading volume of 748,036, the price of AMAT is down by -1.17%, reaching $216.48.
• Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be approaching overbought.
• Next earnings report is scheduled for 77 days from now.

Expert Opinions on Applied Mat

A total of 5 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $239.0.

• An analyst from B. Riley Securities has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Applied Mat, which currently sits at a price target of $255.
• Reflecting concerns, an analyst from Jefferies lowers its rating to Hold with a new price target of $210.
• Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from JP Morgan keeps a Overweight rating on Applied Mat with a target price of $240.
• Maintaining their stance, an analyst from TD Cowen continues to hold a Buy rating for Applied Mat, targeting a price of $250.
• Reflecting concerns, an analyst from Needham lowers its rating to Buy with a new price target of $240.

Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Applied Mat options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro.

Posted In: AMAT