Looking At Applied Mat's Recent Unusual Options Activity

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Applied Mat AMAT.

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.

Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with AMAT, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.

So how do we know what these investors just did?

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 46 uncommon options trades for Applied Mat.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 52% bullish and 36%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 33 are puts, for a total amount of $2,179,215, and 13 are calls, for a total amount of $722,211.

Projected Price Targets

Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $85.0 to $210.0 for Applied Mat over the recent three months.

Analyzing Volume & Open Interest

In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for Applied Mat options trades today is 747.42 with a total volume of 3,459.00.

In the following chart, we are able to follow the development of volume and open interest of call and put options for Applied Mat's big money trades within a strike price range of $85.0 to $210.0 over the last 30 days.

Applied Mat Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days

Largest Options Trades Observed:

About Applied Mat

Applied Materials Inc 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.

In light of the recent options history for Applied Mat, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance.

Current Position of Applied Mat

• Currently trading with a volume of 2,982,578, the AMAT's price is down by -0.12%, now at $156.46.
• RSI readings suggest the stock is currently is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.
• Anticipated earnings release is in 76 days.

What Analysts Are Saying About Applied Mat

Over the past month, 4 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $205.5.

Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move

Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access. * An analyst from Needham persists with their Buy rating on Applied Mat, maintaining a target price of $195. * Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Barclays keeps a Equal-Weight rating on Applied Mat with a target price of $190. * Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Citigroup continues to hold a Buy rating for Applied Mat, targeting a price of $202. * An analyst from Stifel has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Applied Mat, which currently sits at a price target of $235.

Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Applied Mat with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.