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

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the positions 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.

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 10 options trades for Applied Mat.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 30% bullish and 60%, bearish.

Out of all of the options we uncovered, there was 1 put, for a total amount of $29,900, and 9, calls, for a total amount of $474,880.

What's The Price Target?

Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $140.0 to $280.0 for Applied Mat during the past quarter.

Volume & Open Interest Development

Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. 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 trades within a strike price range from $140.0 to $280.0 in the last 30 days.

Applied Mat Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview

Noteworthy Options Activity:

About Applied Mat

Applied Materials ( AMAT ) is the largest semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment, or WFE, manufacturer in the world. Applied Materials ( AMAT ) has a broad portfolio spanning nearly every corner of the WFE ecosystem. Specifically, Applied Materials ( AMAT ) 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.

Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Applied Mat, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.

Current Position of Applied Mat

With a volume of 668,035, the price of AMAT is down -1.04% at $235.09.

RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be overbought.

Next earnings are expected to be released in 62 days.

Expert Opinions on Applied Mat

In the last month, 5 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $232.0.

Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Susquehanna continues to hold a Neutral rating for Applied Mat, targeting a price of $185.

In a positive move, an analyst from Barclays has upgraded their rating to Equal-Weight and adjusted the price target to $225.

An analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded its action to Overweight with a price target of $260.

An analyst from Raymond James persists with their Outperform rating on Applied Mat, maintaining a target price of $235.

Maintaining their stance, an analyst from B. Riley Securities continues to hold a Buy rating for Applied Mat, targeting a price of $255.

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.