Applied Mat Option Alert: Jun 20 $145 Puts at the Bid: 550 vs 1677 OI; Earnings 5/15 After Close [est] 

Applied Mat Option Alert: Jun 20 $145 Puts at the Bid: 550 @ $10.51 vs 1677 OI; Earnings 5/15 After Close [est] Ref=$145.115

Applied Mat Option Alert: Jan 16 $175 Calls at the Bid: 550 vs 306 OI; Earnings 5/15 After Close [est] 

Applied Mat Option Alert: Jan 16 $175 Calls at the Bid: 550 @ $13.85 vs 306 OI; Earnings 5/15 After Close [est] Ref=$152.86

Applied Mat (NASDAQ:AMAT) Bolsa

APPLIED MATERIALS INC

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.

Applied Materials

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Descubre las acciones más sobrevendidas en tecnología según RSI, incluyendo Axcelis Technologies, Applied Materials y Microchip Technology.

Acciones sobrevendidas en tecnología: ¿Oportunidad de compra o riesgo?

Earnings

CINT

MSGE

Acciones de EE.UU. al alza: Applied Materials, CI&amp;T, Madison Square Garden Entertainment, H&amp;R Block y Flowers Foods en el radar de los inversores.

Acciones de EE.UU. en el foco este viernes: AMAT, MSGE, CINT, HRB y FLO

Equities

AMZN

ASTS

CING

TSLA

Descubre las acciones que captaron la atención de los traders el jueves, incluyendo Tesla y Amazon, en una jornada alcista para Wall Street.

5 acciones en tendencia: Amazon, AST Spacemobile, Cingulate, Applied Materials y Tesla

Applied Materials Inc

Amata Corp PCL

Benzinga examined the prospects for <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">many investors' favorite stocks</a> over the last week — here's a look at some of our top stories.
U.S. markets experienced a notable upswing this week, driven by President Donald Trump's announcement of a trade agreement with the United Kingdom. The deal includes reductions in tariffs on UK automobiles, steel, and aluminum, and grants the UK access to the U.S. beef market. This development spurred optimism for potential future trade agreements and contributed to a rally in equities, with the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq posting gains. Additionally, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) surpassed the $100,000 mark, reflecting increased investor confidence and a shift toward riskier assets.
Despite the positive market response, concerns about the broader economic outlook persist. The Federal Reserve opted to maintain current interest rates, citing uncertainties related to the new tariff policies and their potential impact on inflation and employment. Analysts warn of the risk of stagflation — a combination of stagnant economic growth and high inflation—especially as the effects of the tariffs become more pronounced.
Looking ahead, high-level trade discussions between U.S. and Chinese officials are scheduled, aiming to address ongoing tensions and possibly adjust existing tariffs. Investors are closely monitoring these developments, as outcomes could significantly influence market dynamics and economic forecasts in the coming months.
Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week's most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.

The Bulls
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45259042/ibm-thinks-big-ai-delivers-bigger-why-bulls-are-charging-toward-300">"IBM Thinks Big, AI Delivers Bigger – Why Bulls Are Charging Toward $300"</a>, by Surbhi Jain, reports that International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) shares have climbed 48% over the past year and 13% year-to-date, driven by strong technical indicators and a bullish AI strategy, prompting Wedbush analyst Dan Ives to reiterate an Outperform rating with a $300 price target.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45295534/novavax-reports-q1-profit-as-revenue-surges-to-over-600-million-and-lower-costs-raises-2025-forecasts">"Novavax reports Q1 profit as revenue surges to over $600 million and lower costs, raises 2025 forecasts"</a>, by Vandana Singh, reports that Novavax Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVAX#NASDAQ">NVAX</a>) posted a Q1 profit of $2.93 per share on $667 million in revenue — driven by $603 million from terminated advance purchase agreements — while raising its 2025 revenue forecast to $975 million-$1.025 billion and noting ongoing discussions with the FDA for full approval of its COVID-19 vaccine.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45297555/hims-hers-stocks-100-surge-is-squeezing-shorts-and-it-might-just-be-getting-started">"Hims &amp; Hers stock's 100% surge is squeezing shorts—and it might just be getting started"</a>, by Surbhi Jain, reports that Hims &amp; Hers Health Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HIMS#NYSE">HIMS</a>) shares have doubled over the past month, fueled by strong Q1 earnings, a partnership with Novo Nordisk to offer Wegovy, and a high short interest of 33% of float, suggesting a classic short squeeze may be underway.
For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/05/45298562/chipmakers-enter-bullish-seasonal-window-5-stocks-that-could-outperform">Chipmakers Enter Bullish Seasonal Window: 5 Stocks That Could Outperform</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45291509/nvidia-broadcom-amd-surge-as-trump-reshapes-ai-chip-export-rules-to-ease-market-pressure">Nvidia, Broadcom, AMD Gain As Trump Reshapes AI Chip Export Rules To Ease Market Pressure</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/05/45268589/sunrun-stock-rallies-after-strong-q1-report-details">Sunrun Stock Rallies After Strong Q1 Report: Details</a>

The Bears
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/05/45268429/arm-holdings-stock-plunges-after-q4-results-heres-why">"Arm Holdings Stock Plunges After Q4 Results: Here's Why"</a>, by Erica Kollmann, reports that Arm Holdings plc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>) shares fell nearly 9% after the company beat Q4 expectations with $1.24 billion in revenue and $0.55 EPS but issued weaker-than-expected guidance for fiscal 2026, citing uncertainty in licensing deals and global trade tensions.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45272331/super-micro-slides-as-ai-server-delays-nvidia-supply-limits-weigh-on-analyst-ratings">"Super Micro slides as AI server delays, Nvidia supply limits weigh on analyst ratings"</a>, by Anusuya Lahiri, reports that Super Micro Computer Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>) shares fell 5% after the company missed Q3 revenue and EPS expectations and issued a cautious Q4 outlook, attributing delays to customers awaiting NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) Blackwell GPUs and facing supply constraints, leading analysts to lower forecasts amid concerns over AI server demand and margin pressures.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45261806/sarepta-therapeutics-stock-sinks-on-gloomy-forecast-analysts-cut-price-forecasts">"Sarepta Therapeutics stock sinks on gloomy forecast, analysts cut price forecasts"</a>, by Vandana Singh, reports that Sarepta Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SRPT#NASDAQ">SRPT</a>) shares fell after the company posted a deeper-than-expected Q1 loss and cut its 2025 forecast due to Elevidys rollout delays, despite beating revenue estimates.
For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/05/45239188/arista-networks-shares-fall-after-mixed-q1-results-eps-beat-revenues-miss-q2-guidance-below-estimates">Arista Networks Shares Fall After Mixed Q1 Results: EPS Beat, Revenues Miss, Q2 Guidance Below Estimates</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/05/45270996/cleveland-cliffs-stock-falls-on-q1-earnings-miss-steelmaker-idles-6-facilities-taking-decisive-action-to-streamline-our-operations">Cleveland-Cliffs Stock Falls On Q1 Earnings Miss, Steelmaker Idles 6 Facilities: ‘Taking Decisive Action To Streamline Our Operations'</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/05/45302422/coinbase-q1-earnings-highlights-revenue-eps-miss-2025">Coinbase Slips On Q1 Miss, Highlights SEC ‘Win' And Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Executive Order</a>

Keep up with all the latest breaking news and trading ideas by following <a href="https://twitter.com/Benzinga" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga</a><a href="http://twitter.com/Benzinga" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> on X</a>.
Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

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Hims & Hers Health, Inc. Class A Common Stock

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iShares PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index Fund

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Benzinga Bulls And Bears: IBM, Novavax, Arm Holdings — And UK Trade Deal Boosts Markets

A May filing shows that Representative Jefferson Shreve reported a purchase in Apple (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), valued between $1,800,068 and $4,750,000. The transaction date is listed as May 8, 2025, with the report published on May 8, 2025.
At present, Apple shares are trading up 0.65% at $198.77.
<h3>Representative's Recent Trading Activity</h3>
In the past three years, Jefferson Shreve made 323 stock trades totaling more than $6.94 million. The largest trades involved stocks like Microsoft and Broadcom. Their most notable trades made recently include key transactions: 
<ul>
<li>Broadcom (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>): $100,001 - $250,000 Purchase</li>
<li>AbbVie (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ABBV#NYSE">ABBV</a>): $50,001 - $100,000 Sale</li>
<li>Applied Mat (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMAT#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>): $50,001 - $100,000 Purchase</li>
</ul>
Here's a summary of Jefferson Shreve's recent trades:
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Company</th>
<th>Ticker</th>
<th>Stock Type</th>
<th>Amount</th>
<th>Transaction Type</th>
<th>Transaction Date</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>AbbVie</td>
<td>ABBV</td>
<td>STOCK</td>
<td>$50,001 - $100,000</td>
<td>S</td>
<td>2025-04-17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Agilent Technologies</td>
<td>A</td>
<td>STOCK</td>
<td>$15,001 - $50,000</td>
<td>P</td>
<td>2025-04-17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Applied Mat</td>
<td>AMAT</td>
<td>STOCK</td>
<td>$50,001 - $100,000</td>
<td>P</td>
<td>2025-04-17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ares Management</td>
<td>ARES</td>
<td>STOCK</td>
<td>$50,001 - $100,000</td>
<td>P</td>
<td>2025-04-17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Autodesk</td>
<td>ADSK</td>
<td>STOCK</td>
<td>$15,001 - $50,000</td>
<td>P</td>
<td>2025-04-17</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Want to keep up with Jefferson Shreve and other congressional members' stock activities? Check out our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/gov-trades/members/jefferson-shreve">government trades tool</a> for real-time updates!
<h3>The Importance of Congressional Transactions</h3>
A congressional transaction is when any representative or senator either buys or sells an individual stock.
Anyone working in Congress must file a Periodic Transaction Report to inform the public of their recent transaction within 30 days of being notified of the transaction and within 45 days of the transaction date.
In April 2012, Former President Barack Obama signed the STOCK Act into law. The act prohibits members of Congress from using private information given to them by their position for personal gain such as buying or selling a stock. The act also expanded disclosure requirements for members of Congress by requiring them to file a monthly disclosure.
<h3>The Importance of Congressional Transactions</h3>
Congressional transactions shouldn't be the primary reason for an investing decision, but they can be an important factor for an investor to consider.
When a senator or representative makes a new purchase, it could be an indication they expect the stock to rise.
A sale, on the other hand, can be made for a variety of reasons, and may not necessarily mean the seller thinks the stock will go down.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Government

Politics

General

AAPL

ABBV

Recent Report Shows That Rep. Jefferson Shreve Bought Up to $4.75M Worth of Apple Stock

Chipmakers could be on the verge of a strong seasonal rally, a historical pattern that, if repeated, might supercharge a rebound already underway thanks to renewed U.S.-China trade optimism <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45291509/nvidia-broadcom-amd-surge-as-trump-reshapes-ai-chip-export-rules-to-ease-market-pressure">and eased export restrictions.</a>
The iShares Semiconductor ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOXX#NYSE">SOXX</a>), which tracks 34 top U.S. chipmakers, has historically posted robust gains during the second half of May. 
In 9 of the past 10 years, the ETF has closed higher in this period, delivering an average return of 4.3%, according to data from Seasonax.
The strongest rally occurred between May 15 and May 31, 2023, when SOXX surged 13% over two weeks. The only negative performance in the past decade came in 2019, when the ETF plunged 10.7% during the same seasonal window.
When extending the data horizon to 20 years, the pattern still holds: 14 out of 20 years ended in gains during this period, with an average return of 2.8%.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">3 Catalysts Behind the Chipmaker Rebound</h3>
1. Trade War De-escalation
The SOXX ETF is still down 11% year-to-date as of May 8, but that marks a significant recovery from the 30% YTD decline it faced just a month ago. The turnaround was sparked after President Donald Trump announced a 90-day tariff pause, allowing space for negotiation.
The plan includes a 10% universal tariff rate – excluding China – which now faces export duties as high as 145%. Talks with Chinese officials are expected to start this week in Switzerland, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
&#8220;China wants to make a deal,&#8221; Trump said on Thursday, following his first trade pact with the UK.
2. Eased AI Chip Export Curbs
A second boost for the sector is coming from the Trump administration's move to roll back Biden-era chip export restrictions. These rules had hampered U.S. giants like Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) from exporting high-end AI chips.
The Department of Commerce confirmed it would rescind or amend the rule, offering immediate relief to chipmakers constrained by performance caps and compliance headaches.
Read also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/05/45269811/chip-stocks-rise-as-trump-reportedly-plans-to-roll-back-biden-era-ai-export-curbs">Chip Stocks Rise As Trump Reportedly Plans To Roll Back Biden-Era AI Export Curbs</a>
3. Earnings Season Tailwinds
Quarterly earnings could provide further upside. Nvidia is set to report on May 28, an event widely watched by markets. 
Others, like Applied Materials (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMAT#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>) and Marvell Technology (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRVL#NASDAQ">MRVL</a>), will also report results in the latter half of May.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Top Chip Stocks In May: Historical Performance</h3>
Some of the most prominent chipmakers have shown remarkable performance during the month of May over the past decade:
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Stock</th>
<th>Avg May Return</th>
<th>Positive May Closes (Last 10 Years)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Nvidia</td>
<td>+15.0%</td>
<td>8 out of 10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMD</td>
<td>+9.7%</td>
<td>7 out of 10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>)</td>
<td>+7.7%</td>
<td>9 out of 10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Applied Materials</td>
<td>+7.4%</td>
<td>9 out of 10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MU#NASDAQ">MU</a>)</td>
<td>+5.4%</td>
<td>7 out of 10</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Notably, Nvidia not only tops the leaderboard in average returns but also ranks May as its best month of the year over the past decade.
Read also: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/05/45292686/buying-in-nvidia-on-chip-restriction-removal-and-uk-trade-deal-but-devil-is-in-the-details">Buying In Nvidia On Chip Restriction Removal And UK Trade Deal, But Devil Is In The Details</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Large Cap

Regulations

Sector ETFs

Tech

ETFs

Chipmakers Enter Bullish Seasonal Window: 5 Stocks That Could Outperform

Move over, dividends &#8211; corporate America is in love with itself again. According to JPMorgan strategist Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, U.S. corporate share buybacks surged in April, marking the strongest monthly pace in years and reinforcing their role as a stabilizing force <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/volatility">in volatile markets</a>.
May has kicked off with a fresh surge of stock buyback announcements, and it's not just a sprinkle &#8211; it's a full-blown cash confetti storm. Repurchase plans announced since April 1 now add up to $262 billion, suggesting companies are favoring ploughing extra cash into buybacks over, say, dividend payments.
Panigirtzoglou notes that this contrarian pattern &#8211; where buybacks ramp up following equity market corrections &#8211; was similarly evident during the Silicon Valley Bank crisis two years ago (the SVB collapsed in March 2023) and the early stages of the Ukraine war.
He notes that corporate repurchases complemented a rebound in equity-focused hedge fund positioning, which had previously de-risked in February and March, further amplifying April&#8217;s V-shaped equity recovery.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45284152/coin-vs-mara-which-crypto-stock-chart-has-the-bullish-edge-before-q1-earnings-drop">COIN Vs. MARA: Which Crypto Stock Chart Has The Bullish Edge Before Q1 Earnings Drop?</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Apple, Alphabet, Wells Fargo Leading Corporate Buybacks</h2>
Leading the parade is Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), flexing its financial muscles with a jaw-dropping $100 billion buyback—because, apparently, having a $2.7 trillion market cap wasn't enough self-confidence. This is no fluke; it's an "additional" buyback, which means Apple's just topping off a long-standing habit of hoarding its own stock like it&#8217;s going out of style.
Hot on its heels is Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) with a $70 billion share repurchase. Google may have axed cookies, but it's still baking up returns for shareholders in bulk.
Not to be outdone, Wells Fargo &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WFC#NYSE">WFC</a>) is pouring $40 billion into its own stock. After years of reputational rehab, the bank seems ready to bet on itself &#8211; in a very big way.
And it&#8217;s not just the mega-caps feeling themselves. KLA Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KLAC#NASDAQ">KLAC</a>) dropped a $5 billion mic, Dick's Sporting Goods Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DKS#NYSE">DKS</a>) entered the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44246625/dicks-sporting-beats-q4-earnings-stock-falls-amid-soft-outlook">game with $3 billion</a>, and Shell PLC (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SHEL#NYSE">SHEL</a>) is scooping up $3.5 billion of its shares &#8211; proving oil profits aren't just for gas stations and exec bonuses.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tech&#8217;s Buyback Binge</h2>
Tech is clearly in a buyback binge: Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/buybacks/25/04/44674899/broadcom-stock-jumps-on-10-billion-buyback-authorization">announced $10 billion</a> in early April, and Applied Materials Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMAT#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>) followed suit with its own <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/buybacks/25/03/44218819/applied-materials-hikes-dividend-for-8th-year-greenlights-10-billion-buyback-to-reward-investors">$10 billion plan</a>. 
Meanwhile, Align Technology Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALGN#NASDAQ">ALGN</a>) flashed its smile with a fresh $1 billion authorization, maybe to offset Invisalign's market volatility.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Consumer Stocks &#8211; Not Far Behind</h2>
There's also action in the consumer and industrial space. Graphic Packaging Holding Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GPK#NYSE">GPK</a>), Ingersoll Rand Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IR#NYSE">IR</a>), and Cirrus Logic Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRUS#NASDAQ">CRUS</a>) all made $500 million–$1.5 billion commitments. 
Even MGM Resorts International (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MGM#NYSE">MGM</a>) got in on the game with a $2 billion plan &#8211; perhaps betting on itself while its visitors bet on the slots.
The pattern is clear: buybacks are back with a vengeance. Whether it&#8217;s to boost EPS, signal confidence, or fend off activist investors, companies are scooping up shares at a pace that has investors sitting up &#8211; and short sellers sweating.
Bottom line? When the biggest names in business are buying their own stock, it might be time for investors to take notice—before the buyback wave pushes prices even higher.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45283751/bill-gates-called-steve-jobs-genius-in-a-way-you-cant-explain-and-said-i-dont-know-somebody-whos-just-like-him-while-reflecting-on-their-decades-long-collaboration-and-rivalry">Bill Gates Called Steve Jobs A &#8216;Genius In A Way You Can&#8217;t Explain,&#8217; Says &#8216;I Don&#8217;t Know Anybody Who&#8217;s Just Like Him&#8217; While Reflecting on Their Decades-Long Collaboration and Rivalry</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Buybacks

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CRUS

GOOG

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KLAC

SHEL

Apple, Alphabet Lead $262B Buyback Binge On Wall Street

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has been actively buying stocks in 2025, including transactions that may have been perfectly timed<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/politics/25/04/44852406/marjorie-taylor-greene-brushes-off-stock-buying-criticism-says-portfolio-manager-bought-the-dip"> during a market dip.</a>
Here's the latest transactions made by the congresswoman in early May.
What Happened: Greene was ranked as the 24th best-performing member of Congress based on their trades in 2024. The Congresswoman gained 30.2% for the year, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42860759/10-best-stock-traders-in-congress-in-2024-where-do-nancy-pelosi-pete-sessions-susan-collins-marjorie-taylor-greene-rank">outperforming the S&amp;P 500 </a>gain of 24.9%.
With new trades placed throughout the early months of 2025, Greene could see huge returns again during the year.
Here are her most recent trades made on May 5, as shown on the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/gov-trades/?utm_source=BZprocontent050725">Benzinga Government Trades page</a>. All purchases made were listed as between $1,001 to $15,000 unless otherwise indicated.
<ul>
<li>Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>)</li>
<li>AbbVie (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ABBV#NYSE">ABBV</a>)</li>
<li>Adobe Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADBE#NASDAQ">ADBE</a>)</li>
<li>Applied Materials (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMAT#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>)</li>
<li>Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>)</li>
<li>Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>)</li>
<li>American Express (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AXP#NYSE">AXP</a>)</li>
<li>Boeing Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BA#NYSE">BA</a>)</li>
<li>Bank of America (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>)</li>
<li>BHP Group (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BHP#NYSE">BHP</a>)</li>
<li>BP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BP#NYSE">BP</a>)</li>
<li>Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>)</li>
<li>Blackstone Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BX#NYSE">BX</a>)</li>
<li>Cardinal Health (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAH#NYSE">CAH</a>)</li>
<li>Caterpillar (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAT#NYSE">CAT</a>)</li>
<li>Cummins Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMI#NYSE">CMI</a>)</li>
<li>Chevron Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVX#NYSE">CVX</a>)</li>
<li>Dell Technologies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DELL#NYSE">DELL</a>)</li>
<li>Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DLR#NYSE">DLR</a>)</li>
<li>Duke Energy (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DUK#NYSE">DUK</a>)</li>
<li>Devon Energy (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DVN#NYSE">DVN</a>)</li>
<li>FedEx Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FDX#NYSE">FDX</a>)</li>
<li>Frontline PLC (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FRO#NYSE">FRO</a>)</li>
<li>Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GILD#NASDAQ">GILD</a>): two separate purchases of $1,001 to $15,000</li>
<li>Corning Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLW#NYSE">GLW</a>)</li>
<li>Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>)</li>
<li>Goldman Sachs (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GS#NYSE">GS</a>)</li>
<li>Home Depot (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HD#NYSE">HD</a>)</li>
<li>The Hershey Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HSY#NYSE">HSY</a>)</li>
<li>Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>)</li>
<li>Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>)</li>
<li>JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JPM#NYSE">JPM</a>)</li>
<li>Kinder Morgan (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KMI#NYSE">KMI</a>)</li>
<li>Eli Lilly And Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LLY#NYSE">LLY</a>)</li>
<li>MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>)</li>
<li>Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>)</li>
<li>Merck Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>)</li>
<li>Morgan Stanley (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MS#NYSE">MS</a>)</li>
<li>Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>)</li>
<li>NextEra Energy (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NEE#NYSE">NEE</a>)</li>
<li>ServiceNow Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOW#NASDAQ">NOW</a>)</li>
<li>Norfolk Southern (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NSC#NYSE">NSC</a>): two separate purchases of $1,001 to $15,000</li>
<li>NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>)</li>
<li>Old Dominion Freight Line (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ODFL#NASDAQ">ODFL</a>)</li>
<li>Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OXY#NYSE">OXY</a>): two separate purchases of $1,001 to $15,000</li>
<li>Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PANW#NASDAQ">PANW</a>)</li>
<li>Paychex Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PAYX#NASDAQ">PAYX</a>)</li>
<li>Impinj Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PI#NASDAQ">PI</a>)</li>
<li>Qualcomm Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>)</li>
<li>Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SBUX#NASDAQ">SBUX</a>)</li>
<li>Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SCHW#NYSE">SCHW</a>)</li>
<li>Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>)</li>
<li>United Parcel Service (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UPS#NYSE">UPS</a>)</li>
<li>Visa Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/V#NYSE">V</a>)</li>
<li>Walmart Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>)</li>
</ul>
In total, that's more than 50 different stocks bought and disclosed by Greene in the latest filing. Based on the purchase range of $1,001 to $15,000, this would make the transaction range over $50,000 and up to more than $800,000.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/politics/25/04/45077654/bill-named-after-nancy-pelosi-could-ban-congress-members-from-trading-stocks-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-pelosi-act">Bill Named After Nancy Pelosi Could Ban Congress Members From Trading Stocks: What You Need To Know About The &#8216;PELOSI&#8217; Act</a>
Why It's Important: Members of Congress are allowed to buy and sell stocks as long as they properly disclose the transaction.
The process has drawn scrutiny from the public and retail investors as members of Congress could have inside information and time their trades accordingly. Committee assignments in particular, often draw red flags from investors.
Greene serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the House Committee on Homeland Security with several subcommittee appointments. The congresswoman's past trade in technology and cybersecurity stocks has drawn attention with her role within Homeland Security.
Greene&#8217;s past trades of Palantir Technologies and a<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44255172/marjorie-taylor-greene-buys-more-bitcoin-etf-shares-ahead-of-trumps-strategic-reserve-executive-order"> Bitcoin ETF </a>have drawn criticism along with the timing of her trades, as she is a close ally to President Donald Trump. 
When asked previously about buying stocks earlier this year that soared days later after Trump announced a pause to tariffs, Greene<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/politics/25/04/44852406/marjorie-taylor-greene-brushes-off-stock-buying-criticism-says-portfolio-manager-bought-the-dip"> brushed aside the criticism.</a>
&#8220;I think that criticism is laughable. President Trump has been talking about tariffs for decades,&#8221; Greene told reporters when asked about the trades at a recent town hall event in Georgia in a clip <a href="https://x.com/unusual_whales/status/1912456434081480777" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shared </a>by Unusual Whales. The congresswoman used the opportunity to boast about her stock performance, which ranked her as one of the top trading members of Congress in 2024.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t place my buys and sells," Greene said, citing an agreement she has with her portfolio manager, who handles all the buying and selling of stocks. &#8220;He did a great job. Guess what he did. He bought the dip. And that&#8217;s what anybody that has financial sense does."
Greene also said her portfolio manager did not have inside information, everything was public and a potential tariff pause wasn&#8217;t a secret.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has reintroduced legislation that would ban members of Congress from trading or holding individual stocks.
The bill is known as the Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments Act, or PELOSI Act based on the first letter of each of the main words. The name takes aim at the congresswoman and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).  
&#8220;Members of Congress should be fighting for the people they were elected to serve — not day trading at the expense of their constituents,&#8221; Hawley&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-reintroduces-pelosi-act-to-ban-congress-from-trading-stocks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Americans have seen politician after politician turn a profit using information not available to the general public.&#8221;
Hawley said the bill will help &#8220;restore Americans&#8217; trust in our nation&#8217;s legislative body.&#8221;
Hawley&#8217;s bill is being reintroduced as President&nbsp;Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://time.com/7280114/donald-trump-2025-interview-transcript/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said&nbsp;</a>he would support such a ban.
&#8220;Well, I watched Nancy Pelosi get rich through insider information, and I would be okay with it. If they send it to me, I would do it,&#8221; Trump told TIME.
Trump said he would sign the ban if the bill passes Congress.
While Pelosi makes headlines for her trades, it&#8217;s important to remember that<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/politics/25/04/44852406/marjorie-taylor-greene-brushes-off-stock-buying-criticism-says-portfolio-manager-bought-the-dip" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;it is both Republican</a>&nbsp;and Democratic members of Congress who are profiting from buying and selling stocks and options while in office, with some trades coming with questionable timing or having a connection to committees they serve on.
In 2024, a list of the top-performing traders in Congress included six Republicans and four Democrats.
Did You Know?
<ul>
<li>Congress Is Making Huge Investments. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/gov-trades/?utm_source=BZprocontent050725">Get Tips On What They Bought And Sold With Our Easy-to-Use Tool</a></li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/gov-trades/?utm_source=BZprocontent050725"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="330" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/07181256/Picture1-1-1024x330.png" alt="" class="wp-image-906796" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/07181256/Picture1-1-1024x330.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/07181256/Picture1-1-300x97.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/07181256/Picture1-1-768x248.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/07181256/Picture1-1.png 1430w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
Photo: Shutterstock

ADBE

DELL

GILD

INTC

MELI

ODFL

PANW

PAYX

QCOM

SBUX

SCHW

Marjorie Taylor Greene Goes Stock Shopping Again: Here Are 50+ Stocks The Congresswoman Bought

Bank of America analysts examined how heavily U.S. fund managers are <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/semiconductors">invested in semiconductor</a> and electronic design automation stocks in the S&amp;P 500.
Based on data from the end of April, the relative weighting of semiconductor stocks are 0.90x — down considerably year-to-date (1.01x in December 2024). 
Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) maintains the broadest ownership. Roughly 73% of fund managers own the stock. Positions grew consistently throughout the past year (+67bps Q/Q, +518bps Y/Y).
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45196679/nvidia-faces-new-challenges-as-us-tightens-semiconductor-sanctions-and-tracks-ai-chip-smuggling" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nvidia&#8217;s New Challenge: US Lawmaker Wants Company To Track Its Chips To Avoid Smuggling In China</a>
The relative weighting of 1.05x remains below the top 16 owned infotech/comm services peers (1.11x median) despite 3x+ faster sales growth prospects per consensus (30% CAGR versus 10% peers).
Within semiconductors, the survey found: 
<ul>
<li>Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>), Applied Materials, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMAT#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>), and Texas Instruments Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TXN#NASDAQ">TXN</a>) made up 29% to 65% of fund manager ownership. </li>
<li>Skyworks Solutions, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SWKS#NASDAQ">SWKS</a>) remained the least-owned semi stock with ownership of 3%-4% across all active manager funds.</li>
<li>The most significant expansions in ownership Q/Q were in Broadcom, Intel Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>), KLA Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KLAC#NASDAQ">KLAC</a>), Nvidia, and Synopsys, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNPS#NASDAQ">SNPS</a>).</li>
<li>The most significant declines Q/Q were in Advanced Micro Devices, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>), Qualcomm Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>), Applied Materials, and NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NXPI#NASDAQ">NXPI</a>).</li>
<li>The greatest increases in depth/overweighting were in Intel, Skyworks Solutions, Micron Technology, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MU#NASDAQ">MU</a>), Cadence Design Systems, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CDNS#NASDAQ">CDNS</a>)</li>
<li>The greatest decrease in weighting were for AMD, Teradyne, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TER#NASDAQ">TER</a>), Applied Materials, Analog Devices, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADI#NASDAQ">ADI</a>), Microchip Technology Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MCHP#NASDAQ">MCHP</a>).</li>
<li>Long-only investors were the most overweight in Synopsys, Broadcom, KLA Corp, Micron, and Cadence Design Systems. </li>
<li>Hedge funds were the most overweight Lam Research Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LRCX#NASDAQ">LRCX</a>), Teradyne, KLA Corp, and Cadence Design Systems.</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Russell 1000</h3>
<ul>
<li>Nvidia, Broadcom, Applied Materials, Tesax Instruments, Lam Research had the largest percentage of holdings by active fund managers for Russell 1000 stocks.</li>
<li>At the median, Russell 1000 semis were held by 7.4% of active fund managers, about 400bps below overall tech. </li>
<li>Overall, semiconductors were generally underweight (at 0.47x) relative to the Russell 1000 index, similar to all of tech (0.63x). </li>
<li>Marvell Technology, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRVL#NASDAQ">MRVL</a>), GlobalFoundries Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GFS#NASDAQ">GFS</a>), Broadcom, Micron, KLA Corp had the highest weightings.</li>
</ul>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/05/45169853/taiwan-semiconductor-gains-on-strong-earnings-from-meta-and-microsoft-boosting-ai-demand" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Taiwan Semiconductor Gains On Strong Earnings From Meta And Microsoft Boosting AI Demand</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

Analyst Ratings

CDNS

LRCX

NXPI

SNPS

SWKS

Nvidia, Broadcom Lead Fund Manager Buys Even As Semiconductor Sector Cools: Analysts

Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bullish approach towards Applied Mat (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMAT#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>), and it's something market players shouldn't ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in AMAT usually suggests something big is about to happen.
We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga's options scanner highlighted 11 extraordinary options activities for Applied Mat. This level of activity is out of the ordinary.
The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 54% leaning bullish and 45% bearish. Among these notable options, 8 are puts, totaling $1,584,258, and 3 are calls, amounting to $92,140.
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $135.0 and $175.0 for Applied Mat, spanning the last three months.
<h3>Analyzing Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for Applied Mat's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across Applied Mat's significant trades, within a strike price range of $135.0 to $175.0, over the past month.
<h3>Applied Mat Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1746471731_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Noteworthy Options Activity:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>AMAT</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>07/18/25</td>
<td>$9.2</td>
<td>$9.0</td>
<td>$9.05</td>
<td>$150.00</td>
<td>$814.5K</td>
<td>2.1K</td>
<td>909</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMAT</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$5.6</td>
<td>$5.4</td>
<td>$5.57</td>
<td>$155.00</td>
<td>$560.6K</td>
<td>499</td>
<td>1.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMAT</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$5.65</td>
<td>$5.5</td>
<td>$5.65</td>
<td>$155.00</td>
<td>$53.6K</td>
<td>499</td>
<td>14</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMAT</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$22.35</td>
<td>$21.5</td>
<td>$22.13</td>
<td>$175.00</td>
<td>$44.2K</td>
<td>2.4K</td>
<td>20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMAT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$13.3</td>
<td>$12.75</td>
<td>$13.3</td>
<td>$145.00</td>
<td>$37.2K</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
<td>30</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Applied Mat</h3>
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.
After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Applied Mat, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.
<h3>Present Market Standing of Applied Mat</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a volume of 2,302,788, the price of AMAT is up 0.73% at $156.24. </li>
<li>RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Next earnings are expected to be released in 10 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What Analysts Are Saying About Applied Mat</h3>
4 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $178.75.
Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days?
20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/options-moneyline-2/?t=Moop1arja3be22op14&amp;adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=options-activity&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Stifel keeps a Buy rating on Applied Mat with a target price of $195. 
&#x2A; Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Citigroup continues to hold a Buy rating for Applied Mat, targeting a price of $170. 
&#x2A; An analyst from B of A Securities persists with their Buy rating on Applied Mat, maintaining a target price of $190. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Barclays has decided to maintain their Equal-Weight rating on Applied Mat, which currently sits at a price target of $160. 
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Applied Mat, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.

Options

Market Whales and Their Recent Bets on AMAT Options

On CNBC's &#8220;Mad Money Lightning Round,&#8221; Jim Cramer said Bank OZK (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OZK#NYSE">OZK</a>) is &#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/OZK/analyst-ratings">not a high-quality bank.&#8221;</a>
Supporting his view, Keefe, Bruyette &amp; Woods analyst Catherine Mealor lowered the price target from $50 to $48 on April 22.
Cramer recommended buying Marvell Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRVL#NASDAQ">MRVL</a>). &#8220;I&#8217;d buy it on Monday,&#8221; he added.
According to recent news, Marvell Technology announced on April 23 the successful interoperability of the Marvell Structera portfolio of Compute Express Link (CXL) devices with Advanced Micro Devices, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) EPYC CPUs and 5th Gen Intel Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44967270/marvells-cxl-devices-seamlessly-integrate-with-amd-and-intel-cpus-boosting-cloud-data-center-performance">Intel Xeon platforms</a>.
&#8220;We have so many of these digital infrastructure plays,&#8221; Cramer said when asked about Applied Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APLD#NASDAQ">APLD</a>). &#8220;If you're going to go there, just go buy Salesforce.&#8221;
On April 30, the company announced it had entered into a preferred equity purchase agreement with select investors. This agreement allows the company to raise up to $150 million through the sale of its newly designated Series G Convertible Preferred Stock.
Cramer said although Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMAT#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>) is an &#8220;excellent&#8221; company, but he likes Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LRCX#NASDAQ">LRCX</a>) more. &#8220;And that's the one I would go for.&#8221; 
On the earnings front, Applied Materials will hold its fiscal second-quarter earnings conference call on Thursday, May 15. Analysts expect the company to report quarterly earnings at $2.31 per share on revenue of 7.12 billion.
Price Action:
<ul>
<li>Marvell Technology shares gained 2.3% to settle at $62.33 on Friday.</li>
<li>Bank OZK shares rose 2.2% to close at $44.15 during the session.</li>
<li>Applied Digital shares gained 1.7% to settle at $5.30 on Friday.</li>
<li>Applied Materials shares rose 4.1% to close at $155.10.</li>
</ul>
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45164497/jim-cramer-this-financial-stock-is-a-buy-likes-exlservice-holdings">Jim Cramer: Sunrun Had &#8216;Bad Couple Of Quarters,&#8217; ExlService Holdings Is &#8216;Solid&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Media

APLD

Jim Cramer Says Applied Materials Is An 'Excellent' Company, But Likes This Tech Stock More

WIIM

ACMR

AOSL

ASML

ENTG

FORM

HIMX

LSCC

MKSI

RMBS

SMTC

Shares of chip stocks are trading higher amid overall market strength on reports indicating China is assessing US trade talks. Additionally, jobs data may be easing some market fears. NVIDIA shares rose on reports indicating the company is working on China-tailored chips.

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders will search for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges heavily from its normal worth. High amounts of trading activity could push option prices to exaggerated or underestimated levels. 
Below are some instances of options activity happening in the Information Technology sector: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>NVDA</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/02/25</td>
<td>$104.00</td>
<td>$28.3K</td>
<td>16.8K</td>
<td>45.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CFLT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$25.00</td>
<td>$37.4K</td>
<td>2.7K</td>
<td>6.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MSTR</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/02/25</td>
<td>$385.00</td>
<td>$28.0K</td>
<td>20.5K</td>
<td>5.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PLTR</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/09/25</td>
<td>$115.00</td>
<td>$103.0K</td>
<td>4.6K</td>
<td>4.7K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MSFT</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$325.00</td>
<td>$51.3K</td>
<td>10.2K</td>
<td>1.9K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AAPL</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$220.00</td>
<td>$78.0K</td>
<td>11.9K</td>
<td>1.4K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ARW</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$110.00</td>
<td>$55.0K</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>1.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>U</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/19/25</td>
<td>$35.00</td>
<td>$65.8K</td>
<td>2.2K</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMAT</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$140.00</td>
<td>$557.0K</td>
<td>3.6K</td>
<td>927</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ENPH</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$40.00</td>
<td>$36.8K</td>
<td>6.4K</td>
<td>743</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These itemized elaborations have been created using the accompanying table. 
• Regarding NVDA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), we observe a put option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 2 day(s) on May 2, 2025. Parties traded 240 contract(s) at a $104.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $28.3K, with a price of $118.0 per contract. There were 16863 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 45524 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For CFLT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CFLT#NASDAQ">CFLT</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 16 day(s) on May 16, 2025. This event was a transfer of 220 contract(s) at a $25.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 6 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $37.4K, with a price of $170.0 per contract. There were 2703 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 6565 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MSTR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>), we observe a call option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 2 day(s) on May 2, 2025. Parties traded 40 contract(s) at a $385.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $28.0K, with a price of $700.0 per contract. There were 20561 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 5040 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding PLTR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 9 day(s) on May 9, 2025. Parties traded 100 contract(s) at a $115.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 5 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $103.0K, with a price of $1030.0 per contract. There were 4641 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 4769 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For MSFT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 51 day(s) on June 20, 2025. This event was a transfer of 253 contract(s) at a $325.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 13 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $51.3K, with a price of $203.0 per contract. There were 10288 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1900 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AAPL (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), we observe a put option sweep with neutral sentiment. It expires in 51 day(s) on June 20, 2025. Parties traded 54 contract(s) at a $220.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 7 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $78.0K, with a price of $1445.0 per contract. There were 11980 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1402 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For ARW (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARW#NYSE">ARW</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 51 day(s) on June 20, 2025. This event was a transfer of 100 contract(s) at a $110.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $55.0K, with a price of $550.0 per contract. There were 12 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1151 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding U (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/U#NYSE">U</a>), we observe a call option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 142 day(s) on September 19, 2025. Parties traded 998 contract(s) at a $35.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $65.8K, with a price of $66.0 per contract. There were 2290 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1000 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AMAT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMAT#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 51 day(s) on June 20, 2025. Parties traded 875 contract(s) at a $140.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 33 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $557.0K, with a price of $630.0 per contract. There were 3604 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 927 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For ENPH (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ENPH#NASDAQ">ENPH</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 261 day(s) on January 16, 2026. This event was a transfer of 55 contract(s) at a $40.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $36.8K, with a price of $670.0 per contract. There were 6409 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 743 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more about unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

CFLT

ENPH

MSTR

PLTR

10 Information Technology Stocks With Whale Alerts In Today's Session

Applied Mat (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMAT#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 15 years by 6.65% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 17.74%. Currently, Applied Mat has a market capitalization of $119.65 billion. 
Buying $100 In AMAT: If an investor had bought $100 of AMAT stock 15 years ago, it would be worth $1,113.62 today based on a price of $147.22 for AMAT at the time of writing.
<h3>Applied Mat's Performance Over Last 15 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1746026112_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

$100 Invested In Applied Mat 15 Years Ago Would Be Worth This Much Today

Shares of semiconductor stocks are trading lower. The sector may be reacting to reports suggesting Huawei has developed an AI chip to challenge NVIDIA.

On CNBC's &#8220;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2025/04/25/final-trades-quanta-services-tjx-companies-digital-realty-and-republic-services.html">Halftime Report Final Trades</a>,&#8221; Stephanie Link of Hightower Advisors named Quanta Services, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PWR#NYSE">PWR</a>) as her final trade, saying the electrification theme <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/PWR">remains very strong</a>.
Quanta Services will release its first quarter financial results on Thursday, May 1, before the opening bell.
Kevin Simpson, Capital Wealth Planning founder and CIO, said The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TJX#NYSE">TJX</a>) is the best off-market retailer.
Supporting his view, Citigroup analyst Paul Lejuez upgraded TJX Companies from Neutral to Buy on April 3 and raised the price target from $128 to $140.
Don't forget to check out our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket/">premarket coverage here</a> 
Malcolm Ethridge of CIC Wealth Management picked Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DLR#NYSE">DLR</a>) as his final trade. He said that while most companies are expected to pull or adjust their forecasts, Digital Realty Trust reported a massive beat and raise for the quarter.
On April 24, Digital Realty Trust raised its FY2025 FFO guidance from $7.00-$7.10 to $7.05-$7.15 and also increased FY2025 sales guidance from $5.80 billion-$5.90 billion to $5.83 billion-$5.92 billion.
Joseph M. Terranova of Virtus Investment Partners picked Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RSG#NYSE">RSG</a>) as his final trade.
Lending support to his choice, several analysts, including BMO Capital, Baird and Morgan Stanley raised their respective price targets on the stock on Friday after the company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings on Thursday.
Price Action:
<ul>
<li>Quanta Services shares jumped 1.9% to close at $287.34 on Friday.</li>
<li>TJX gained 0.1% to close at $126.56 during Friday's session.</li>
<li>Digital Realty Trust shares rose 4% to close at $159.88 on Friday.</li>
<li>Republic Services shares climbed 1.2% to settle at $243.56 during the session.</li>
</ul>
Check This Out: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/price-target/25/04/45007044/wall-streets-most-accurate-analysts-give-their-take-on-3-real-estate-stocks-delivering-high-dividend-yields-5">Wall Street&#8217;s Most Accurate Analysts Give Their Take On 3 Real Estate Stocks Delivering High-Dividend Yields</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

TJX, Quanta Services, Republic Services And A Real Estate Stock On CNBC's 'Final Trades'

On CNBC's &#8220;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2025/04/24/final-trades-kkr-palo-alto-applied-materials-and-uber.html">Halftime Report Final Trades</a>,&#8221; Joshua Brown of Ritholtz Wealth Management picked Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UBER#NYSE">UBER</a>) following news of its partnership with Volkswagen Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VWAGY#OTC">VWAGY</a>).
Volkswagen ADMT, America's autonomous mobility subsidiary, and Uber on Thursday announced a collaboration to deploy a fleet of thousands of all-electric, fully autonomous ID. 
Buzz AD vehicles within multiple U.S. markets, starting in Los Angeles over the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/04/44988070/autonomous-ride-hailing-just-got-real-vw-and-uber-reveal-first-us-city">next decade</a>.
Don't forget to check out our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket/">premarket coverage here</a>.
Bryn Talkington, managing partner at Requisite Capital named KKR &amp; Co. Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KKR#NYSE">KKR</a>) as <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/KKR">her final trade</a>.
Supporting her view, HSBC analyst Vikram Gandhi, on April 15, upgraded the rating for KKR from Hold to Buy.
Jason Snipe of Odyssey Capital Advisors picked Palo Alto Networks, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PANW#NASDAQ">PANW</a>), saying the platform strategy is starting to work here.
Palo Alto announced on April 9 crossed $1.5 billion in cumulative sales through Alphabet Inc's (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) Google Cloud Marketplace as of April. The cybersecurity company said the sales milestone highlights its commitment to helping organizations use artificial intelligence to accelerate cloud and AI adoption more securely.
Jim Lebenthal of Cerity Partners named Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMAT#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>) as his final trade amid good report from Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LRCX#NASDAQ">LRCX</a>).
Lam Research reported quarterly earnings of $1.04 per share on April 23, beating the analyst consensus estimate of 98 cents. Quarterly revenue was $4.72 billion, also beating the analyst consensus estimate of $4.59 billion.
Price Action:
<ul>
<li>KKR shares jumped 6% to close at $113.25 on Thursday.</li>
<li>Palo Alto gained 4.6% to close at $176.04 during Thursday's session.</li>
<li>Applied Materials shares rose 4.6% to close at $150.17 on Thursday.</li>
<li>Uber shares climbed 5.9% to settle at $78.10 during the session.</li>
</ul>
Check This Out: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44977071/wall-streets-most-accurate-analysts-weigh-in-on-3-materials-stocks-with-over-7-dividend-yields">Wall Street&#8217;s Most Accurate Analysts Weigh In On 3 Materials Stocks With Over 7% Dividend Yields</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

UBER

VWAGY

Uber, Palo Alto, Applied Materials, And A Financial Stock On CNBC's 'Final Trades'

ALAB

ALGM

AMBA

AMKR

COHU

CRDO

CSIQ

FSLR

INDI

MPWR

MTSI

NVMI

OLED

ONTO

POWI

QRVO

SITM

SLAB

SYNA

WOLF

Shares of semiconductor companies are trading higher amid overall market strength due to March's strong durable goods orders economic data, and President Trump's announcement that he met with China earlier today.

CNBC Halftime Report Final Trades: KKR & Co., Palo Alto Networks, Applied Materials, Uber Technologies

Shares of chip and semiconductor companies are trading higher amid overall market strength after President Trump said he had no intention of firing Fed Chair Powell. Additionally, Trump indicated the final tariff rate would be less than the current 145% but not 0%. A reduction in tariffs could reduce trade and supply chain uncertainty, which have weighed on the sector this year.

Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley maintains Applied Mat (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMAT#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>) with a Equal-Weight and lowers the price target from $190 to $160.

Price Target

Barclays Maintains Equal-Weight on Applied Mat, Lowers Price Target to $160

CAMT

QCOC

RGTI

TSEM

Shares of semiconductor companies are trading lower after Huawei announced it's preparing AI chips as an alternative to Nvidia. Additionally, trade restrictions and tariff concerns are weighing on stocks in the industry.

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Applied Mat (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMAT#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>).
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, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 12 uncommon options trades for Applied Mat.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 75% bullish and 8%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 4 are puts, for a total amount of $134,622, and 8 are calls, for a total amount of $576,675.
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $125.0 to $200.0 for Applied Mat during the past quarter. 
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Trends</h3>
In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for Applied Mat options trades today is 676.25 with a total volume of 1,539.00.
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 $125.0 to $200.0 over the last 30 days.
<h3>Applied Mat Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1745247669_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Biggest Options Spotted:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th align="right">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>AMAT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>09/19/25</td>
<td>$13.65</td>
<td>$13.6</td>
<td>$13.65</td>
<td>$140.00</td>
<td>$148.7K</td>
<td>249</td>
<td align="right">109</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMAT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>12/19/25</td>
<td>$2.67</td>
<td>$2.63</td>
<td>$2.67</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
<td>$93.4K</td>
<td>1.3K</td>
<td align="right">350</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMAT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/09/25</td>
<td>$3.45</td>
<td>$3.2</td>
<td>$3.38</td>
<td>$140.00</td>
<td>$91.8K</td>
<td>93</td>
<td align="right">244</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMAT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>07/18/25</td>
<td>$13.35</td>
<td>$12.75</td>
<td>$13.05</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>$66.5K</td>
<td>171</td>
<td align="right">51</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMAT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/19/25</td>
<td>$13.7</td>
<td>$13.65</td>
<td>$13.65</td>
<td>$140.00</td>
<td>$58.6K</td>
<td>249</td>
<td align="right">181</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Applied Mat</h3>
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.
Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Applied Mat, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.
<h3>Applied Mat's Current Market Status</h3>
<ul>
<li>Trading volume stands at 1,188,008, with AMAT's price down by -2.52%, positioned at $134.0.</li>
<li>RSI indicators show the stock to be is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.</li>
<li>Earnings announcement expected in 24 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Professional Analyst Ratings for Applied Mat</h3>
A total of 4 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $187.5.
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&#x2A; An analyst from Jefferies upgraded its action to Buy with a price target of $195. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Stifel persists with their Buy rating on Applied Mat, maintaining a target price of $195. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Citigroup has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Applied Mat, which currently sits at a price target of $170. 
&#x2A; An analyst from B of A Securities persists with their Buy rating on Applied Mat, maintaining a target price of $190. 
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Looking At Applied Mat's Recent Unusual Options Activity

Press Releases

SolarEdge Appoints New Directors to its Board of Directors

Applied Materials to Report Fiscal First Quarter 2025 Results on February 13, 2025

CIBC introduces additional Canadian Depositary Receipts ("CDRs")

Applied Materials Awards Suppliers for Outstanding Performance

Applied Materials Announces First Quarter 2025 Results

Applied Materials Accelerates Chip Defect Review with Next-Gen eBeam System

Applied Materials to Participate in the Cantor Fitzgerald Global Technology Conference

Dividends

Applied Materials Increases Quarterly Cash Dividend by 15 Percent and Announces New $10 Billion Share Repurchase Authorization

Applied Materials Announces a Strategic Investment in BE Semiconductor Industries

Applied Materials to Report Fiscal Second Quarter 2025 Results on May 15, 2025

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Comments

Applied Mat

Unusual Options Activity for

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BENZINGA GLOBAL

Date	Put/Call	Strike Price	Exp Date	DTE	Trade Vol	Day Vol	Vol / OI	OI	Trade Type	Sentiment
12:38 PMMar 28, 2025	PUT	$145.00	Jun 20, 2025	38	566	550	34	1677	TRADE	BULLISH
02:08 PMMar 25, 2025	CALL	$175.00	Jan 16, 2026	248	551	550	180	306	TRADE	BEARISH