On August 24, Applied Materials fell 3.26% in regular trading, trading at $477.31/share, with turnover of $798 million. The semiconductor equipment sector experienced broad-based weakness, with Lam Research down 3.72%, KLA Corporation down 2.59%, Teradyne down 6.19%, and AXT down 10.83%.

On the news front, Applied Materials has faced persistent selling pressure following its August 13 earnings report. Despite posting record Q3 revenue of $9.12 billion (up 25% YoY) and adjusted EPS of $3.50 that both exceeded consensus estimates, the stock has declined as investors deemed the beat insufficient given the stock had already doubled year-to-date. The options market has reflected intensifying bearish sentiment, with a notable $2.18 million bear put spread recently established — buying the $630 put and selling the $580 put — representing a controlled-cost directional bet on further downside. Additional large put purchases at the $400 strike further underscore institutional caution on the name near term.

(The above content is based on publicly available market information, generated by a program or algorithm, and is intended solely as a stock movement alert. It does not constitute investment advice or a basis for trading decisions.)