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Chip Equipment Stocks Drop 4-5%: Applied Materials Draws 62% Puts While Lam Research and KLA Lean Calls, Data for Fab Contractors (GTA Terminal, Nov. 13, 2026)

4 hours ago
3 min read

The three biggest U.S. makers of chipmaking equipment all fell more than 4% by late morning on Friday, November 13, but options traders did not agree on what comes next. GTA Terminal data from Global Traders Academy shows put money leading in Applied Materials while call money led in Lam Research and KLA. For electrical, mechanical and cleanroom contractors who work on chip plants, and for the suppliers who feed them, here is what the split says.

Applied Materials: $44.4 million, 62% puts

The GTA Wire report on Applied Materials' Friday put lean, published at 11:57 AM ET, shows AMAT down 5.5% at $359.94. A total of $44.4 million in premium had traded: $17.1 million in calls and $27.3 million in puts, so 62% of the money was in puts, a bearish tilt, with a put/call volume ratio of 1.2. Ten option series traded more contracts than their open interest, a sign of new positions.

The picture inside that total is mixed. The biggest unusual trade was on the call side: 1,381 call contracts expiring November 20, about $822,000 in premium against 760 contracts of open interest. So while most money bought protection, one sizable trader bet on a quick rebound.

The chart was weak. AMAT was in a downtrend, below its 50-day and 200-day averages, 51% below its 52-week high, with an RSI of 45. Nearest support was $316.95 and resistance $382.40, the 20-day average.

Lam Research: $21.1 million, 65% calls

The Lam Research options flow report from Friday shows LRCX down 4.4% at $223.59, with $21.1 million in premium: $13.8 million in calls and $7.3 million in puts. That is 65% calls, a bullish tilt, with a put/call volume ratio of 0.75. The biggest unusual trade was 422 call contracts expiring the same day, about $72,000 in premium. Lam was also in a downtrend, 49% below its 52-week high, with an RSI of 46, support at $184.24 and resistance at $234.23.

KLA: smaller, leaning calls

GTA Terminal data showed KLA down 4.5% at $150.25, with $2.7 million in premium: $1.6 million in calls and $1.1 million in puts, 59% calls, which GTA calls a mixed tilt. KLA was 51% below its 52-week high with an RSI of 50. More on the KLA quote and flow page.

What the split means

All three stocks sit roughly half below their 52-week highs, so this is a group that has already been through a deep slide. On Friday's drop, the largest name drew protective puts while the two others drew buyers looking for a bounce. That is what an unsettled market looks like: no clear consensus that the worst is over, and no rush for the exits either. The guide to options activity in chip stocks explains why this group tends to swing harder than most.

  • Fab and cleanroom contractors. Chip-equipment orders lead plant construction and expansion work. A group trading about 50% below its highs suggests chipmakers may be pacing new tool orders, so bid pipelines for new fab phases could stretch out.

  • Electrical and mechanical subs. Projects already under construction rarely stop, but new phases can slip. Keep crews and equipment flexible enough to shift to data centers, utilities or other industrial work.

  • Equipment purchases. If you are adding lifts, generators or specialty tools for plant work, base the decision on signed contracts rather than a hoped-for rebound in the sector.

A word of caution

These are midday readings from one volatile session, and a single big trade can tilt a percentage. Treat this as a signal, not a guarantee. It is market data for context, not investment advice.

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