A decrease in short interest can indicate a more bullish sentiment towards a stock, as it means fewer traders are betting on the stock's price to fall. However, this does not necessarily mean that the stock price will rise in the near term, as there are many other factors that can influence stock prices. Compared to its peers, Applied Mat has less short interest, which could be seen as a positive sign. However, it's important to note that short interest is just one of many indicators that investors should consider when evaluating a stock.