Semis, Shorts, and a $107M Exec Exodus

Earnings on Deck

The week's biggest macro catalyst arrives Tuesday. Micron Technology reports Q3 2026 earnings after the bell. Options traders are loading up ahead of results. The ORTEX stock score sits at 90.8 out of 100. Bears are not betting against it — short interest is just 3.3% of free float. Carnival Corporation dropped Q2 figures this morning. FedEx reports after today's close, with the logistics giant's results set to reflect consumer and freight demand trends heading into summer.

Short Sellers Target AI and Chips

Bears are making aggressive moves in AI-linked names. SharonAI Holdings had one of the fastest short interest jumps in the market — SI % FF leapt from 12.7% to 54.6% in a single week. Wolfspeed remains the most shorted stock in the $500M+ universe, with SI % FF at 103.5%. Shares shorted now exceed the entire free float. Borrowing availability is zero. Cerebras Systems also drew fresh short attention, with SI % FF at 32.8% and nothing left to borrow.

Exec Selling Flags Applied Materials

Applied Materials insiders sold over $107 million in stock this month. At least five senior executives — including CEO Gary Dickerson — sold shares within a 12-day window. Options traders are watching closely. Near-term contracts are active today. Analysts, meanwhile, are chasing networking and enterprise AI names higher. Ciena received the biggest target lift of the week, with consensus rising to $565.71.

Europe: Defence and Crypto in Focus

European defence stocks rallied after Ukraine ratified a $105 billion EU loan deal. On the crypto front, the Bank of England proposed a £40 billion limit on stablecoin issuers — diluting earlier, stricter draft rules. Fertiliser prices also slumped, with urea back to pre-conflict levels. That headwind hit CF Industries, which saw analyst targets trimmed today.