Q2 earnings season is officially underway. DAL reports July 10 and will set the tone for the travel sector. PEP and LEVI both drop results on Wednesday July 8. Analysts at FT warn that S&P 500 earnings forecasts are rising at their fastest pace since the post-Covid rebound — fuelling debate about whether a so-called "earnings bubble" is forming.
HTZ is the most closely watched short-squeeze setup right now. Short interest hit 59% of free float — up 11 points in one week. Available shares to borrow have fallen to zero. Options pressure is building fast. A forced-cover rally ahead of Q2 results is a real risk.
CRWV is drawing fresh bearish attention too. SI rose to 28% of free float. Availability remains ample at 301%, so shorts can still add. The AI infrastructure name faces its first earnings season as a public company.
Airlines are getting a dual lift. BMO raised targets on UAL and DAL sharply this week. LUV attracted both a Goldman Sachs and a BMO target upgrade. The sector benefits from easing oil prices — Citi now forecasts Brent falling to $60 a barrel by Christmas.
Corporate insiders filed a heavy round of sells this week. BABA President J. Michael Evans offloaded $65.8M worth of shares. PRM saw hedge fund Windacre Partnership sell over $176M. AMAT CEO Gary Dickerson filed nearly $50M in sales. The breadth of selling across sectors is notable heading into earnings season.
ORTEX Market Intelligence content is generated by AI from a snapshot of ORTEX's proprietary data. Content is informational only and does not constitute investment advice.
