Pre-earnings options activity is shaping up as a key theme this week. Alphabet and Intel both report. Traders are positioning hard ahead of both prints.
Alphabet carries a $2.2 trillion market cap. Its short interest sits at just 1.46% of free float. That makes it a call-dominated story — the bears aren't piling in ahead of results.
Intel tells a different tale. Short interest is at 2.7% of free float. With the stock down sharply over the past year, options traders are watching for any recovery signal from management.
A notable divergence appears at Cohen & Steers. Shorts are building into earnings. Yet ORTEX data flags options sentiment staying bullish — a direct tug-of-war between the two camps. SI % FF stands at 5.4% and rising.
Domino's Pizza is another name where shorts are covering ahead of the print. SI % FF is elevated at 11.7%. Analysts have been trimming price targets. A short squeeze on a beat cannot be ruled out.
Tesla sits in the background. Elon Musk's comments about browsers and software disappearing moved headlines. Tesla's SI % FF is 3.0%. Options activity around AI-related names like KKR remains a side theme as alternative asset managers benefit from deal flow.
Oil market tensions — with the Strait of Hormuz under threat — add a macro overlay. Energy options hedging is active. Watch energy names closely if Hormuz escalates further.
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.
