Markets are entering a critical stretch. Alphabet reports Q2 results on Wednesday, July 22. It is the most-watched print of the week at a $2 trillion market cap. Intel follows Thursday, heading into results with its stock down 14% and borrow costs that have doubled. Short interest sits at 2.8% of free float. Both names reflect the broader tension between tech optimism and earnings risk.
Short sellers are active across several high-profile names. Wolfspeed remains the most-shorted stock in the US, with 79% of free float short and zero shares available to borrow. Hertz is close behind at 70%. Both names are fully squeezable if buyers push hard.
Lucid may already be in squeeze territory. Shares surged 33% while borrow costs hit 309% APR. Availability dropped to just 4%.
Bessemer Venture Partners filed over $105 million in ServiceTitan sales this month. The VC firm sold 1.4 million shares across 13 transactions since June 26. Meanwhile, Elevance Health CEO Gail Boudreaux filed a $753,000 open-market purchase on July 17. That is a notable buy near multi-month lows for the health insurer.
Oil traders are warning markets may be "close to running on empty" as the Strait of Hormuz closes again. Stockpiles built earlier as shock absorbers are now running low. European defense stocks rallied separately after Ukraine ratified a $105 billion EU loan deal. Energy IPOs are also surging globally as investors seek AI-linked power plays.
Banks and insurers split sharply. Morgan Stanley and State Street saw target upgrades. Prudential was downgraded. Fox Corp also took a cut, carrying a still-elevated 21% short interest.
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.
