Earnings, Banks, and Bears Shape Monday's Market

Earnings Season Kicks Into High Gear

This week is the biggest of the earnings season so far. Alphabet reports Q2 results Tuesday after the close. All eyes will be on AI revenue momentum. Intel follows Wednesday — its turnaround progress remains a major question mark for chip investors. Charter Communications rounds out the week Thursday. French defense giant Thales also reports first-half results Wednesday, adding a European dimension to an already packed calendar.

Banks Sweep Higher on Strong Q2

Analysts are raising targets across the financial sector. Strong Q2 bank earnings are doing the work. Morgan Stanley received a target lift to $235.76. PNC Financial, Citizens Financial, and Regions Financial all saw upward revisions. The direction is consistent. Meanwhile, Gilead Sciences took a downgrade today. It now carries 22 sell ratings and zero buys. The target slipped further to $157.59.

Short Sellers Make Bold Moves

Bears are loading up on Lucid Group. Short interest hit 38.1% of free float, up from 35.7% a week ago. The cost to borrow is 229.7% APR — an expensive bet. SoundHound AI sits at 41.6% SI % FF with near-zero availability. A squeeze remains a live risk. On the other side, short sellers are covering Chewy, with SI % FF falling from 67.3% to 63.3%.

Insider Sales Grab Attention

Bessemer Venture Partners dumped over $66M in ServiceTitan shares across 10 transactions between July 2–15. Broadcom CLO Mark Brazeal filed $20M in sales. Steel Dynamics beat Q2 revenue estimates at $6.09B versus $5.57B expected, though EPS narrowly missed.