Bulls Storm the Options Market Ahead of Earnings Wave

Options traders are leaning decisively bullish heading into a packed earnings week, with call-side bets dominating across several key names.

MXL leads the signal board. MaxLinear's options market flipped bullish as shares rallied 16% off recent lows. The semiconductor stock is up nearly 394% year-to-date. Short interest sits at just 4.9% of free float. Availability is extremely high at over 6,700%, suggesting shorts are not driving the move — bulls are.

FTAI Aviation enters its Q2 earnings day with divided options sentiment. The $21.6B aerospace name carries a short score of 46. Analysts remain constructive, with an 82% upside return potential flagged. Short interest is only 6.1% of free float, leaving room for bulls to run.

SMMT stands out for a different reason. Summit Therapeutics carries 29.3% SI % FF — heavy for a biotech. Insiders are all-in. Analysts are split. That tension is exactly the kind of setup that produces extreme options moves into earnings. Short sellers face real squeeze risk here.

COCO — Vita Coco — also flashes a bullish options signal ahead of its Q2 print. SI % FF is 10.4%. Availability at 838% confirms shorts are not constrained. That makes a call-driven breakout more credible.

Macro headwinds remain. Oil is above $95 on Iran escalation. Energy options are attracting attention. But the clearest options signal today is stock-specific: earnings-driven call buying across mid-cap names with heavy short interest.

This is not financial advice.