Mega-Cap Week Begins as Shorts Circle Distressed Names

Earnings Season Peaks This Week

The busiest stretch of earnings season starts today. Over 1,500 companies report globally this week. Microsoft reports Tuesday after the bell. Apple follows Thursday. Investors are watching both for AI revenue details. Amazon, Qualcomm, and Lam Research also land this week. Coca-Cola opens Monday morning. Starbucks closes Tuesday after the bell — CEO Brian Niccol's turnaround is the focus.

Seagate has already set a cautionary tone. Shares fell 7% after its print. PayPal, by contrast, broke above analyst bear targets ahead of its Q2 release.

Short Sellers Stay Aggressive

Hertz and Chewy carry the heaviest short loads. Both sit above 72% of free float sold short. Wolfspeed remains pinned at 80%. These are not new stories — but the pressure is not easing.

Columbia Financial is the sharpest weekly mover. Short interest jumped 22 percentage points in seven days. That spike stands out among mid-caps.

Nebius Group fell 15% this week. Short sellers remain trapped despite the drop.

Europe: Lundbergföretagen Backs Sandvik

In Europe, Swedish investment firm Lundbergföretagen added $43M to its stake in Sandvik this week. It also spent $35M buying more shares earlier. That is a firm vote of confidence from a long-term institutional investor.

Energy Insiders and Analyst Upgrades

Carlos Slim has sold over $100M of PBF Energy stock over recent weeks. He sold at $64 this week, up 39% from where he started trimming. Analysts lifted targets on Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and ExxonMobil this week. Energy is getting both insider exits and analyst support at the same time.