Bears Bet Big on AI Chips and Mega-Cap Tech

Negative options bets are piling up across the chip sector. The Nasdaq 100 briefly fell into correction territory this week. Traders are responding fast.

NVDA tops the negative bets table with an RSI of just 42. The $5 trillion chip giant is down only 5% this year. But options flow shows growing hedging pressure as Big Tech AI spending raises credit concerns.

TSLA carries the most extreme bearish signal. Its RSI sits at 27 — deeply oversold. The stock is down 31% year-to-date. Heavy put activity suggests traders expect more pain before any recovery.

META is in the bearish bets top five. RSI is 43. The stock is down 10% in 2026. CEO Zuckerberg weighed in Tuesday, calling a Chinese AI model ban "not an effective solution." The company reports Q2 earnings soon.

AMD tells a different story. Up 131% year-to-date, RSI is still only 45. Options bears are positioning against the rally. Analysts still see 16% upside from here.

ORCL shows the sharpest dislocation. Down 38% in 2026, RSI is 33. Analyst return potential is 107%. Yet negative options bets remain elevated. That gap between analyst optimism and options pessimism is striking.

NFLX rounds out the group. Down 25% year-to-date, RSI at 39. Q2 earnings are ahead. Options traders are not ready to call a bottom.

The common thread: AI-exposed names are facing a wave of protective put buying. Markets are pricing in further earnings disappointment before any sustained rebound.