Put/Call Fear Hits Granite Construction

GVA's options market lit up on July 31. The put/call ratio spiked to 0.84 — its highest level in 52 weeks. That reading sits 4.3 standard deviations above its 20-day mean of 0.12. Options traders rarely show fear this extreme.

The construction company carries 9.3% short interest as a percentage of free float. That backdrop gives bearish options flow extra weight.

Elsewhere, NWL saw a sharp short squeeze spike. Newell Brands has 15.5% of its free float sold short. Friday's price move caught bears off-guard. Short squeezes and heavy options activity often feed each other.

Chipmaker AMBA drew fresh attention after reports that NXPI is in talks to acquire the AI chip designer for around $3.3 billion. Ambarella carries 12.1% short interest. An M&A bid tends to trigger sharp call-buying from traders unwinding short positions.

South Korean chipmakers also surged. The broader tech rebound pushed AI-linked names higher into month-end.

ORTEX options scoring data placed PBF Energy and Liquidia at the top of bullish sentiment rankings for the week. Liquidia's stock is up 152% year-to-date.

Month-end flow and earnings season amplify these signals. Traders should watch GVA closely for follow-through.