Chips, Shorts, and Big Sells Dominate Tuesday

Semis in the Crosshairs

The semiconductor sector is today's central battleground. Short sellers are piling into Wolfspeed and Sandisk — both carrying extreme short positions. Wolfspeed sits at 81% SI % of Free Float. Sandisk has surged 411% year-to-date, painting a target on its back. Meanwhile, analysts are moving the other way on chip equipment names. Applied Materials, KLA Corporation, and Lam Research all received upward target revisions today. The bull-bear divide in semis has rarely been sharper.

Earnings Season in Full Swing

Cisco Systems headlines tomorrow's earnings slate. Its $479 billion market cap makes it the week's biggest reporter. Cardinal Health kicked off today's US session. In Europe, Danish wind giant Vestas Wind Systems also reports this week. Earnings season is running hot across both regions.

Big Insiders Sell at Illumina

Board member Keith Meister filed sales of over $143M in Illumina stock on August 4–5. Shares were sold near $199 each. Four insiders at Mohawk Industries also filed sales this week totalling roughly $9M. The selling cluster at both companies stands out.

Oil Politics Heat Up

Senator Elizabeth Warren attacked major oil producers over what she called $23 billion in excess profits. ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips were named directly. The political pressure adds a new risk layer for energy stocks heading into a busy macro week.