Semis, AI, and Earnings: Where the Action Is

Chips Dominate Both Options and Short Interest

Semiconductors are driving markets on August 12. NVDA and MU sit atop both the bullish and bearish options flow tables simultaneously. That split signals intense two-way conviction ahead of NVIDIA's next earnings print. POET Technologies heads into its own results with 21% of its float shorted and borrow costs doubling — a dangerous setup. Broader chip names AMD and INTC also feature in elevated options activity today.

Earnings Season Picks Up Steam

Cisco Systems reports Q4 2026 after the close. Its AI infrastructure guidance will set the tone for networking stocks. Applied Materials follows tomorrow — a key read on semiconductor equipment demand. Honeywell Aerospace faces its most defensive options positioning all year heading into results. Maze Therapeutics enters earnings with shorts building and its CEO selling — a rare bearish double signal.

AI Infrastructure Pushes Through Headwinds

CoreWeave said today that data center moratoriums will not stop its AI expansion plans. The company acknowledged the curbs will shift where infrastructure gets built. That statement adds colour to the broader AI buildout debate, which remains a dominant market theme.

Bears Active Across Several Names

Crypto miner Bitdeer saw short sellers dig in further after a post-earnings drop. Biotech Tango Therapeutics enters results carrying 30% short interest with a divided analyst community. On the insider front, Illumina board member Keith Meister filed over $108M in sales. At Pfizer, two directors bought roughly $1M each — a small but pointed show of confidence in the beaten-down pharma name.