Bears Load Puts Ahead of Earnings Week

Options traders are bracing for a volatile earnings week. Negative bets are piling up across several high-profile names, with bears positioned most aggressively in stocks that have already sold off sharply this year.

CHWY stands out as a key target. Short interest sits at 52.3% of free float — among the highest in the market. The short score is 55.7, and the stock has already lost 28% year-to-date. With analysts split on its outlook and the next earnings call on the calendar, protective put activity has spiked.

ADBE is another name drawing bearish options flow. Down 24% in 2026, the software giant carries a 4.6% SI % FF. Its RSI of 48.9 sits near neutral, but options negative bets ranked among the week's most active large-cap software names heading into its Q3 results.

LULU tells a grimmer story. Down 52% year-to-date, SI % FF has climbed to 10.2%. Its RSI of 31.8 signals deeply oversold territory. Bears show no sign of backing off.

On the semiconductor side, NVDA and MU lead the market in raw negative options flow volume. Micron is up 256% this year but faces a tough comparison bar. NVDA insiders have also been selling, adding a cautious signal for bulls.

WOLF carries the highest short score of the earnings-week names at 74.7. Days to cover hit 7.3. With its semiconductor losses well-documented and a YTD gain of 63% from a low base, the options market is clearly skeptical the rally holds.

This is not financial advice.