Bearish Bets Build in Chips and Crypto

Options traders are loading up on defensive plays. Semiconductor and crypto names dominate the negative bets leaderboard this week, according to ORTEX data.

NVDA leads on raw negative options volume over the past seven days. Chips are under pressure after Sam Altman flagged an AI slowdown risk. INTC also appears in the bearish flow, tied to macro noise around the Trump policy agenda.

MU — Micron Technology — carries the highest negative bets count among large caps. It is up 242% year-to-date. Profit-takers are hedging hard into that run.

TSLA sits in the top five for negative options bets. Its RSI reads 53.7, neutral territory. The stock is down 19% year-to-date.

On the bullish side, UNP and DHR both show 100% positive options flow over seven days. Defensive positioning is shifting toward rails and life sciences.

Crypto miners tell a different story. HUT surged Friday on Bitcoin momentum. CIFR also spiked sharply. Short scores for both remain elevated, suggesting options bulls and short sellers are fighting it out.

Bond market stress is the macro backdrop. US diesel hit a record $6 per gallon. Treasury yields are rising. Traders are buying protection across risk assets, and the options data confirms it.