Bears, Bills, and Builders: Friday's Market Playbook

Bears Target EVs and Chips

Short sellers spent this week loading up on electric vehicles and semiconductors. LCID saw its SI % of free float jump 14.4 points to 49.7%. Shares to borrow are almost gone — availability sits at just 0.4% of short interest. WOLF is even more extreme, with 83% of its free float already short and zero availability left. Options traders are aligned: bearish flow hit both EV and chip names hard on Friday. CHWY also attracted fresh shorts, with SI rising 11.3 points to 63.6%.

Smart Money Moves: Gates Buys, Stevens Sells

Bill Gates filed purchases of over $241M in RSG shares across late August and early September — 15 separate transactions at around $220–225 per share. The steady accumulation stands out for its size and deliberateness. On the other side, NVDA board member Mark Stevens disclosed $411M in share sales. The trades took place August 31 through September 2. A director cashing out that much in three days is worth watching, even for a $5 trillion company.

Analyst Picks and Earnings Ahead

APP scored the day's only outright upgrade, moving to Buy. Its $95.7B market cap and light short interest of 4.2% leave little friction for bulls. KR moved the other way — its consensus target slipped to $68.52. The week ahead brings key earnings: LEN reports Q3 results Wednesday, and UK housebuilder BTRW faces its first full-year results test since the Barratt-Redrow merger. Travel platform TCOM reports Thursday. WK opens the week Monday with short sellers already stepping back ahead of the print.

One Bright Spot in Beverages

FIZZ is the week's contrarian story. Short interest sits at 18.3%, but options sentiment flipped bullish just as UBS hit its price target. Availability at 782% means shorts can still pile in — but flow suggests they're not.