Costco Leads Earnings Week as Bears Target Chips and Consumers

Earnings Calendar in Focus

A packed week of results kicks off today. AutoZone reports Q4 2026 before the open. KB Home follows in the afternoon, with housing data under scrutiny as mortgage rates stay elevated. The week's biggest event comes Wednesday. Costco reports Q4 2026 after the close. Membership trends and consumer spending signals make it the marquee print of the week. Paychex, Cintas, and General Mills also report mid-week.

Semiconductors Under Pressure

Chips are the centre of bearish options activity right now. Micron Technology tops the put flow table ahead of its Q4 results. The stock is up 256% year-to-date. That run has drawn heavy hedging. NVIDIA and Advanced Micro Devices show large two-sided options flow — signalling uncertainty more than clear directional bets. Meanwhile, Wolfspeed carries 82.4% short interest as a percentage of free float. It has dropped more than 55% over three months. Bears show no signs of easing off.

Analysts Trim Utilities

Morgan Stanley cut price targets across four US utilities — PPL, PNW, PG&E, and NRG. The move signals valuation concern across the sector. On airlines, Delta got an upgrade to a $105 target while United Airlines was trimmed to $150. JP Morgan upgraded Ball Corporation from Hold to Buy.

Insider Buying Stands Out

Bill Gates filed over $926 million in purchases of Republic Services between August 10 and September 2. Uber COO Andrew MacDonald bought $5.3 million in shares on September 4 — discretionary, no trading plan declared. Both signal real conviction from those closest to the companies.