Chips, Bears, and a Netflix Cut: Markets Wrap

Semis Split as Burry Casts a Shadow

Semiconductors are the week's most contested trade. NVDA and AMD face heavy negative options flow even as the Nasdaq 100 hit a fresh high on returning AI enthusiasm. The index's recovery from its summer sell-off is drawing buyers back — but not everyone is convinced. Michael Burry has publicly targeted the memory rally, with positions against MU and AMAT. Options flow on MU topped both the bullish and bearish rankings simultaneously. That rare split reflects deep disagreement about how long the AI hardware boom can last.

HSBC Pulls the Plug on Netflix

HSBC downgraded NFLX from Buy to Hold today. Analyst Mohammed Khallouf cut his target 21% to $76 from $96. The streaming giant carries a $305B market cap. Meanwhile, materials names caught a bid. VMC and MLM both received upgrades. Infrastructure spending momentum appears to be behind the analyst shift.

Short Interest Flares on Meme Names

GME short interest jumped 6.3 percentage points in a single week to 7.2% of free float. Bears are rebuilding positions in the meme-stock favourite. The more extreme story is WOLF — SI at 81% with zero shares left to borrow. That combination is a classic squeeze setup worth watching closely.

UK Borrowing Jumps; India's NSE Eyes $46bn Debut

UK government borrowing surged in August. The "dismal" £18bn figure adds pressure on Chancellor Reeves ahead of the Budget. Across Asia, India's National Stock Exchange is finally set for its long-awaited $46bn market debut — the world's largest derivatives exchange heading for a landmark listing. Also in tech infrastructure, SoftBank's $50bn data centre group is slowing its IPO plans amid market fears over AI demand softening and a weak debt sale.

Insider Exits: WBD and NMIH

Four WBD insiders filed sales across six weeks totalling over $15M. NMIH CEO Adam Pollitzer filed a $7.7M open-market sale on September 4. Both CEO and CFO selling at the same mortgage insurer in the same month is a pattern that warrants attention. Costco COST headlines a packed earnings week with results Thursday.