Bears Swarm GME, Earnings Wave Builds, Gold Miners Gleam

US Market Highlights

GME is the short-seller story of the week. Short interest exploded from under 1% to 7.2% of free float — a near 700% spike in a single week. Bears are piling back into the meme stock after months of calm. With a cost to borrow that remains elevated, this is a trade that comes with a price.

AppLovin fell today after an analyst labelled it a "show-me story," sending shares lower. The ad-tech high-flier had been one of the year's biggest gainers. Skepticism is creeping in.

Verizon announced a $70 million investment in AI training. The move signals that legacy telecoms are still fighting for relevance in the AI infrastructure race.

A hedge fund manager floated the idea that META acquiring PYPL could save the social media giant "5–10 years" in its super-app push against Elon Musk. The idea moved both stocks today.

Earnings on Deck

AutoZone reports Tuesday. Both BMO Capital and Barclays maintained bullish ratings but trimmed targets — to $3,500 and $3,400 respectively. KB Home also reports Tuesday, with Citizens cutting its target to $70. Costco remains the week's main event, reporting Thursday after the close. Cintas already showed Q1 organic revenue up 8.9%, setting a positive tone.

Europe & Mining

Junior gold miners are drawing fresh attention. Options on GDXJ hit a 20-day extreme in bullish bets. Canada's mining capex boom is fuelling the move. Analysts flagged two gold miner stocks as top picks in the space. NIO is pushing smart driving into Europe via a new partnership with HERE Technologies.

Financials Get Upgraded

Financials saw three separate upgrades. BAC, RJF, and SYF all moved higher in analyst consensus. The Uber COO's $5.3 million open-market buy remains the week's boldest insider signal.