Now I have enough data to write the article. Let me synthesize the key options signals.

Bulls Pile Into Semis, Energy Bets Climb

Options markets are flashing bullish signals across semiconductors and energy this week. The data points to a clear rotation in sentiment — away from mega-cap defensives and toward higher-beta names with imminent catalysts.

MaxLinear tops the ORTEX options score rankings among mid-cap stocks. The chip designer is up 343% year-to-date. Its RSI hit 87.3, deep in overbought territory. Options expiries cluster around May 15, suggesting traders are positioning into its upcoming Q1 earnings.

Wolfspeed shows a similar pattern. The beleaguered chipmaker has surged 111% year-to-date. Its short score sits at 75.5. Open options expiries run through June 18, with the bulk of activity in the near-term weeklies — a sign of speculative, directional bets rather than hedges.

On the bearish side, negative options bets are concentrated in large-cap tech. NVIDIA leads the negative bets ranking by raw volume. Yet bullish bets on NVDA also rank highest overall. The split signals indecision ahead of its Q1 2027 results.

Energy names drew notable call activity. Devon Energy and Diamondback Energy both rank in the top options score list. Both are up roughly 38% year-to-date. DVN reports Q1 results shortly, making near-term calls attractive.

XPeng stands out on the cautionary side. Its short score is 69.8. Days-to-cover hit 8.1. Options expiries stretch to July, hinting at longer-dated put protection being built by bearish traders watching the Chinese EV sector.

The broad theme: traders are buying calls into earnings season while selectively building put protection on high-short-interest names.