Markets head into a pivotal week with semiconductor earnings, bold insider buying, and rising short bets all converging at once.
The chip trade is the clearest cross-market theme. NVDA reports after the close on Wednesday and options markets are pricing in a big move. Call-side interest is running hot across AMD and MU too. Separately, four analyst firms lifted price targets on Applied Materials this week. TD Cowen raised to $525. B. Riley went to $550. The consensus target sits near $503. Semiconductor equipment demand is showing no sign of cooling.
Bill Gates filed more than $85M in purchases of RSG (Republic Services) spread across May 11–13. It is one of the largest insider buys in recent memory. Waste sector peer WCN also saw its CEO file a $7.6M purchase. Jared Isaacman filed $15.9M in (Shift4 Payments) buys over two days.
Bears are not stepping back. WOLF (Wolfspeed) now has 89.3% of its free float shorted — up nearly 29 points in a week. CVNA (Carvana) saw its SI% jump fivefold to 10.1%. LCID sits at 34.7% short interest. Despite a 252% three-month rally in Wolfspeed, sellers are doubling down.
European headlines are dominated by UK gilt volatility. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is challenging PM Starmer on borrowing limits. HSBA (HSBC) paused a $4bn private credit push. European markets closed higher on Friday despite the political noise.
Home Depot, Target, and Lowe's all report this week. They are the key read on consumer spending. NVDA's Wednesday print is the one that could move the whole market.
ORTEX Market Intelligence content is generated by AI from a snapshot of ORTEX's proprietary data. Content is informational only and does not constitute investment advice.
