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Game Over?

The winning GameStop lottery tickets are being cashed in

Luke Kawa

Traders are taking profits in the boldest wagers that were made ahead of this week’s surge in GameStop.

In particular, we’re talking about the call options that would be in-the-money if GameStop broke above $30 by the end of this week. Shares of GameStop were as high as $64.83 in early trading on Tuesday, and as low as $21 as of 2:00pm ET on Wednesday.

We can infer these lotto tickets are being cashed by looking at how the trades in the $30-strike calls have been executed today.

For background: Trades can take place on the bid, the ask, or the mid.

  • The bid is the highest price a buyer will pay.

  • The ask, which is higher than the bid, is the lowest price a seller is willing to accept.

  • The mid – well, I trust you to figure that one out.

From April 25 – when we started to see activity in these options pick up – through Tuesday, volumes were fairly evenly split between those that took place on the bid, ask, or mid, with those on the ask side outnumbering the bid.

That’s not the story today: through 2:00pm ET, nearly five times as many trades in these $30-strike options are taking place on the bid versus the ask.

All else equal, if a trade is taking place on the bid, it suggests a motivated seller, one willing to accept the lowest price on offer. 

“Take the money and run,” said Michael Purves, CEO of Tallbacken Capital Advisors, on the price action in these options. “It would make a ton of sense for these long call options to be closed on the bid side.”

Open interest in the $30-strike call options that expire at the end of this week fell from 44,713 to 37,898 on Tuesday. That number looks like it’s due to fall further in light of the profile of these trades.

Closing out these (largely successful) wagers is one factor putting downward pressure on shares of GameStop today, which are down about 20% as of 2:00pm.

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SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

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Nike sinks to lowest level since 2014 after warning of “challenged” sales environment in Q4 report

Did Nike do it?

Investors had a mixed reaction after the global sports apparel company reported its fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday after the bell. Shares initially rose 5% as Nike beat out Wall Street expectations amid a hefty tariff refund bonus. However, the stock then sank to its lowest level since August 2014 in postmarket trading.

Here are the Q4 numbers:

  • Revenue of $11.0 billion (estimate: $10.8 billion).

  • Adjusted earnings per share of $0.20 (estimate: $0.12).

Ahead of this report, Nike warned that results would be flattered by a one-time tariff refund (now estimated at roughly $0.52 per share for the bottom line). That gave the company an extra cushion in snapping its streak of seven quarters of year-over-year profit declines.

Over the past year, the company had been punished by tariffs on imported goods, stagnant consumer spending, and increasing competition from other footwear brands like New Balance, Adidas, and Hoka.

Outgoing CFO Matthew Friend deemed it an “increasingly challenging operating environment, where sell-through remains challenged.”

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Rocket Lab deal lifts space stocks

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Planet Labs, AST SpaceMobile and Redwire all traded higher alongside Rocket Lab, extending gains in an industry that has drawn enhanced investor attention in recent months in light of the strategic importance that governments place on space and satellite communications infrastructure.

In a presentation, Rocket Lab’s management called the purchase “a shortcut” for its satellite communications business.

Under the terms of the agreement, Iridium shareholders will receive $27 in cash and Rocket Lab stock, valuing Iridium at $54 per share. Backed by a $3.6 billion bridge loan committed by Deutsche Bank and Wells Fargo, Rocket Lab absorbs Iridium’s globally licensed spectrum and an active base of 2.5 million subscribers.

Rocket Lab has also remained one of the most active launch providers in the sector. The company completed its 12th launch of the year last week, maintaining one of the highest launch cadences among commercial space companies.

Today's rally helps offset a brutal stretch for the group. Rocket Lab shares had fallen over 35% over the prior month, while Planet Labs stock was down more than 40% and AST SpaceMobile stock was down around 30% over the same window.

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