markets

Intel soars to 52-week high on most bullish options activity since report of US government stake

Intel is powering its way to a fresh 52-week high on a boatload of bullish options demand and little fundamental news.

Nearly 250,000 calls have changed hands an hour into the trading day, which is roughly equivalent to the 20-day average for a full session.

As of 10:30 a.m. ET, the stock’s daily put/call ratio is under 0.25, the lowest since August 14. That’s the day the stock surged on a report that the US government was considering taking an equity position in the struggling chipmaker, which it eventually went on to do.

It also probably doesn’t hurt, in terms of showing continued support for the tech ecosystem, that the Trump administration announced a $150 million investment in xLight, an upstart aiming to compete with ASML in the production of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, which are needed to make advanced chips.

xLight, as it so happens, has former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger as its executive chairman.

More Markets

See all Markets

markets

AI energy plays surge amid one-way bullish options traffic

The smaller, more speculative AI-linked energy plays are back in full boom mode on Tuesday, driven by a speculative bid in the options market.

Zero-revenues nuclear firm Oklo is up nearly 9% as of 10:10 a.m. ET. Its put/call ratio is below 0.3, compared to a 20-day average of 1.05.
Fuel cell company Bloom Energy is likewise seeing mainly one-way traffic, with a put/call ratio of 0.3 versus a 20-day average of 0.7.
The options action is even more lopsided in hydrogen fuel cell company and on-again, off-again meme stock Plug Power. Its put/call ratio is a paltry 0.05 compared to a 20-day average of 0.2.

For Plug and Oklo, the most actively traded contracts are calls that expire this Friday. For Bloom, it’s a call that expires on December 19.

These companies had all cratered amid a broad retrenchment in speculative stocks since mid-October as credit risk began to seep into the AI trade.

markets

Dell rallies after President Trump praises $6.25 billion donation from founder’s family to fund investment accounts for children

Shares of Dell are on the rise this morning after a colossal donation by the founder’s family was recognized in glowing terms by the president.

Michael Dell, CEO, chairman, and founder of the server company, and his wife, Susan, announced that they were gifting $6.25 billion to seed $250 into investment accounts for 25 million American children. So-called “Trump accounts” were part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which sees the government provide $1,000 toward an investment account for each child born this year through 2028.

The donation from the duo will fund accounts for older kids who would not be eligible to receive this money.

Though news of the donation broke around 7:40 a.m. ET, the stock really caught a bid after President Trump posted this message on Truth Social praising the couple and the company.

Good deeds are their own reward, but investments also pay dividends. Both truisms apply to the Dell family this morning!

markets

Max Knoblauch2h

Boeing surges as CFO reports the “recovery is in full force” and company expects positive free cash flow next year

Shares of Boeing are surging on Tuesday after the plane maker’s CFO said the company’s recovery “is in full force” and it expects positive free cash flow next year. The stock climbed more than 6% in premarket trading.

“For next year, we absolutely expect to grow year over year in cash flow,” CFO Jay Malave said at a transportation conference on Tuesday. “I expect free cash flow to grow and as I mentioned before, I expect right now, anyway, free cash flow to be in the low positive single digits.”

Boeing turned cash flow positive in the third quarter for the first time since its door plug blowout early last year.

If the stock move holds through the day, it would mark just the sixth time Boeing closes up more than 5% in the past two years.

markets

Max Knoblauch2h

Electric aircraft maker Beta rises on report it will supply a rival with motors

Newly public electric aircraft maker Beta Technologies is climbing in premarket trading on Tuesday after announcing it would supply a rival in the space, Embraer-funded Eve Air Mobility, with electric motors.

In an industry still light on revenue, the potentially $1 billion, 10-year deal is notable for Beta, which received a $300 million investment from GE Aerospace in September.

Analysts have pointed out Beta’s strength as a supplier since it went public. Morgan Stanley on Monday compared Beta to Tesla, and the company received a “buy” rating from Goldman Sachs. The bank gave rival Joby Aviation a “sell” rating, and tagged Archer Aviation with “neutral.”

Eve Air Mobility Selects BETA Technologies as Pusher Motor Supplier. – Eve

Eve Air Mobility Selects BETA Technologies as Pusher Motor Supplier. – Eve

Analysts have pointed out Beta’s strength as a supplier since it went public. Morgan Stanley on Monday compared Beta to Tesla, and the company received a “buy” rating from Goldman Sachs. The bank gave rival Joby Aviation a “sell” rating, and tagged Archer Aviation with “neutral.”

markets

IREN sinks after announcing share offering as part of refinancing plan

Bitcoin miner turned data center company IREN tumbled in postmarket trading on Monday and remains mired in the red ahead of the open on Tuesday after announcing plans to sell shares as part of a plan to refinance its debt.

Management is proceeding with a registered direct offering of shares to a limited number of potential buyers, and using those funds to repurchase up to about $1.5 billion in convertible notes due in 2029 and 2030 with coupons of 3.5% and 3.25%, respectively.

How many shares the company ultimately offers will be governed by how many of these convertible note holders are willing to sell.

Separately, IREN is also issuing $2 billion in new convertible senior notes in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers, split between 2032 and 2033 maturities.

Finalized terms, including the interest rate and initial conversion rate of the notes, are yet to be announced, but Bloomberg reports — citing people familiar with the matter — that the company is aiming for the 2032 note to carry a coupon of 0% to 0.25% and for the coupon on the 2033 note to be between 0.5% and 1%. Both notes are expected to have conversion premiums of 25% to 30%.

Meeting the demand for AI compute and power requires that IREN, one of the so-called neoclouds, invests in the necessary infrastructure to boost its capacity. In November, the company booked a near $10 billion deal with Microsoft to provide access to computing capacity at a data center campus in Texas.

IREN was recently added to Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives’ list of the 30 biggest beneficiaries of the AI boom.

Latest Stories

Sherwood Media, LLC produces fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and is a fully owned subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate, including Robinhood Markets, Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC, Robinhood Securities, LLC, Robinhood Crypto, LLC, or Robinhood Money, LLC.

©2025 Sherwood Media, LLC