10 Hot Stocks to Watch — Thursday, June 18, 2026

Moderna extended its five-day winning streak to $61.80, buoyed by constructive FDA briefing documents on its mFlusiva flu vaccine ahead of an advisory panel review. The biotech giant is also drawing pre-Investor Day interest as investors rotate into healthcare. Options markets are pricing aggressive upside, with call-to-put ratio of 8.47 and heavy volume in $65 strikes expiring mid-to-late June, suggesting traders see room to run toward the 52-week high of $62.30.

Robinhood Markets jumped to $105.20 after announcing a 10% workforce reduction and winning regulatory approval to facilitate tokenized securities trading—a potential revenue unlock in digital assets. Options flow is aggressively bullish, with a 2.54 call-to-put ratio and heavy June 18 call volume concentrated at $110 and $105 strikes, signaling conviction above current levels. Cathie Wood's ARK continues trimming exposure despite the rally, a bearish divergence worth monitoring. Watch $110 as the near-term resistance test.

C3.ai (AI) dropped 5.86% to $10.29 after the Federal Reserve's hawkish dot plot suggested the easing cycle may be stalling, pressuring high-beta software stocks that had rallied on peace-deal tailwinds and lower yields. The enterprise AI vendor had bounced sharply on geopolitical risk reduction and Shell partnership expansion news, but sentiment reversed as rate-cut expectations faded. Options markets paint a contrarian picture: call-to-put ratio of 9.20 and heavy volume in $11.0–$11.5 calls expiring mid-to-late June suggest institutional buyers view the $10.29 level as capitulation, with 14–19% upside targets priced in.

ServiceNow dropped 5.8% today alongside a broader tech selloff triggered by Fed rate signals, erasing gains from its expanded agentic AI partnerships with Wipro, HPE, and Digimarc. The stock's 52-week range ($81–$211) underscores volatility, while options traders are aggressively hedging downside: put volume surged to 15,000+ contracts at the $65 strike (June 2026), and in-the-money puts at $120–$125 suggest conviction below current levels. Watch $81.24 support; a break threatens further capitulation.

Arm Holdings surged 5.69% to $418.88, breaking toward its $444.80 peak on the back of Neural Dawn, a flagship mobile AI gaming showcase, and Bernstein's bullish CPU renaissance thesis across semiconductors. Options traders are piling into call spreads, with nearly 8,500 contracts in the $500 June calls and sustained volume in the $440–$460 band, signaling conviction above current levels. Watch $444.80 resistance; breach would target $460–$500 by mid-June expiry, though elevated beta of 3.79 amplifies downside risk if macro sentiment shifts.

Meta shares dropped 5.44% Wednesday alongside broad market weakness after Federal Reserve officials signaled at least one rate hike ahead, pressuring growth stocks. The sell-off compounded existing concerns over the departure of a key internal AI executive and a reported security breach in Meta's AI-powered customer support chatbot. Options traders are hedging aggressively, with heavy put volume at the $550 strike expiring tomorrow suggesting support near $550; meanwhile, call activity remains scattered across $582.50–$600 strikes, indicating limited conviction on a bounce.

Schlumberger shares tumbled 5.16% today as crude prices collapsed following U.S.-Iran peace negotiations, pressuring the oilfield services giant despite broader market gains. The put skew is pronounced—1,140 contracts on the $51 strike (ITM) signal defensive positioning ahead of June 18, while call volume remains modest at the $52 level. With SLB trading near the middle of its 52-week range ($31.64–$58.82) and beta at 0.708, the stock is showing relative resilience, but options traders are bracing for further downside toward the $50–$51 support zone.

VXX rallied 4.3% today to $23.54, bucking the broader market's shrug-off of Iran tensions as the VIX retreated to 17-handle lows. Options traders are heavily long upside, with a bullish 3.86 call-to-put ratio and outsized volume in $23–$24 calls expiring June 2026, signaling conviction that volatility will retest higher levels before summer. Watch the $24 strike—a break above could signal renewed hedging demand as geopolitical and inflation risks simmer beneath market complacency.

Target shares dropped 4.2% to $127.81 today, eroding recent gains despite analyst backing and a dividend hike. Gordon Haskett maintains a $160 price target, citing improving free cash flow yield at 5.01%, yet options markets are flashing red: a 0.61 call-to-put ratio reveals heavy put buying, with $130 puts expiring June 18 showing exceptional volume of 1,465 contracts. Traders are clearly hedging weakness into the 130 level—a critical support zone just 1.7% below today's close.

PayPal fell 3.6% to $42.08 on news that CEO Enrique Lores is shuttering its 10-year-old venture arm, underscoring a strategic pivot toward core payments and cost discipline. The move reflects mounting pressure from nimbler fintech competitors and a stale brand perception that's eroding investor conviction. Options markets are flashing caution: heavy put volume in the $50–$55 strike range (expiring June 2026) suggests traders are hedging downside risk, with a 0.85 call-to-put ratio signaling net bearish positioning. Watch the $38.46 support level—the 52-week low—if sentiment deteriorates further.