10 Hot Stocks to Watch — Thursday, June 25, 2026

Rocket Lab tumbled 10.21% to $85.41 today, erasing recent gains despite touting record Space Force mission wins and ramped Electron production capacity. The sharp selloff contradicts bullish fundamentals: the company is pivoting beyond launch services into integrated satellite operations—a higher-margin model drawing institutional interest. Yet options traders are pricing caution, with put volume nearly 1.6x call volume and heavy accumulation in $85 puts expiring June and July 2026, suggesting conviction that downside risk prevails near current levels.

Strategy Inc. plunged 9.35% today, extending losses as Bitcoin hit a 20-month low amid macro headwinds and a looming $10B options expiry. The stock's high beta (3.47x) amplified crypto weakness, though the company is pivoting toward AI partnerships to diversify revenue. Options markets are hedging hard: put volume at $95 strikes (ITM, June 2026) exploded to 46K contracts, while call interest remains muted, signaling investor defensiveness. Watch the $92.28 support—52-week low—for potential capitulation.

IonQ shares tumbled 7.35% to $53.60 today, reversing earlier momentum from President Trump's quantum computing executive orders and 2028 federal security deadline. The stock's high beta of 3.18 amplified broader market weakness, though options markets remain constructively positioned with a 2.52 call-to-put ratio and heavy accumulation in $58–$65 calls through mid-July. Watch the $58 level as near-term support; a close above $60 could reignite momentum toward the stock's $84.64 fifty-two-week high.

AST SpaceMobile tumbled 6.67% today despite a major catalyst: Rakuten Group will form an equal-stake joint venture to deploy direct-to-mobile satellite service across Japan starting late 2026, positioning the company against SpaceX's Starlink dominance. The pullback contradicts robust options positioning, where call volume exploded across the $75–$100 strike range through mid-July, signaling traders expect a rebound toward $80–$85. Watch the $75 call expiring July 10 as a near-term support signal.

Robinhood Markets tumbled nearly 6% today, underperforming the broader market as competitive pressures mounted in its prediction markets segment. Meta's reported foray into the space, coupled with Cboe's S&P 500 prediction market launch, threaten HOOD's positioning in a nascent but strategically important vertical. Options markets show divergent conviction: heavy call buying (2.02 C/P ratio) clusters around $100–$110 strikes expiring late June, suggesting traders expect a rebound, but near-term momentum remains fragile. Watch $95 support.

Home Depot surged 5.67% to $342.86 today, reclaiming momentum despite Wolfe Research's downgrade to Peer Perform last week. Options markets are signaling aggressive optimism: call-to-put ratio stands at 4.09, with heavy buying in $350 and $375 June-July calls suggesting traders expect a push toward $400 by mid-summer. Management's reaffirmed guidance and resilient fundamentals underpin the rally, though housing headwinds keep sentiment cautious. Watch the $350 level as a near-term resistance point.

Target jumped 5.29% to $141.20 today, reclaiming its 52-week high on the back of Wolfe Research's upgrade to Outperform and a $162 price target—signaling confidence in the retailer's improving execution amid Amazon and Walmart competition. Options flow confirms conviction: call-to-put ratio sits at 2.29, with heavy volume in $140 calls expiring mid-July and a cluster of put protection below $130, suggesting traders see limited downside. Barron's noted the stock's relative strength on a weak tape, typical of potential accumulation. Watch the $140 level as initial support; a close above $145 would validate the bullish case.

Coinbase fell 5.1% to $150.11 as Bitcoin tumbled past 52-week lows, dragging crypto equities lower across the board. The Luxembourg MiCA hub approval signals regulatory progress, yet near-term sentiment remains anchored to macro headwinds. Options traders are hedging downside—put volume surged on $100 and $120 strikes through July 2026—while selective call buying targets $155–$162.50 on a 15-day window. Watch July 17 CLARITY Act testimony as a potential inflection point.

Marathon Digital Holdings fell 4.76% to $14.00 as the crypto-miner-turned-AI-landlord struggles to convince markets its Starwood Capital partnership justifies stretched valuations. The stock's extreme 5.38 beta amplifies sector volatility, and despite bullish analyst calls on the AI data center thesis, profitability remains elusive due to non-cash Bitcoin writedowns. Options flow shows balanced interest around the $14.00–$14.50 strike zone through late June, suggesting traders are hedging rather than committing directionally ahead of potential macro catalysts.

NIO shares fell 3.73% today to $4.90, extending May's worst month, yet options traders are loading calls aggressively with a 5.16 call-to-put ratio. Heavy positioning in $5.00 and $5.50 strikes expiring mid-to-late June signals conviction that NIO's Hong Kong primary listing upgrade—which could unlock Stock Connect access for mainland investors—will reignite demand. CEO William Li's acknowledgment that China's auto "golden era" has passed contrasts sharply with May delivery gains of 37,705 units and self-developed chip breakthroughs, creating a narrative disconnect that options markets are betting resolves upward by late June.