10 Hot Stocks to Watch — Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Advanced Micro Devices rallied 7.68% to $580.91 after Wells Fargo analysts raised their price target, riding a broader semiconductor rally fueled by surging AI infrastructure spending. The options market is echoing conviction: call-to-put ratio sits at 1.73, with heavy positioning in $600 calls expiring July 2026 and robust volume in near-the-money $580 strikes. Watch the $584.73 52-week high as immediate resistance; a sustained breakout would target fresh all-time territory amid sustained server CPU demand.

Microstrategy shares tumbled today as Bitcoin's 21-month low sparked broad crypto liquidation, leaving the treasury company nursing $14B in unrealized losses on 847K BTC. The stock's 3.47 beta amplified the selloff, with heavy volume (35.6M shares) signaling capitulation. Options traders are hedging aggressively: July 2 puts at $80–$85 show outsized volume (41.5K contracts), while $100 calls hint at recovery bets post-expiry. Watch the $81.81 support—last year's low—as the next technical floor.

Intel shares jumped 6% today on broad semiconductor strength tied to accelerating AI infrastructure spending, with the chipmaker benefiting from analyst upgrades and institutional optimism around processor demand. Options markets are signaling conviction: call volume dominates with a 6.79 call-to-put ratio, particularly heavy positioning in July 2026 contracts at $88–$89 strikes and speculative bets stacked above $140. The appointment of a Tesla veteran to lead its manufacturing efforts, coupled with new AI-focused education devices, suggests Intel is reshaping its competitive posture beyond commoditized server chips. Watch the $150 level—aggressive call buying there hints at institutional targets into next quarter.

Rocket Lab jumped 3.78% to $101.65 on the heels of its transformative $8 billion acquisition of Iridium Communications, a move that positions the company as a vertically integrated space player rivaling SpaceX. Options markets are flashing green: a 12.29 call-to-put ratio reflects heavy institutional call buying across the $100–$110 strike band, with 10,651 contracts flowing into the $100 calls expiring July 2. Watch the $105 level; a decisive break above could target $110 by next week's expiry, though the stock's elevated 2.5 beta suggests volatility risk remains.

Coinbase shares fell 3.6% today as Bitcoin tumbled below the $60,000 psychological floor, triggering a broad crypto selloff. Yet options traders are painting a starkly different picture: call volume has surged to a 1.94 call-to-put ratio, with heavy positioning in $165, $155, and $172.50 calls expiring July 2026. The timing matters—Coinbase is gaining traction as the infrastructure backbone for emerging stablecoins like Open USD, backed by BlackRock and Google, signaling long-term structural tailwinds despite near-term volatility.

Netflix shares tumbled 3.23% to $71.40 amid a sector rotation triggered by Comcast's NBCUniversal spinoff announcement, which has rekindled investor interest in pure-play media assets. The decline defies company fundamentals, reflecting broader strategic repositioning across the streaming wars. Options traders are positioned constructively, however, with a 2.68 call-to-put ratio and heavy July 2026 call buying concentrated at $75–$76 strikes, suggesting conviction in a near-term recovery toward $75 within six months.

Rivian climbed 3.21% to $17.35 today, riding a broader EV sector rally fueled by tech strength, though the company still faces headwinds from a 27% U.S. EV sales decline and JD Power's worst-in-class quality ranking. Options markets are leaning decidedly bullish, with a 3.82 call-to-put ratio and heavy volume in July $17–$18 calls, suggesting traders are betting on a sustained move higher. Watch the $18 resistance level; a break above could target the 52-week high of $22.69, though Rivian's execution and product quality remain critical near-term risks.

Chipotle gained 3.12% to $34.00 on moderate volume, rebounding from its post-split malaise as investor attention pivots to fast-casual competitive dynamics. The options market, however, flashes caution: a 0.22 call-put ratio and heavy put buying suggest traders are hedging downside risk, with 29,456 contracts stacked into the $25 puts expiring mid-July. While near-term calls cluster around $33–$35 strikes, the skew toward protective puts signals skepticism about sustained recovery above current levels. Watch the $33.50 technical zone through early July.

Caterpillar climbed 3.07% to $1,064.90, capping a remarkable first-half run as the Dow's top performer, fueled by Russell Top 50 addition and easing tariff headwinds. Call volume is concentrated at $1,070 and $1,180 strikes through mid-July, signaling bullish conviction above current levels despite mixed put-call ratio of 0.73. Watch $1,073.46—the 52-week high—as a near-term resistance inflection; a break above sets up acceleration toward $1,100+ as institutional repositioning completes.

Lucid jumped 2.77% to $6.69 on Monday, extending gains fueled by its role as dedicated vehicle supplier for Uber's autonomous robotaxi program—a high-stakes bet against Waymo. Call volume surged across $7.0 and $7.5 July strikes, with a 1.59 call-to-put ratio signaling speculative appetite despite the stock trading near 52-week lows. Watch the $7.0 level as a near-term resistance; failure to break above risks a retest of $5.19 support as cash burn remains acute.