10 Hot Stocks to Watch — Friday, July 3, 2026

Lam Research plunged 10.19% today as semiconductor stocks extended a broad selloff amid concerns that artificial intelligence-driven chip demand may be cooling. The weakness caps a year of outsized gains for the equipment maker, which benefited from memory manufacturing tailwinds. Options markets are flashing distress: a 0.65 call-to-put ratio and heavy put accumulation—including 3,797 contracts at the $160 strike expiring July 10—suggest traders are hedging downside risk. Watch the $287.50 level (near recent support) through next week's expiry.

Moderna climbed 10% to $79.76 after unveiling a Science Day strategy to extend its mRNA platform beyond vaccines into oncology and autoimmune diseases, buoyed by positive FDA developments and a potential short squeeze. Options traders are firmly in the corner: call-to-put ratio sits at 12.86, with heavy concentration in July $85 and $80 calls showing 77x and 61x turnover ratios respectively. Jefferies flagged significant upside ahead. Watch the $85 strike on July 10 expiry as a key resistance level; a break above could unlock fresh momentum.

Rivian shares jumped 8.44% after beating Q2 delivery targets and lifting full-year forecasts to 70,000 vehicles, signaling robust demand momentum in the EV sector. Options markets show mixed conviction: heavy put buying at $19.50 and $18.50 strikes expiring July 10th suggests near-term profit-taking, yet call volume at the $24 level indicates conviction holders betting on sustained upside. Watch the $19.50 support level through week's end; any close below signals sellers reasserting control despite today's optimism.

Lucid shares plunged 8.3% after Q2 vehicle deliveries fell short of expectations at 3,953 units, compounded by a CFO replacement—the latest in a string of executive departures at the struggling EV maker. Yet options traders are painting a contrarian picture: call volume has surged to a 335 call-to-put ratio, with heavy positioning in $5 calls expiring July 10 and deep out-of-money $1 calls through July 31, suggesting speculative bets on a recovery bounce. Watch $5.50 as near-term resistance; a break above signals capitulation buying ahead of any operational updates.

MicroStrategy climbed 7.9% to $100.77 on softer-than-expected jobs data that dimmed Fed rate-hike odds, lifting Bitcoin 2.2% and triggering broad crypto strength. The rally marks the stock's fifth consecutive winning session following the company's new capital framework announcement, though JPMorgan warned this week that MSTR's nascent Bitcoin sales policy—used to fund preferred dividends—introduces two-way volatility risk to markets. Options markets are heavily skewed bullish with a 2.21 call-to-put ratio; watch $100–$120 resistance through summer expiries as conviction tests whether the stock can sustain momentum beyond near-term macro tailwinds.

Riot Platforms tumbled 7.72% to $22.11 on heavy volume of 18.8M shares, erasing recent gains despite Keefe Bruyette's bullish $37 price target and analyst consensus backing the AI data center transformation. The Bitcoin miner's strategic asset sales—including a 500 BTC transfer to fund infrastructure buildout—underscore conviction in the pivot, yet options markets remain cautious with a 0.76 call/put ratio. Watch the $23.50 July 10 call cluster as near-term resistance; break above $26 targets near-term relief.

Tesla plunged 7.49% today despite delivering 480,126 vehicles in Q2—an 18% beat to consensus—marking its worst day in 11 months as investors repriced on valuation concerns rather than fundamentals. The selloff mirrors Michael Burry's recent AI bubble warning and suggests profit-taking after an 8% rally this week. Put options show heavy volume in $320 and $160 strikes expiring next week, signaling hedges for further downside; July ITM puts at $570 and $625 carry zero open interest, indicating liquidation. Watch the $370 support level closely ahead of earnings season.

Applied Materials plunged 7.35% today as semiconductor stocks entered Q3 with their worst two-day selloff in nearly a month, triggered by Michael Burry's public warnings that AI-driven chip demand may be cooling. The options market is decisively bearish: a 0.30 call-to-put ratio and heavy put buying—notably 1,643 contracts on the $170 strike expiring July 2026—suggest traders are hedging downside or outright betting on weakness. Watch the $620 level (now ITM puts expiring July 31); a break below opens the door toward $605, where near-term call support is clustered.

Marathon Digital Holdings (MARA) fell 7.25% to $12.40 today, extending pressure on a stock attempting to rebrand as an AI infrastructure play alongside Starwood Capital. Despite Citizens JMP's $24 price target and Wall Street's buy rating, the market remains unconvinced—three Bitcoin miner-turned-data-center peers remain unprofitable. Options traders are betting otherwise: call-to-put ratio hit 30.30, with heavy accumulation in $13.50 calls (July 2026, 32.8x IV crush) and $24 strike calls signaling conviction in a turnaround. Watch the $13.50–$14.03 range for stabilization.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals jumped 6% to $528 after the FDA greenlit Casgevy for children as young as two with sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia, marking the first CRISPR approval in both inherited blood disorders. The win underscores the drug's blockbuster potential and validates Vertex's rare-disease playbook. Yet options traders are hedging aggressively: put volume is 290x normal on $385 and $410 July 2026 strikes, signaling investors are locking in downside protection ahead of earnings season or broader biotech volatility.