10 Hot Stocks to Watch — Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Moderna rocketed 14.36% to $158.83 on Tuesday, reclaiming ground near its 52-week high of $185.60 as institutional options flow turned decisively bullish. Heavy call buying pushed the C/P ratio to 3.30, with massive volume flooding into $180 and $200 strike calls expiring August 2026—suggesting large players are positioning for sustained upside. The biotech sector caught tailwinds from broader healthcare whale activity, though zero reported news catalyst points to technical or positioning-driven momentum. Watch the $180 level as near-term resistance and the $200 call open interest as a potential breakout signal.

Super Micro Computer jumped 9.35% to $38.46 on Tuesday, recouping losses amid Wall Street's broader AI recovery. The chip-maker is benefiting from Cisco's expanded rack-scale computing partnership with Nvidia and Supermicro, reinforcing demand for liquid-cooled AI infrastructure. Options markets are aggressively bullish, with a 5.94 call-to-put ratio and heavy volume across $40–$45 strike calls expiring August 2026, signaling conviction for a move toward the stock's 52-week high of $58.78.

Robinhood Markets jumped 8.17% to $112.09 on Tuesday, extending gains as Bitcoin pierced $80,000 and crypto infrastructure plays attract institutional interest. Heavy call buying—highlighted by a 3.40 call-to-put ratio—signals conviction above current levels, with 19,400 contracts flooding the $110 strike through August 2026. Options traders are positioning for a move toward $120, where open interest begins to thin, suggesting $115–$120 as the near-term resistance band to monitor.

Strategy Inc. rallied Tuesday following Canaccord Genuity's price-target raise to $175, citing improved liquidity and Bitcoin momentum as the crypto asset approaches $80,000. Options traders are positioning defensively: put volume at $120 and $115 strikes dwarfs call interest, suggesting hedging ahead of the Aug. 28 expiry despite near-term strength. The call skew toward $130 indicates bulls see room to $175, but heavy put positioning warns of profit-taking risk if Bitcoin retreats.

MARA Holdings climbed 5.6% to $9.71 Friday, riding Bitcoin's breakout above $77K on renewed optimism over U.S. digital-asset regulation championed by President Trump. The rally exposed hidden leverage across the miner cohort, with peers like CleanSpark diverging sharply despite identical macro tailwinds. Options flow shows heavy put positioning around $11–$12.50 through early September, signaling trader caution near technical resistance at the 50-day moving average—a critical test for sustained momentum.

AST SpaceMobile surged 5.52% today, riding tailwinds from expanding multi-year defense contracts and a $66 million Texas production incentive that accelerates BlueBird satellite manufacturing. The options market is decidedly bullish, with call volume dominating—a 2.33 call/put ratio and 4,204 contracts loaded into the $70 August 2026 strike suggest traders are positioning for continued upside. Watch the $70 level; a breach could trigger momentum toward the stock's $133.86 52-week high, though the sector faces headwinds from trade tensions.

Advanced Micro Devices climbed 4.91% to $479.18 on Tuesday, approaching key resistance as institutional options flow turns decisively bullish. Heavy call buying across 2026 expiries—particularly the $500 and $490 strikes—suggests traders are positioning for sustained momentum above current levels, with a 1.75 call-to-put ratio signaling conviction. While AI infrastructure competition intensifies with OpenAI's inference chip and Nvidia's liquid-cooling dominance, AMD's valuation relative to peers offers optionality; watch the $500 level for confirmation of breakout conviction by late August.

Coinbase surged 4.28% to $187.16 as Goldman Sachs upgraded its price target from $173 to $196, citing improved market fundamentals in crypto. The options market is pricing in sustained upside, with a 2.28 call-to-put ratio and heavy positioning in $190 and $200 calls expiring August 2026, suggesting traders expect a breakout above current levels. The $196 Goldman target sits just 4.8% above Tuesday's close, offering near-term resistance worth monitoring as Bitcoin and Ethereum remain underowned across institutional portfolios.

Target climbed 4.28% to $159 on Tuesday, approaching its 52-week high of $161.98 as the retail sector tracked broad market gains. Options flow remains conflicted with a 0.70 call-to-put ratio; heavy put volume in the $162.50 and $165 strikes expiring late August signals caution near current levels, while September $165 puts show substantial positioning for a potential pullback. The company has acknowledged unresolved operational challenges despite recent sales recovery, suggesting upside may face headwinds. Watch the $162.50 resistance through month-end.

Devon Energy surged 3.75% to $47.57, outperforming energy peers on the back of its diversified basin portfolio and operational efficiency. Options traders are aggressively betting on continued strength, with a 4.11 call-to-put ratio and heavy positioning in $49–$50 September 2026 calls—suggesting conviction above current levels. Watch the $49 strike as a key technical target; a breach could signal acceleration toward the 52-week high of $52.71.