As U.S. lenders begin to report earnings this week, investors' focus will likely shift from profits to bank bosses' remarks on the economy after President Donald Trump unveiled steep tariffs and triggered a market selloff.Bank executives are also likely to be quizzed during earnings calls about the market selloff that has wiped trillions of dollars off global stock indexes. Bank stocks were among the hardest hit, after rallying earlier this year on optimism that dealmaking would recover.There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to earnings trades. Option strategy choice depends on the expected move, the volatility crush, and your directional bias (if any).1. Bull Put SpreadBullish bias + high IV: Sell put spreads or naked puts just outside the expected move. These often perform well when a sto

$Microsoft(MSFT)$ has abandoned data center projects set to use 2 gigawatts of electricity in the U.S. and Europe in the last six months due to an oversupply relative to its current demand forecast, TD Cowen analysts said on Wednesday.The tech giant's withdrawal from new capacity leasing was largely led by the decision not to support additional training workloads from ChatGPT maker OpenAI, the analysts led by Michael Elias said in a note.Let’s dive into the potential sscenarios and related options strategies.1. Microsoft's Pullback Creates Opportunities for Alphabet and MetaTD Cowen's supply chain checks indicate that $Microsoft(MSFT)$'s pullback has led to $Alphabe

$Advanced Micro Devices(AMD)$ stock gained 7% to $113.85 on Monday. News that tariffs on chips coming into the U.S. could be off the table, at least in the short term, was helping to provide a boost to shares. While Trump's whirlwind tariff offensive since his January inauguration has been marked by threats, reversals and delays, sometimes within hours of imposition deadlines. Let’s dive into the potential sscenarios and related options strategies with AMD stock.1. Moderately BullishTariff Optimism Boosts AMD StockThe market reaction indicated that investors took that as a sign the economic impact of the tariffs, particularly on inflation and growth, might not be as bad as they initially feared. That's a bit of a relief, which likely gave businesse

$PDD Holdings(PDD)$ is drawing attention as the Chinese multinational online commerce group and retailer prepares to announce its fourth-quarter results before the U.S. market opens on Thursday, Mar 20. So far, PDD stock has gained 12% this year.Three Things to Watch Before Earnings ReportPDD at Risk of Margin ShortfallPDD's 4Q adjusted operating margin is expected to be 25.94%, a 6.19% decline compared with the same period of 2023. That's if, like Alibaba's international digital commerce unit (AIDC), Temu incurred more costs than expected to entice both merchants and shoppers in newer overseas markets to transact on its platform. This resulted in larger-than-expected October-December losses for AIDC, including a 36% shortfall in Cainiao's profit v

$NIO(NIO)$ stock is drawing attention as the EV maker prepares to announce its fourth-quarter results before the U.S. market opens on Friday, Mar 21. So far, NIO stock has gained 12% this year.Three Things to Watch Before Earnings ReportNIO’s Q4 Losses Likely WidenedAccording to Bloomberg’s unanimous expectations, NIO to post revenue of 20.13 billion yuan for 2024Q4; Adjusted EPS is estimated to be -2.60 yuan. Nio's 4Q operating loss could have widened vs. 3Q's 5.2 billion yuan. Vehicle deliveries were up 18% sequentially, yet average selling prices maybe 5-10% lower, as the cheaper Onvo brand accounted for 27% of unit sales. A less favorable product mix likely curbed gross margin gains despite narrower retail discounts and higher plant utilization

Nvidia stock has fallen about 13% this month, with its stock price closing at $108.76 as of Mar 11. On the one hand, investors may worry that the selling pressure would accelerate. On the other hand, they don’t want to miss the opportunity to buy the dip. Let’s dive into the potential sscenarios and related options strategies with Nvidia stock.1. Moderately BearishTariff Anxiety Has Fueled Volatility in Global MarketsInvestors worried about a potential recession down the road. That exacerbated various fears in the tech sector, including around tariff threats and whether the ever-rising spending budgets pledged toward artificial-intelligence projects are sustainable.Trump’s move to widen his trade offensive comes at a hazardous juncture seven weeks into his second term. His rapid effort to

$Sea Limited(SE)$ stock is drawing attention as the Singapore-based internet services company is scheduled to report fourth-quarter 2024 results before the US market opens on Tuesday, March 4. Shares have gained about 20% as of Mar 2 this year. Key Factors to Note Ahead of Q4 ResultsQ4 Revenue is Expected to Increase 29% YoYAccording to Bloomberg’s unanimous expectations, Sea Ltd to post to report a 29% increase in revenue to $4.66 billion from $3.62 billion a year ago; Adjusted EPS is estimated to be $0.72, swings to profit YoY.Sea Limited is expected to have benefited from a strong e-commerce performance despite a highly competitive environment, maintaining its mid-20% GMV growth guidance for the year. The holiday season, a key online shopping dem

Nuclear energy stocks rolled up and down this week. $Oklo(OKLO)$, $NANO Nuclear Energy(NNE)$, and $NRG Energy(NRG)$ all saw their shares jump around 10% on Wednesday. However, stocks tumbled in previous trading sessions on news that the demand for power from one big tech player may not be as high as expected.Since these stocks are volatile and speculative, they might be a smart place to park a modest investment to play options related to them.1. Bullish OutlookInvestors are excited about the nuclear energy outlook. Energy demand is on the rise, partly due to the rapid buildout of AI data centers. These technology campuses can use as much electricity as small cities

$Grab Holdings(GRAB)$ stock is drawing attention as the Southeast Asian ride-hailing and food delivery company prepares to announce its fourth-quarter results after the U.S. market closes on Wednesday, February 19. So far, Grab stock has gained 16% in February.Three Things to Watch Before Earnings Report:Q4 Revenue is Expected to Increase 16% YoYAccording to Bloomberg’s unanimous expectations, Grab to post revenue of $757.8 million for 2024Q4, up around 16% YoY; EPS is estimated to be USD-<0.01, swings to loss YoY.Grab's upgraded 2024 guidance calls for a 2-8% sequential increase in group adjusted Ebitda in 4Q, marking the sixth consecutive quarter of sustained growth, anchored by low-to mid-single-digit revenue gains. The mobility segment coul

$BigBear.ai(BBAI)$ stock has gained nearly 120% this year. This round of rally was not purely driven by speculation as the gain primarily stemmed from the company’s recent contract awards from the Department of Defense (DoD). On the other hand, optimism around Palantir’s strong 2025 outlook also lift the AI stock.Like Palantir, BigBear.ai is in the field of data analytics and AI. More specifically, the company provides different forms of predictive analytic technology. This can be used for Defense applications, but also within the Enterprise segment to optimize operations.BBAI is similar to Palantir but lacks profitability and a compelling product portfolio, making it a risky investment.Since BigBear.ai has had a strong rally this year, it’s reaso

$Super Micro Computer(SMCI)$ stock is back to insight as shares had climbed more than 35% as of Tuesday and rose 6% in overnight trading on Wednesday. The rally was primarily driven by two pieces of good news.Super Micro Computer Inc. gave an aggressive long-term revenue outlook late Tuesday. The company also expects to submit its delayed annual filing by the Feb. 25 deadline.Sales will be $40 billion in the fiscal year ending in June 2026, the company said Tuesday in a statement, which also provided preliminary fiscal second-quarter results. Analysts, on average, estimated $30.7 billion for fiscal 2026, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.Last week, the company said it had reached full production availability for products containing Nvidia Co

Alibaba stock surged 29% in two months, closing at $111.32 on Monday. It is now nearing its previous high of $117.52 on October 7 last year, from which it sharply pulled back.This round of rally was majorly driven by DeepSeek. The success of Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up DeepSeek is prompting investors to reassess the nation’s technology companies that trade at half of the valuation of the “Magnificent Seven” US tech giants.The consensus among analysts remains bullish for Alibaba, with many citing bullish technical signals and ongoing AI advancements enhancing its competitive stance in the market.But since the price approached the resistance level, indicating key challenges for further upward movement. Here are some options strategies you can consider based on different mar

$Netflix(NFLX)$ ended 2024 on a high note with two NFL football games, a halftime show by Beyonce, and the return of hit series "Squid Game." But Netflix stock was tackled for a loss to start 2025. Investors are hoping the streaming video leader can get back on track with its quarterly earnings report next week.The Los Gatos, Calif.-based company will report its fourth-quarter results late Tuesday.Earnings Estimates & Analysts OpinionsAnalysts polled by FactSet expect Netflix to earn $4.20 a share on sales of $10.12 billion in the quarter ended Dec. 31. In the year-earlier period, Netflix earned $2.11 a share on sales of $8.83 billion.Wall Street is looking for Netflix to add 8.2 million new subscribers worldwide in the fourth quarter, for a t