Group 1 - The stock of Bank of Hawaii Corporation (BOH) is experiencing significant attention due to high implied volatility in the options market, particularly for the Jan 16, 2026 $75.00 Put option [1] - Implied volatility indicates the market's expectation of future price movement, suggesting that investors anticipate a significant change in Bank of Hawaii's stock price, potentially due to an upcoming event [2] - Bank of Hawaii currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) in the Banks - West industry, which is in the top 9% of the Zacks Industry Rank, indicating a relatively stable outlook [3] Group 2 - Over the past 60 days, one analyst has raised earnings estimates for Bank of Hawaii for the current quarter, increasing the Zacks Consensus Estimate from $1.14 to $1.20 per share [3] - The high implied volatility may indicate a trading opportunity, as options traders often seek to sell premium on options with high implied volatility, hoping the stock does not move as much as expected by expiration [4]

Group 1: IonQ - IonQ is currently at its 50-day moving average, with a market cap of $22 billion and a high PE ratio, indicating potential overvaluation concerns in the quantum stock sector [1][3] - The stock is at critical support levels, and a diagonal call spread strategy is being employed, suggesting a bullish outlook if the support holds [2][3] - The trading range of $55 to $65 is highlighted as significant, with potential for a price pop if the critical support area is maintained [6][7] Group 2: DataDog - DataDog is approaching earnings with elevated implied volatility, and the stock is near major resistance levels [9][10] - A diagonal put spread strategy is being utilized, indicating a bearish outlook, with a risk of approximately $1 if the stock moves up [10][12] - The price action shows a symmetrical triangle pattern, with key levels around $140 to $145 and a potential breakout above $164 [12][14] Group 3: Seagate - Seagate has experienced significant momentum following strong earnings, but there are concerns about the sustainability of this rally [15][18] - A bearish iron condor strategy is being implemented, with a credit of approximately $3.50, indicating a short-term trade anticipating a pullback [18][19] - Key resistance levels are identified between $235 and $265, with old highs around $280.35 serving as potential targets for price movement [21][24]

Core Insights - This week is significant for earnings reports from major tech companies, including Palantir Technologies, Advanced Micro Devices, Uber Technologies, and others [1] Earnings Reports Overview - A total of ten companies are reporting earnings this week, indicating a busy period for the stock market [1] - The companies reporting include PLTR, AMD, HOOD, UBER, QCOM, APP, SHOP, ARM, ANET, and DDOG [1] Implied Volatility and Options Trading - Implied volatility tends to be high before earnings announcements due to market uncertainty, leading to increased demand for options [2] - After earnings announcements, implied volatility typically decreases to normal levels [3] - Traders can estimate the expected price range for stocks by analyzing the option chain, specifically the at-the-money put and call options [3] Expected Price Movements - Expected price movements for various stocks have been outlined, with notable percentages indicating potential volatility: - PLTR – 10.4% - AMD – 9.0% - UBER – 7.4% - SHOP – 11.2% - ANET – 10.8% - HOOD – 10.2% - QCOM – 6.8% - APP – 14.0% - ARM – 10.7% [4] Trading Strategies - Traders can utilize expected moves to structure their trades, with bearish traders potentially selling bear call spreads outside the expected range [5] - Bullish traders may consider selling bull put spreads or naked puts for higher risk tolerance [5] - Neutral traders can explore iron condors, ensuring short strikes remain outside the expected range [6] - It is advised to use risk-defined strategies and maintain small position sizes when trading options over earnings [6]

Core Viewpoint - Investors in Eldorado Gold Corporation (EGO) should closely monitor the stock due to significant movements in the options market, particularly the high implied volatility of the Jan 16, 2026 $5.00 Call option [1] Company Analysis - Eldorado Gold is currently rated as a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) within the Mining - Gold industry, which ranks in the top 9% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter has decreased from 52 cents per share to 49 cents per share [3] Options Market Insights - The high implied volatility suggests that options traders are anticipating a significant price movement for Eldorado Gold shares, potentially due to an upcoming event that could lead to a major rally or sell-off [2][4] - Options traders often seek to sell premium on options with high implied volatility, aiming to benefit from the decay of the option's value if the underlying stock does not move as much as expected by expiration [4]

Core Insights - Investors in PagerDuty, Inc. (PD) should monitor stock movements due to high implied volatility in the options market, particularly for the Jan 16, 2026 $05.00 Call option [1] Company Analysis - PagerDuty currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) in the Internet - Software Industry, which is in the top 30% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the last 60 days, no analysts have increased their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while one analyst has revised their estimate downwards, resulting in a decrease in the Zacks Consensus Estimate from 25 cents per share to 24 cents per share [3] Options Market Insights - The high implied volatility suggests that options traders are anticipating a significant price movement for PagerDuty shares, which could indicate an upcoming event that may lead to a substantial rally or sell-off [2][4] - Seasoned options traders often seek out options with high implied volatility to sell premium, aiming to benefit from the decay of the option's value if the underlying stock does not move as much as expected [4]

Core Viewpoint - Investors in HBT Financial, Inc. should closely monitor the stock due to significant movements in the options market, particularly the high implied volatility of the Nov 21, 2025 $17.50 Put option [1] Company Analysis - HBT Financial is currently rated as a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) within the Banks - Northeast industry, which ranks in the top 14% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 60 days, one analyst has raised the earnings estimates for the current quarter, resulting in an increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate from earnings of 62 cents per share to 64 cents [3] Options Market Insights - The high implied volatility surrounding HBT Financial suggests that options traders are anticipating a significant price movement, which could indicate an upcoming event that may lead to a substantial rally or sell-off [2][4] - Seasoned options traders often seek out options with high implied volatility to sell premium, aiming to benefit from the decay of the option's value as expiration approaches [4]

Core Viewpoint - Investors in Pegasystems Inc. (PEGA) should closely monitor the stock due to significant movements in the options market, particularly the high implied volatility of the Dec. 19, 2025 $22.50 Put option [1] Group 1: Implied Volatility - Implied volatility indicates the market's expectation of future stock movement, with high levels suggesting anticipation of a significant price change or an upcoming event that could trigger a rally or sell-off [2] - The current high implied volatility for Pegasystems options may signal a developing trading opportunity, as options traders often seek to sell premium on such options to capture decay [4] Group 2: Analyst Sentiment - Pegasystems holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) in the Computer – Software industry, which is in the top 37% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 60 days, there has been mixed analyst sentiment, with one analyst increasing earnings estimates for the current quarter while two have decreased theirs, resulting in a slight increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate from 73 cents to 74 cents per share [3]

Core Viewpoint - The discussion focuses on bullish options strategies for a stock priced over $750, with an emphasis on the upcoming earnings report and the implications of capital expenditure (capex) and AI monetization [2][12]. Group 1: Options Strategies - The first strategy involves buying a 750 strike call in the November 7th weekly options, taking advantage of higher implied volatility [3]. - A short put vertical strategy is also presented, which involves selling a 720 put and buying a 700 put, aiming for a neutral to bullish position with a potential profit of approximately $500 per spread and a risk of $1,500 [4][5]. - The break-even point for the short put vertical is set at $715, which is about 5% below the current share price, with a 68% probability that the short 720 strike will be out of the money at expiration [6][7]. Group 2: Bullish Call Diagonal - A more aggressive strategy is introduced with a bullish call diagonal, involving buying a 750 strike call and selling an 800 strike call, with a risk of approximately $2,200 per spread [8][10]. - Profitability for the bullish call diagonal begins above $760, with the maximum profit occurring near the 800 strike [9][10]. - The strategy benefits from a disparity in implied volatility, as the 750 call has a 58% implied volatility while the 800 call has nearly 100%, which lowers the entry point for this aggressive position [10][11].

Core Viewpoint - Investors should closely monitor Choice Hotels International, Inc. (CHH) stock due to significant implied volatility in the options market, particularly for the Dec. 19, 2025 $140 Call option [1] Group 1: Implied Volatility - Implied volatility indicates the market's expectation of future stock movement, with high levels suggesting anticipation of a significant price change or an upcoming event that could trigger a rally or sell-off [2] - The current high implied volatility for Choice Hotels International options may signal a developing trading opportunity, as options traders often seek to sell premium on such options to capture decay [4] Group 2: Analyst Sentiment - Choice Hotels International holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) within the Hotels and Motels industry, which is positioned in the bottom 25% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 60 days, there has been a mixed revision in earnings estimates, with one analyst increasing the estimate for the current quarter while three have decreased theirs, resulting in a slight decline in the Zacks Consensus Estimate from $2.21 to $2.19 per share [3]

Core Viewpoint - Apple stock is experiencing heightened implied volatility ahead of its earnings report, with a potential price movement of 3.9% in either direction, indicating significant market interest and uncertainty [1]. Summary by Sections Earnings and Market Activity - Apple is set to report earnings on Thursday, with the options market reflecting a 3.9% expected move [1]. - The implied volatility for Apple's options is around 47%, significantly higher than its usual 25% [1]. Cash-Secured Put Strategy - A cash-secured put involves selling a put option while setting aside cash to buy the stock, aiming for the option to expire worthless or to acquire the stock at a lower price [2]. - Selling the Oct. 31 put option with a strike price of 260 could generate approximately $190 in premium per contract, with a 76% chance of expiring worthless [3][4]. Trade Mechanics and Returns - If the stock remains above 260 at expiry, the put option will expire worthless, yielding a 0.7% return on capital at risk, equating to an annualized return of 67% [5]. - The break-even price for this trade is calculated at 258.10, which is 3.9% below the current price of around 268.50 [4]. Investment Outlook - Cash-secured puts are viewed as an effective method to generate returns on stocks that investors are willing to own, allowing for potential acquisition at a discount if the stock price falls [6]. - Apple stock holds a Composite Rating of 91 out of 99, with an Earnings Per Share Rating of 84 and a Relative Strength Rating of 80, ranking second in its group according to Investor's Business Daily [7].