Traders are fearful of what tomorrow's nonfarm payrolls may bring
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) are swimming in red ink this afternoon, last seen down triple digits as the S&P 500 Index (SPX) plummets as well. The biggest private sector jobs increase since July 2022 is denting sentiment, with traders now fearful of what tomorrow's nonfarm payrolls may bring. These readings could encourage the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates once again, after last month's pause.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
Applied Digital Corp (NASDAQ:APLD) is seeing unusual options activity today. So far, 12,000 puts and 7,104 calls have exchanged hands, or eight times the intraday average. Most popular is the July 10 call, followed by the 5 put in that series. The stock is 15.6% to trade at $7.58 at last glance, after Wolfpack Research noted it took a short position. The 50-day moving average looks poised to contain today's bear gap, and year-to-date APLD still sports a 301.9% lead.
Lifezone Metals (NYSE:LZM) stock is up 18.1% to trade at $14.76 at last check, after the company completed a merger with GoGreen Investments Corporation. The security earlier surged to an all-time high of $18, and is pacing for its highest daily percentage gain on record. LZM is up 53.9% in 2023.
Joby Aviation Inc (NYSE: JOBY) is one of the worst stocks on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), last seen down 10.6% at $9.56. Today's negative price action came despite the company submitting certification plans to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), making progress on certifying its electric air taxi for commercial use. JOBY still sports a 187.3% lead for this year.