U.S.-listed shares of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA) are 6.6% higher at $110.47 at last check. The rally comes after the Trump administration delayed the suspension of the de minimis provision, which gives packages valued at less than $800 the ability to enter the U.S. duty-free, mostly benefiting low-cost Chinese shopping platforms.

Looking ahead, Alibaba is set to report earnings before the market opens on Thursday, Feb. 20. The stock hasn’t had the best post-earnings track record, closing lower after six of its last eight reports. Over the past two years, BABA has averaged a 4.2% next-day move, but options traders are now bracing for a larger 8.7% swing, regardless of direction.

Options activity has been buzzing, with Alibaba stock recently landing on Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White's list of equities with the highest options volume in the past two weeks. In the last 10 sessions alone, 4.2 million calls and 1.09 million puts have changed hands. During this time frame, the most popular contracts have been the weekly 1/31 100-strike call and the February 110 call.

Alibaba stock has been on fire to start the year, already up 29.4% year-to-date. Support at its 10-day moving average has helped fuel a 36% surge in just the last month. And zooming out, BABA boasts a 53.6% gain over the past year.

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), a common name on Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White's list of stocks that attracted the highest options volume in the previous 10 days, is 5.4% higher at $261.68 this afternoon. Up 32.8% in July, TSLA is once again drawing the attention of premium traders.

Coming in just behind Nvidia (NVDA) on White's list, Tesla stock saw 21,474,656 calls and 14,341,304 puts traded over the last two weeks. Over that timeframe, the weekly 7/12 250-strike call saw the most activity.  

Following a more than 52-week low in April, Tesla stock began to run up the charts towards the end of June thanks to a confluence of positive catalysts. Though it snapped a four-week win streak on Friday, the equity is on track to turn in its 13th win in 14 sessions. Thanks to this bullish run, TSLA now sports a 4% year-to-date gain.

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) stock is 15% higher at $193.45 this afternoon. The shares of the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer are getting a boost after China reportedly cleared the way for the company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) to roll out in the country. 

The Wall Street Journal first reported the news, in which people familiar with the matter said Musk's 24-hour visit to Beijing resulted in a tentative approval of the deployment of Tesla's FSD technology. In a separate report, Bloomberg revealed Tesla will use China-based Baidu's (BIDU) mapping and navigation technology to power the FSD feature.

Amid this news, call traders are piling on TSLA. So far today, 2.44 million bullish bets have crossed the tape, which is double the intraday average volume. New positions are being bought to open at the 20 most popular contracts, led by the weekly 5/3 200-strike call.

Tesla stock makes regular appearances on Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White's list of stocks that have attracted the highest options volume during the last 10 days. Topping the list this time around, bearish bets were a popular choice over the last two weeks, with 11,884,235 calls and 14,101,839 puts traded. The weekly 4/26 170-strike call saw the most activity. 

On track for its best day since March 2021, TSLA is looking to rewrite a dismal start to the year. Despite today's bounce, the security is still down 22.3% in 2024, though it's quickly closing this gap and is looking to close above its  80-day moving average.

Tesla stock looks ripe for a round of upgrades, too. Of the 30 analysts in coverage, just eight say "buy" or better. Plus, the security's Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS)  elevated tally of 83 out of 100 implies it tends to outperform volatility expectations. 

The Nasdaq-100 (NDX) is heading toward its best week since early November. Helping the tech-specific index stick the landing today is a cool 10.5% pop from Alphabet Inc Class A (NASDAQ:GOOGL). The tech conglomerate was last seen trading at $172.17, and earlier hit a record high of $174.17, after parent company of Google reported a first-quarter earnings and revenue beat, announced a $70 billion stock buyback plan, and unveiled its first dividend. 

GOOGL has staged quite the bounce off its 200-day moving average since early March. Now up 60% year-over-year and 23% in 2024, Alphabet's market cap joins the vaunted $2 trillion market cap club, occupied only by Apple (AAPL), Nvidia (NVDA), and Microsoft (MSFT). 

At last check, over 778,000 options have changed hands, with the 557,000 calls easily outflanking the 220,000 puts traded. Total options volume is running at four times the average intraday amount, with the weekly 5/3 175-strike call seeing notable activity. The standard 175 strike from the May series is also one to monitor. 

This Earth Day, it looks like a good time to highlight solar stock Sunrun Inc (NASDAQ:RUN), which has attracted plenty of attention from traders lately. The stock is 2.6% lower to trade at $9.98 at last glance, following a price-target cut from Piper Sandler to $15 from $27. 

Though the stock moved lower in April, down roughly 22% since the start of the month, options bulls have been more active than usual. RUN landed on Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White's list of S&P 400 stocks that have attracted the highest options volume during the last 10 days, with 221,064 calls and 98,178 puts exchanged during this time. The most activity by far during this period was at the May 15 call.

It's also worth noting that short interest represents a hefty 21.9% of the stock's available float. It would take shorts over three days to cover their bets, at RUN's average pace of trading. 

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is in the spotlight today, after news that the electric vehicle (EV) giant is cutting over 10% of its global workforce due to slowing demand. The memo to employees was first leaked by online publication Electrek, with chief executive Elon Musk saying "There is nothing I hate more, but it must be done. This will enable us to be lean, innovative and hungry for the next growth phase cycle."

Two top executives left amid the layoffs -- Senior V.P. Drew Baglino and V.P. of public policy and business development Rohan Patel. And according to Bloomberg, the job reductions could reach as much as 20% in some divisions. 

Tesla stock is sliding after the news, down 4.8% at $162.81 at last glance. Also weighing on the shares is a price-target cut from Evercore ISI to $155 from $175. In other updates, Tesla is cutting its "Full Self Driving" subscription in half to $99 a month and renaming it “Supervised Full Self Driving," while Musk tweeted that they will soon reveal the custom robotaxi vehicle that's been in the works for years.  

Though TSLA is dropping to its lowest levels in nearly a year, support at the $160 level is holding strong. Since the start of 2024, the equity is down 34.3%. 

Tesla stock is a regular on Rocky White's list of stocks that have attracted the highest options volume during the last 10 days, topping the list this time around. Over the past two weeks, options bears have pulled ahead with 10,807,657 calls and 11,381,376 puts exchanged during this time. The weekly 4/12 170-strike put saw the most activity. 

Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) has been in the news plenty, replacing Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) on the Dow in late February, and announcing a partnership with Eli Lilly (LLY) in March. The stock has continued to extend its streak of two-year highs for the past couple months, with recent support at the 30-day moving average. Today, AMZN hit a two-year peak of $83.00. 

The shares could continue their run, too, as according to Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White, the equity is one of the strongest performing stocks in April. AMZN finished the month higher in eight of the past 10 years, averaging a 5.3% return.  

This would be good news for options bulls, as call traders have been eyeing the stock recently. Amazon.com stock is a regular on Rocky White's list of stocks that have attracted the highest options volume during the last 10 days, and the past two weeks are no different. During this time, AMZN has seen 2,673,938 calls and 1,339,119 puts exchanged. The weekly 3/28 180-strike call saw the most activity by far. 

This penchant for bullish bets is nothing new. According to data at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), the security's 50-day call/put volume ratio of 2.58 stands higher than 88% of readings from the past year.

Software stock Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) is in the midst of a dip on the charts, following its Nov. 21 two-year high of $21.85. Still, the stock is above its Nov. 2 post-earnings close of $17.97, after a 20.4% boost following its quarterly win, and up 198.7% since the start of the year. Plus, PLTR's 20-day moving average appears to be keeping losses in check, with the stock hitting $18.62 at its lowest point today. 

PLTR has stayed popular in the options pits amid its recent peak, landing on Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White's list of stocks that have attracted the highest weekly options volume in the last 10 days. Sentiment amongst traders has been bullish, with Palantir Technologies stock seeing 2,939,472 calls and 1,286,588 puts exchanged during this time. The most popular contract over this period was the November 20.50 call, followed by the weekly 11/10 19.50-strike call. 

These options traders are in luck at the moment, too. PLTR is seeing attractively priced premium at the moment, per its Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 52%, which ranks in the low 9th percentile of its annual range. 

It's also worth noting that though short interest has been slowly unwinding, down 7.1% over the last month, it still represents 8.1% of the stock's available float. It would take shorts nearly three days to cover, at the security's average pace of trading. 

The shares of Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) hit a fresh record high of $377.10 earlier today, now up 1.5% at $375.25 at last check. The stock has charged higher on the charts of late, fresh off its fourth-straight weekly win and above all moving averages between the 20- and 320-day trendlines, with the former providing support through October. 

Microsoft stock is a staple amongst options traders, and the past two weeks have been no different amid its most recent run. According to Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White's list of stocks that have attracted the highest weekly options volume in the last 10 days, MSFT has seen 2,682,497 calls and 1,738,973 puts exchanged during this time. The most popular contract over this period was the November 375 call, followed by the 372.50 call in the same monthly series. 

These options traders are in luck at the moment, too. MSFT is seeing attractively priced premium at the moment, per its Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 20%, which ranks in the low 10th percentile of its annual range. 

On the charts, Sunrun Inc (NASDAQ:RUN) stock fell shortly after its Nov. 2 post-earnings surge of 10.1%, after the stock's 40-day moving average rejected it below the $12 mark. Currently down 1.4% to trade at $9.30 at last glance, RUN is on track for its fourth-straight daily loss, and nearing its late-October three-year lows. Since the start of the year, the equity is underperforming with a 61.4% deficit. 

The solar name has remained popular amongst options traders, who are leaning slightly bullish despite the stock's slump. RUN even made it to Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White's list of S&P 400 (SP400) stocks that attracted the highest weekly options volume in the last 10 days. During this time, Sunrun stock saw 117,345 calls and 90,111 puts exchanged, with the weekly 11/3 11-strike call seeing the most activity. 

Sunrun stock has landed on the short sale restricted (SSR) list today. It's also worth noting that short interest represents a whopping 28.2% of the stock's available float. It would take shorts over five days to cover their bets, at RUN's average pace of trading. 

Roughly a week before its earnings report, United States Steel Corporation (NYSE:X) has seen an unusual uptick in options activity.

Specifically, X just showed up on Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White's list of S&P 400 (SP400) members with the highest option volume over the past two weeks. During this time period, 227,870 calls and 159,019 puts were exchanged. The most popular position was the February 30 call, followed by the June 18 put. 

The company is slated to report fourth-quarter results after the close on Thursday, Feb. 2, and analysts anticipate earnings of 62 cents per share on revenue of $3.94 billion. U.S. Steel stock has a generally upbeat history of post-earnings reactions, finishing five of eight next-day sessions higher, including a 9% pop in July. This time around, markets are pricing in an 8.3% move for the shares, regardless of direction -- higher than the 6% swing averaged over the last two years.

At last check, the steel producer's shares were fractionally higher, and once again breaking above the $28 level. A small early November bull gap saw the stock bounce above its 140-day moving average, which pressured the shares since the beginning of May. In the last 12 months, X has managed to add nearly 47%.

A continued unwinding of pessimism in the options pits could provide United States Steel stock with some much-needed tailwinds. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), the equity sports a 50-day put/call volume ratio of that stands higher than 78% of readings from the past year. This indicates that, while calls are outpacing puts on an overall basis, the latter were picked up at a faster-than-usual clip over the last 10 weeks.

Echoing this, short-term options traders have been much more put-biased. This is per X's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio of 1.49 that stands higher than 75% of annual readings. 

Those looking to speculate with options are in luck. The stock's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 52% stands in the 26th percentile of readings from the past year, indicating options traders are pricing in low volatility expectations. What's more, its  Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) tally sits at 98 out of 100, which points towards the equity's tendency to outperform volatility expectations. 

Elsewhere, short sellers are building their positions on X, adding 17% in the past two reporting periods. The 17.44 million shares sold short make up 7.5% of United States Steel stock's available float, or more than two days of pent-up buying power. It's also worth pointing out that all six covering analysts rate the shares a "hold" or worse, and a shift in sentiment could cause more tailwinds.