Steel stock Nucor Corp (NYSE:NUE) is on the rise today, last seen up 4.9% to trade at $128.15. The company announced a strong second-quarter profit forecast, expecting earnings between $2.55 and $2.65 per share. Though the numbers represent a small decline from the $2.68 reported in the same quarter a year ago, they were still above analyst estimates of $2.36 per share. 

Today's pop has Nucor stock trading at its highest levels since March. The shares are now grappling with resistance at their 160-day trendline, which kept a tight lid on a mid-February rally and has been cleared on a closing basis only once in the last 12 months. Since the start of 2025, NUE is up roughly 8%. 

Nucor's typically quiet options pits are seeing a surge in call volume today. The 5,095 calls exchanged so far represents quadruple the volume typically seen at this point. The June 140 call is the most popular, followed by the July 130 call.

Premiums are reasonably priced at the moment, too. NUE's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 38% that sits higher than 26% of annual readings, suggesting these traders are currently pricing low volatility expectations.

Sunrun Inc (NASDAQ:RUN) stock is down 1.9% before the bell, extending Tuesday’s historic rout in the solar sector. RUN's slide follows an RBC Capital Markets downgrade to “sector perform” from “outperform,” alongside a drastic price-target cut to $5 from $12, as analysts note mounting pressure across the alternative energy space.

RUN plunged 40% yesterday — its worst single-session drop on record. The shares hit their lowest level since 2018 last session before paring losses, and are eyeing those levels once again. The stock carries a 37.5% year-to-date deficit and is down 54.5% in the last 12 months.

More bearish revisions could be on the way. Of the 23 analysts covering RUN, 10 still maintain a “buy” or better rating, and the stock’s average 12-month price target of $11.13 represents a 96.6% premium to last night’s close — both indicators of overly bullish sentiment that may still be unwinding.

Earnings season is mostly over, but next week one report will capture investor attention. Chipmaker Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU) reports fiscal second-quarter earnings after the market closes on Wednesday, June 25. Ahead of the event, options traders are betting bullishly. 

Micron has a history of making volatile post-earnings moves. Looking back at its past eight reports shows MU ending five of these next-day sessions lower, including a bear gap of 8% in March and 16.2% in December. The security has averaged a post-earnings swing of 9.7%, regardless of direction. This time around, the options market is pricing in a slightly bigger move of 12.3%. 

Micron stock is 42% higher in 2025 and is eyeing its highest close in nearly a year. Since a V-bottom off April 7 lows around $60, the shares' 20-day moving average has contained any significant pullbacks.

Short-term puts are growing in popularity. This is per MU's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.84 sits in the 92nd percentile of readings from the past month.

Five Below Inc (NASDAQ:FIVE) stock is down 1.2% to trade at $124.92, on the heels of disappointing retail sales data for May. The discount retail stock still sports a 22.9% nine-month lead, however, and is fresh off its June 5, 52-week high of $137.30, with a floor at $120 containing the subsequent pullback. What's more, a historically bullish signal currently flashing indicates tailwinds aren't done blowing for FIVE just yet.

More specifically, Five Below stock's recent peak comes amid low implied volatility (IV), per its Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 46%, which stands in the 14th percentile of its annual range. This has occurred six other times over the past five years, after which the stock was higher one month later 67% of the time, with a 5% pop. From its current perch, a similar move would place FIVE back above $131.

Short sellers are already hitting the exits, but a continued unwinding of short interest could provide an additional boost. Digging deeper, short interest is down 31.3% in the most recent reporting period, but still accounts for a considerable 6.2% of the security's available float.

Options are an intriguing route for those looking to weigh in on FIVE's next moves. This is per the equity’s Schaeffer’s Volatility Scorecard (SVS), which ranks high at 95 out of 100, meaning it has tended to exceed volatility expectations in the past year -- a boon for options buyers.

The alternative energy sector is plummeting today, after the U.S. Senate's version of President Donald Trump’s spending bill kept cuts to solar and wind tax credits. The renewable energy incentives, introduced by former president Joe Biden, would be fully phased out by 2028. 

At last glance, First Solar Inc (NASDAQ:FSLR) was down 19.5% at $141, on track for its worst single-session percentage loss since December 2011. Prior to today's gap lower, the shares had strung together consecutive weekly wins of over 5%, but the rally fell short of their 200-day moving average. Year-over-year, FSLR is down 45.6%. 

Enphase Energy Inc (NASDAQ:ENPH) was last seen down 23.9% at $34.97, trading at five-year lows and headed for its worst day since April 2023. Year-over-year, ENPH is off 70.8%, carving a channel of lower lows since an Aug. 26 annual peak of $130.08.

Options traders are targeting both stocks amid today's rout. So far, FSLR has seen 48,000 calls and 30,000 puts exchanged, which is six times the overall options volume typically seen at this point in a session. The July 185 call is the most popular, followed by the 150 call in the same series, with new positions being bought to open at the latter. 

ENPH has seen 39,000 calls and 44,000 puts cross the tape, eight times the intraday average options volume. The June 32 put is the most active contract, with new positions being bought to open there. 

Homebuilding stock Lennar Corp (NYSE:LEN) was up 1.8% to trade at $111.46 at last check, brushing off a fiscal second-quarter earnings miss after beating revenue expectations. While homebuyer incentives lifted sales, new orders and average selling price also slipped below estimates.

The shares at on track for their best day since April, but are still struggling with overhead pressure at the $115 level despite pacing for their third gain in the last four sessions. LEN carries a 13.4% year-to-date deficit, shed 24.6% in the last 12 months, and isn't too far off its April 9, 52-week low of $98.42.

Options volume is running at 9 times the intraday average amount, with 6,188 calls and 8,051 puts exchanged so far. Most popular is the June 95 put, followed by the 100 put in that series.

Short-term options traders lean overwhelmingly bearish. This is per LEN's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 1.02, which ranks in the 87th percentile of annual readings.

As we observe Juneteenth—America’s true Independence Day for all—we’re reminded that freedom delayed is freedom denied. June 19th marks the day in 1865 when news of emancipation finally reached the enslaved people of Texas, more than two full years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a day of celebration, but also of reckoning—with history, inequality, and the unfinished work of justice.

Today, Juneteenth is a stock market holiday, yet the corporate world it momentarily pauses remains far from equal. black Americans—who helped build the foundations of American capitalism—remain deeply underrepresented in corporate leadership, especially at the highest levels of publicly traded companies that us traders analyze every single day. In honor of Juneteenth, we’ve compiled a list of current black C‑level executives at NASDAQ- and NYSE-listed companies, to both spotlight progress and underscore how far we still must go.

This is not just a tally—it is a reflection of who gets to lead in America, whose voices shape our economy, and what true equity will require.

Despite some gains—like the doubling of Black-led Fortune 500 CEOs from four to eight since 2020—progress is painfully slow and inconsistent. As of 2025, just about 4% of C‑suite roles at Top‑100 public companies are held by black executives—down from nearly 6% in 2020. Black men hold 2.5% and black women just 1.6% of those roles currently. Across all senior management at Fortune 500 firms, black leaders occupy only 5% of the positions, significantly below their 13% share of the U.S. workforce. Finally, only 1% of Fortune 500 CIOs are black and overall black C‑suite executive representation sits around 8%—well short of parity.

🏢 Black C‑Suite Leadership Across U.S. Public Companies

🔹 Chief Executive Officers (CEO)

• Thasunda Brown Duckett – President & CEO, TIAA (NYSE: TIAA)

• Marvin R. Ellison – President & CEO, Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW)

• Frank Clyburn – CEO, International Flavors & Fragrances (NYSE: IFF)

• David Rawlinson II – President & CEO, Qurate Retail Group (NASDAQ: QRTEA)

• René F. Jones – Chairman & CEO, M&T Bank (NYSE: MTB)

• Toni Townes‑Whitley – CEO, SAIC (NYSE: SAIC)

• Calvin Butler Jr. – CEO, Exelon (NASDAQ: EXC)

💼 Chief Financial Officers (CFO)

• Mark Mason – CFO, Citigroup (NYSE: C)

• Patrick Villanova – CFO, BlackLine (NASDAQ: BL)

🧑‍💻 Chief Technology or Data Officers (CTO or CDO)

• Jeff C. Jensen – CTO, BlackRock (NYSE: BLK)

• Aaron LaBerge – CTO, Penn Entertainment (NASDAQ: PENN)

• Arun Raghupathy, Ph.D. – Co‑Founder & CTO, NextNav (NASDAQ: NN)

• Ime Archibong – VP Product & Head of Messenger, Meta (NASDAQ: META)

• Anita Lynch – Chief Data Officer, Nasdaq‑traded firm

• Patrick Terry – Chief Data Officer, PRA Group (NASDAQ: PRAA)

• Nate Murray – Chief Data Officer, Fifth Third Bank (NASDAQ‑listed)

✉️ Chief Marketing Officers (CMO)

• Dara Treseder – CMO, Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK)

• Frank Cooper III – CMO, Visa (NYSE: V)

• Kenny Mitchell – CMO, Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE: LEVI)

• Sadé Muhammad – CMO, TIME (via public operating partnership)

⚖️ Chief Legal Officers (CLO)

• Carlos Brown – EVP & CLO, Dominion Energy (NYSE: D)

• April Miller Boise – EVP, CLO & Secretary, Intel (NASDAQ: INTC)

• Jamal Haughton – EVP, General Counsel, Charter (NASDAQ: CHTR)

• Christopher J. Meade – GC & CLO, BlackRock (NYSE: BLK)

• Angelique Strong Marks – CLO & Secretary, Cars.com (NASDAQ: CARS)

• Diego A. Rotsztain – Chief Governance & Legal Officer, StoneX (NASDAQ: SNEX)

👥 Chief Human Resources Officers (CHRO)

• Lucien Alziari – EVP & CHRO, Prudential (NYSE: PRU)

• Rhonda Morris – VP & CHRO, Chevron (NYSE: CVX)

• Malaika Myers – CHRO, Hyatt Hotels (NYSE: H)

• Ola Snow – CHRO, Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH)

• Ty Breland – EVP & CHRO, Marriott (NASDAQ: MAR)

• Jacqueline M. Welch – EVP & CHRO, New York Times (NYSE: NYT)

• Frank Lopez – EVP & CHRO, Ryder (NYSE: R)

• Ann A. Adams – CHRO, Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC)

⚙️ Chief Operating Officers (COO)

• Stuart Williams – COO, Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE)

• Jonathan Ginsberg – COO, Black Hawk Acquisition (NASDAQ: BKHAU)

• Yvonne Greenstreet – Former COO & now CEO, Alnylam (NASDAQ: ALNY)

🛡️ Chief Risk Officers (CRO)

• Mark Maurer – CRO, StoneX Group (NASDAQ: SNEX)

• Richard Blackburn – Group CRO & Compliance, HSBC (NYSE: HSBC)

As we commemorate Juneteenth—a day that represents long-overdue freedom for some and a call to conscience for all—we must confront the reality that true corporate emancipation has yet to arrive. Despite inspiring leaders now holding C-suite positions, black professionals continue to face systemic barriers to top leadership at publicly traded companies.

We’ve seen progress, but it’s uneven. Representation is rising, but only slowly. Eight black CEOs in the Fortune 500 is better than four—but far from enough. Equity cannot be a side initiative; it must be a strategic imperative. Symbolic gestures must give way to sustained, measurable action: leadership pipelines, accountability structures, and inclusive capital access.

As investors, stakeholders, and citizens, we have a role to play. Every vote cast for a board member, every ESG screen applied, every shareholder resolution supported is a chance to push the market closer to reflecting the diverse society it serves. On this Juneteenth, let’s reaffirm our commitment to an economy—and a corporate leadership structure—that reflects independence for all, not just for some.