Tesla Motors Inc's (NASDAQ:TSLA) popular Model S sedan is headed to toy stores around the country, thanks to a deal with Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT). Specifically, miniature versions of the electric car will be produced by MAT brands Hot Wheels and Matchbox, as confirmed yesterday on Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR).

Our 1:64 Tesla Model S is joined by the real thing! #OrangeIsTheNewTrack @TeslaMotors #HotWheelsTesla pic.twitter.com/QKxlJ5AnVP

— Hot Wheels (@Hot_Wheels) June 18, 2015

The collaboration marks a milestone for TSLA, which has gone from automotive afterthought to iconic name in just a few short years. What's made the company even harder to ignore is its stock's tremendous run on the charts. Since bottoming at $181.40 in late March, the shares have surged 44% to trade at $261.18, and are approaching levels not seen since last October.

More upside could be in store, as well, given Tesla Motors Inc's (NASDAQ:TSLA) high levels of short interest. Over one-quarter of the stock's float is sold short, representing nearly eight days' worth of pent-up buying demand, at typical daily volumes. Should these bears start hitting the exits, it could supercharge TSLA's drive higher.

Shares of MAT haven't been nearly so successful. The toymaker's stock is down more than 13% year-to-date at $26.80, and it's currently struggling to muscle above its 160-day moving average.

Nevertheless, traders at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) have been bullish toward Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT). The equity's 10-day call/put volume ratio of 3.27 outranks 84% of comparable readings from the past year. A capitulation among these bullish bettors could result in headwinds.

We're coming off the hottest May on record (or, second-hottest depending on the source), and all signs suggest 2015 is easily on pace to beat out 2014 for the warmest year since the data began being compiled. As societies scramble to adjust to global warming, alternative energy stocks could come into play -- especially with a number of initial public offerings on the horizon. One such stock that has the potential to run higher in the near term is Sunedison Inc (NYSE:SUNE).

Already, SUNE has been a technical standout, boasting a 61% year-to-date lead. Yesterday, in fact, the stock topped out at a six-year high of $31.80, on reports its yieldco -- Terraform Global (GLBL) -- raised its IPO to up to $800 million. (Last night, GLBL said it priced its IPO at $38 per share.) Today, the security is pulling back from this notable milestone, down 0.4% at $31.40, but considering peak call open interest in the June series is located at the 31.50 strike, the security could be contained beneath this level through tonight's close, when the front-month contracts expire.

While there is a significant amount of open interest at the June 31.50 call (25,333 contracts to be exact), option traders have shown a growing interest in long puts in recent weeks -- although some of them may be protective in nature. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), for example, SUNE's 10-day put/call volume ratio has jumped to 1.10 from 0.24 over the past two weeks. What's more, the current ratio ranks in the 82nd annual percentile, meaning puts have been bought to open over calls at a faster-than-usual clip. An unwinding of these bearish bets could help SUNE resume its longer-term uptrend.

This skepticism has spilled outside of the options pits, as well. Although short interest plunged 20.7% during the most recent two-week reporting period, it still accounts for more than 29% of SUNE's available float. In fact, it would take more than six sessions to cover the remaining shorted shares, at average daily trading levels, leaving the door wide open for a short-covering rally.

Sunedison Inc (NYSE:SUNE) could also benefit from an additional round of price-target hikes. On Tuesday evening, Needham -- which weighed in on First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) this morning -- upped its target price to $36 from $34, territory not charted since September 2008. For the sake of comparison, the average 12-month price target on SUNE is $34.85, a lukewarm 11% premium to current trading levels.

Cyberark Software Ltd (NASDAQ:CYBR), FireEye Inc (NASDAQ:FEYE), and Palo Alto Networks Inc (NYSE:PANW) each touched new highs today, lifted by broader market tailwinds. This isn't anything new -- cybersecurity stocks have been on fire lately. However, there are reasons to believe more upside could be in store.

• Despite CYBR's 86.4% year-to-date advance to trade at $73.89 -- and new record high of $76.35 -- 63% of covering analysts rate the stock a "hold" or worse. What's more, the equity's consensus 12-month price target of $60.80 stands at a nearly 18% discount to current levels. This could pave the way for a round of bullish analyst notes, which could boost Cyberark Software Ltd to even higher highs.


• Similarly, FEYE shot to an annual peak of $55.33 earlier, and was last seen 1% higher at $54.62 -- bringing its year-to-date lead to 73%. What's more, the shares have been riding atop support from their 10-day moving average for the past month. Nevertheless, almost half of the analysts tracking FireEye Inc rate it a "hold" or worse, and its average 12-month price target of $50.07 rests below the stock's current perch. In other words, these shares could benefit from upgrades and/or price-target hikes, as well.


• Finally, PANW is fresh off an all-time high of $183.96, up 1.2% at $182.71 -- thanks to a $20 price-target hike to $200 at RBC. In fact, the stock has more than doubled in value on a year-over-year basis. Nevertheless, traders at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) have bought to open puts over calls at a faster-than-usual clip recently, per the security's 50-day put/call volume ratio of 1.03 -- in the 65th annual percentile. A capitulation among skeptics could result in tailwinds for Palo Alto Networks Inc.

Analysts are weighing in on biopharmaceutical firms Radius Health Inc (NASDAQ:RDUS) and Juno Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:JUNO), as well as chronic pain specialist Nevro Corp (NYSE:NVRO). Here's a quick roundup of today's brokerage notes on RDUS, JUNO, and NVRO.

• RDUS, along with sector peer BMRN, is surging today in the wake of upbeat drug news -- moves CNBC's Jim Cramer says both stocks "deserve." Specifically, RDUS hit a record high of $63.52 earlier -- and was last seen up 17.2% at $60.63 -- after the company said late-stage study results of its osteoporosis drug were promising. Additionally, Cantor Fitzgerald boosted its price target on the shares to $71 from $58, saying the treatment has "meaningful" opportunity. Year-to-date, Radius Health Inc is now boasting a 56% lead, and short sellers could soon be ready to jump ship. A healthy 6% of the stock's float is sold short, which would take more than four sessions to cover, at average daily trading levels.


• Maxim Group initiated coverage on JUNO with a "buy" rating and a $78 price target -- representing expected upside of 49.3% to the stock's current perch at $52.25, and a move into uncharted territory. The brokerage firm cited its belief that "Juno is best equipped for success against solid tumors," and could see approval for its experimental cancer treatments by 2017. The security initially jumped more than 5%, but was more recently seen up 1.5% at $52.12 -- docked just beneath its year-to-date breakeven mark. Option traders, meanwhile, have shown a preference for long calls over puts in recent months. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), speculators have bought to open 1.89 calls for every put over the past 50 sessions.


• NVRO has rallied 6.8% to trade at $53.66, after J.P. Morgan Securities raised its price target on the shares to $67 from $54. Not only does this new target price sit nearly 25% above current trading levels, but it also represents a move to all-time highs. Since going public in early November, the security has more than doubled in value -- and hit a record peak of $58.87 on May 11. However, sentiment is mixed. For starters, each of the analysts covering Nevro Corp maintain a "buy" or better rating. Elsewhere, short interest surged 15.7% in the last reporting period, and now accounts for 8.5% of the equity's available float.

It's been an up-and-down year for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). As it stands now, the index is holding on to a 1.8% year-to-date lead. Below, we'll look at two of the Dow's 30 components, Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS) and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT), which have been its best- and worst-performing stocks in 2015, respectively. 

With its 1.4% gain today to trade at $113.10, DIS boasts a 20.1% year-to-date lead. This narrowly beats out UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH), the second-best performing Dow component. Moreover, the shares touched an all-time high of $113.55 earlier.

Similar to fellow blue chips Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) and Visa Inc (NYSE:V), put buying has picked up recently at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX). Walt Disney Co's 10-day put/call volume ratio across these exchanges comes in at 0.81, which is higher than 83% of readings taken in the past year.

What's more, the stock remains heavily shorted, as the over 41 million DIS shares controlled by bears represent nearly nine sessions' worth of trading, at its average daily volumes. Even with its already impressive 2015 gains, DIS could go even higher, if some of the weaker bearish hands hit the exits. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum is WMT. Coming into today, the stock was off 15% in 2015, but it was last seen 0.5% higher at $73.07. The shares have been on a steady trek lower since their all-time high of $90.97 on Jan. 13, pressured by their descending 20- and 32-day moving averages.

Perhaps this is why 82% of analysts say Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is a "hold" or worse. On the other hand, option traders have been betting on a breakout. The security's 10-day call/put volume ratio at the ISE, CBOE, and PHLX comes in at 5.73 -- higher than 93% of similar readings from the past 12 months.

These bulls may be in luck, too. WMT's 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) comes in at 35, closing in on oversold territory. Like Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS), Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) could be in store for short-term gains.

NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) options traders have rarely been more bearish than in recent weeks. According to data from the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), speculators have bought to open twice as many puts as calls in the last 10 sessions. The resultant put/call volume ratio of 2.04 ranks just 3 percentage points from an annual peak.

There's plenty of skepticism elsewhere, too. Fifteen of 21 analysts tracking NVDA consider it a "hold" or worse, and the stock's consensus 12-month price target of $22.42 stands at a slim 2.2% premium to its current perch at $21.92. If that's not enough, despite short interest plummeting 35% during the latest reporting period, it still accounts for a healthy 8.6% of NVDA's float. At average daily trading volumes, it would take shorts more than one week to buy back all their shorted shares.

This is surprising, considering the security has advanced 9.3% year-to-date. What's more, NVDA recently took a bounce off its 160-day moving average, which has historically been bullish. After nine of the last 10 signals, the semiconductor stock has rallied in the ensuing 21 sessions -- averaging a gain of 5.7%. Should history repeat itself, NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) could see further upside as option bears, shorts, and skeptical analysts change their tune.

It's been another strong day for domestic stocks. Among those hitting new highs are semiconductor concern Ambarella Inc (NASDAQ:AMBA), biopharmaceutical concern Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD), and Wall Street rookie GoDaddy Inc (NYSE:GDDY). Here's a closer look at AMBA, GILD, and GDDY:

• AMBA touched an all-time high of $128.06 earlier, but this technical strength is nothing new; the shares have smashed their way up the charts this year, adding nearly 150%. The stock was last seen up 3% at $125.88, and short sellers are probably sweating once again. Over 28% of Ambarella Inc's float is sold short, and would take four days to cover, at its normal trading pace. Option traders have been placing bearish bet, too. AMBA's 10-day International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) put/call volume ratio stands at 1.04 -- only 12 percentage points from an annual high. 


• GILD also hit a record high earlier at $121.78, and with its 2.1% gain today to trade at $121.50, the stock is now up 28.8% in 2015. Analysts are certainly believers. Of the 16 brokerage firms with coverage on the security, 13 say it's a "buy" or better. Elsewhere, it seems short sellers are starting to get the hint. During the most recent two-week reporting period, short interest on Gilead Sciences, Inc. dropped over 27%. While put buying has been popular on GILD, some of it has likely been from shareholders hedging against any unexpected drops in the stock. 


• GDDY started trading at $26.15 when it went public on April 1. Today, the shares are hovering at $31.38, after earlier touching their highest price ever, at $31.75. During the past 50 sessions -- encompassing almost all of GoDaddy Inc's life span -- nearly 4,500 calls have been bought to open, versus 3,362 puts at the ISE, CBOE, and PHLX, showing option traders have preferred long GDDY calls over puts. Analyst are also bullish, as 90% call the shares a "buy" or better.

Monday ended up being the largest single-day drop in the S&P 500 Index (SPX) in over a year (April 2014, to be exact). What made it so alarming is that we aren't used to it. The market has been so quiet over the past few years, steadily notching new highs. This week, I'll take a look at how the market has performed in the past after big drops during similar market environments.

2% Drops Since 2012: The table below shows all the times the S&P 500 fell by more than 2% since 2012. As you would expect, knowing the market has been moving steadily higher since then, the index has by and large quickly recovered from the losses. In every instance below, the market moved higher over the next month of trading.

These next tables summarize the returns in the table above, and compares them to how the market has typically performed since 2012. Over the past few years, a trader would have done quite well buying these big single-day pullbacks.

2% Drops in a Steady Market: The 2% fall on Monday was the first 2% move of the year. The last time the S&P 500 moved 2% in a day was December 2014, when it moved higher by more than 2% two days in a row. In other words, this has been a pretty quiet market as of late. The first table below shows prior instances when the index went at least six months without a daily move of 2% or more, and then fell by at least that amount. For this study, I went back to 1950. The second table below shows anytime returns for comparison.

The returns following these occurrences are pretty bullish. The average and median returns, and the percent positive, all beat the anytime returns.

Finally, I broke it down one more way. The drop occurred near an all-time high on the S&P 500 Index. Out of the 20 returns in the table above, 12 of them occurred when the index was within 5% of an all-time high. Those returns are summarized below, and are even better during these times. In the past, during similar market environments, a sudden 2% pullback has been a pretty good buying opportunity. Hopefully, this one follows that tendency.

Asian markets were mixed after Greece defaulted on its loan repayment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). On the positive side, Japan's Nikkei tacked on 0.5% on better-than-expected confidence among manufacturers, while South Korea's Kospi popped 1.1%, shrugging off disappointing trade data, as well as a multi-year low in manufacturing activity. However, China's Shanghai Composite resumed its sell-off, plunging 5.2% -- and extending its slide into bear-market territory -- amid mixed economic data, including an in-line purchasing managers index (PMI) and an uptick in the services sector. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was shuttered for holiday.

European stocks are surging on newfound optimism that Athens and its creditors could hash out a deal, after Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras sent a new proposal to lenders in which he made concessions on a number of issues. However, some European officials have already said the proposal is insufficient, ahead of a Eurogroup meeting later today. At last check, London's FTSE 100 is 1.3% higher, the French CAC 40 has soared 2.4%, and Germany's DAX has added 2.1%, helped by encouraging eurozone PMI data.

Stocks in Asia reversed higher after Monday's drubbing, as traders shrugged off reports that Greece is set to default on its roughly $1.7 billion loan repayment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), due today. Particularly notable was the Shanghai Composite's 5.5% pop, as regulators scrambled to prop up the flailing stock market via a potential suspension of initial public offerings, and new rules allowing pension funds to buy equities. Elsewhere, Hong Kong's Hang Seng tacked on 1.1%, Japan's Nikkei added 0.6%, and South Korea's Kospi ended 0.7% higher.

European bourses are once again struggling amid ongoing worries of a "Grexit," despite at least one source claiming last-minute negotiations may resume between Athens and its creditors. At last check, the French CAC 40 and German DAX are down 0.4% and 0.3%, respectively. Also, London's FTSE 100 has lost 0.6%, despite an upwardly revised first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP).

Analysts are weighing in today on oil-and-gas firm Range Resources Corp. (NYSE:RRC), global luxury lifestyle company Michael Kors Holdings Ltd (NYSE:KORS), and wireless communications giant Sprint Corp (NYSE:S). Here's a quick look at today's brokerage notes on RRC, KORS, and S.

• RRC has inched higher this today, up about 1% at $49.10, after the natural resource firm scored an upgrade from Raymond James. The brokerage upped its rating on RRC to "outperform" from "market perform," and issued a price target of $58. While the news has the shares slightly higher, they face a major hurdle in the form of their 10-day moving average. This trendline has bullied the stock lower since the middle of May -- and watch for this trend to continue, as not even today's upbeat note has been able to push Range Resources Corp. north of this line.

• Brokerage firm Cowen and Company slashed its target price on several fashion firms this morning, and KORS was one of those on the list. Cowen lowered its price target on KORS to $51 from $56, even as it reiterated the equity at "outperform." If KORS is going to live up to Cowen's lowered expectations, it will need to battle through stiff resistance from its 10- and 20-day moving averages first -- and it's not off to a good start, with the stock currently down 2.6% at $42.25 (and earlier setting a new 52-week low of $41.52). Unfortunately, Michael Kors Holdings Ltd could face additional bearish notes, as 19 out of 20 analysts tracking the equity rate it a "buy" or "hold." Any downgrades from this surprisingly bullish group could serve to push the shares lower.

• Bright and early this morning, communications firm S introduced its new "All-in" pricing plan. The plan will offer unlimited talk, text, and data for $60, plus $20 to lease an iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy S6. Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Crull noted that "The natural evolution of the industry is to advertise both combined: cost of the device and the rate plan, put them together and tell the customer what's the rate all in." (Perhaps most notably, though, the plan features soccer star David Beckham -- and his washboard abs -- as spokesperson.)
  
  Pessimism rules the options pits on Sprint Corp, as its Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 1.48 is higher than 98% of the past year's worth of readings. Could positive performance prompt an unwinding of this pessimism? Yes. Is it going to happen? Doubtful.The stock has lost about half its value over the past 52 weeks, and S was last seen trading at $4.53 -- below multiple layers of resistance, including its 40-day and 200-day moving averages.

 

About a month ago, using data supplied by Schaeffer's Quantitative Analyst Chris Prybal, I examined four stocks to watch in June. As we approach July, I decided to repeat this exercise to determine a few names with the potential to make big upside moves next month. This time around, we'll take a look at Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS), and VASCO Data Security International, Inc. (NASDAQ:VDSI).

Below, you'll find a list of 40 stocks with positive returns at least 80% of the time in the last 10 years, during the month of July. This data comes courtesy of Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White. Under the list, you'll also find some commentary on the three aforementioned names -- AMZN, GS, and VDSI -- and why they could be poised for another outsized move in July.

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)

AMZN has been a beast in 2015, powering 40% higher to $433.57. In fact, the stock hit a record peak of $452.65 in late April following a well-received earnings report. Today, the shares are getting a lift from news of the company's expansion of its Mexican storefront and its small business loan program. If past is prologue, additional gains could be on the way. In eight of the past 10 Julys, the shares have advanced -- with an average one-month return of 5.1%.

This technical tenacity hasn't convinced everyone. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), AMZN has racked up a 50-day put/call volume ratio of 0.87 -- in the 70th annual percentile. Should the weaker bearish hands begin to hit the exits, it could add fuel to the stock's fire.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS)

GS is consolidating atop its 40-day moving average, after jumping to a post-recession high of $218.77 last week. At $209.76, the stock has advanced 26% year-over-year. Clear skies could be ahead, too. The shares have rallied nine times over the previous 10 Julys, and sport an average single-month gain of 4.3%.

Analysts have been slow to recognize this upward trend. Twelve of 14 brokerage firms still rate GS a "hold" or "strong sell." Plus, the stock's average 12-month price target of $212.35 stands at a slim 1.2% premium to its current perch. A round of upgrades and/or price-target boosts could add fuel to the equity's fire.

In separate news, GS settled charges today with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for sending incorrect options trades, agreeing to pay a $7 million fine. Looking ahead, the investment bank will hold its investor relations forum this Friday.

VASCO Data Security International, Inc. (NASDAQ:VDSI)

​VDSI has been a technical titan. Today, the stock has added 3.3% at $30.47, bringing its year-over-year lead to more than 150%. July looks bright, too, with the shares positive 80% of the time in the past decade, and averaging a one-month gain of 8.3%.

All things considered, VDSI is likely putting the pressure on short sellers. A brow-raising 45.8% of the stock's float is sold short, equating to nearly seven sessions' worth of pent-up buying demand, at average daily volumes. To put matters plainly, the shares are set to run on short-covering activity.