The shares of Slack Technologies Inc (NYSE:WORK) are down 1.5% to trade at $19.95, after Wedbush initiated coverage on the software name with an "underpeform" rating. While setting a price target of $14 -- a 31% downside to yesterday's close at $20.34 -- the analyst in coverage cited the threat of Microsoft's (MSFT) Teams application as a growth inhibitor.

It's been an ugly debut on the charts for Slack stock. The shares earlier touched a new record low of $19.69, and have now shed 47% since opening at $38.50 on June 20. During this decline, the newly formed 40-day moving average has kept a tight lid on breakouts since August. 

Short sellers have piled on at a tremendous rate. Short interest increased by 70% in the two most recent reporting period to a record high 39.03 million shares. This takes up 20% of WORK's total available float, and 4.8 times the average daily trading volume. 

Long calls have been in favor in the options pits, though. In the last 10 days, 23,435 calls were bought to open at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), compared to 7,172 puts. However, given the amount of short interest tied up into the stock, it's possible some of these calls could be shorts seeking an options hedge against any unexpected upside. 

The U.S. stock market is drifting lower to end the week, as Wall Street waits in limbo for any U.S.-China trade developments. Two stocks stocks making vastly different moves today are skin disease specialists AnaptysBio Inc (NASDAQ:ANAB) and Dermira Inc (NASDAQ:DERM). Here's a quick look at what's moving the shares of ANAB and DERM.

ANAB In Nasdaq Cellar After "Surprising" Eczema Drug Failure

AnaptysBio stock is down 70.6% at $10.62 at last check, after etokimab, the company's eczema drug, failed the main goal for its late-stage trial. Three brokerages promptly issued downgrades, Jefferies, who also slashed its price target to $12 from $120. RBC was "surprised" by the failure, and called out AnaptysBio for a lack of investor call for such an important event. ANAB earlier hit a record low of $10, and is on track for its worst day ever by a wide margin.

Options volume is usually light, but it's roared to life today. More than 2,700 calls have changed hands today, 20 times the average intraday amount and 31 times the number of puts traded. Leading the charge is the December 17.50 call, where new positions are being opened and sell-to-open activity detected. 

DERM The Benefactor From Etokimab Failure

On the other end of the spectrum, Dermira stock is up 21.5% to trade at $8.46, as AnaptysBio's eczema drug failures opens the door for Dermira's own treatment, lebrikizumab. Leerink says the etokimab failure removes "a major investor overhang." Derm is new eyeing its highest close in over a month. 

There's similar frenetic activity in DERM's normally quiet options pits. Nearly 2,000 calls have changed hands, six times the average intraday amount and volume pacing for the 97th percentile of its annual range. Leading the charge is the November 8 call, but there are also new positions being opened at the November 10 call. 

Now seems to be an affordable time for near-term traders to jump on Dermira stock with options. The stock's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 74% ranks in the low 8th percentile of its annual range, indicating low volatility expectations are being priced into short-term contracts.

The week started with a bang as stock market indexes hit fresh record highs, brushing off the McDonald's (MCD) CEO ouster, as optimism over U.S.-China trade talks resurfaced. This optimism was carried throughout the week, bolstered by news that both governments planned on rolling back some of the $125 billion in tariffs imposed in September. This helped buoy shares for the remainder of the week, with the Dow clocking two more all-time-highs for the week, and the Nasdaq and S&P joining in on Thursday.

Markets stumbled on Friday however, as President Donald Trump walked back the aforementioned tariff truce, offsetting bullish momentum that followed Disney's (DIS) massive earnings beat. This win joined reports from fellow blue chips Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) and Boeing (BA) that put some wind at the Dow's back earlier in the week. 

Analysts Chatter Abounds During Earnings Season 

The brokerage bunch was busy this week as earnings season rages on, with several analysts speculating on stocks before and after their big reveals. J.P. Morgan Securities was especially vocal. On Monday, the broker upped its price target on Alibaba (BABA) stock in the session following its quarterly report, but slashed its target for Square (SQ). 

Jefferies got in on the action, too, downgrading Papa John's (PZZA) stock to a "hold" ahead of the firm's Wednesday confessional, while over 13 analysts hit Expedia (EXPE) with post-earnings bear notes. Elsewhere, D.A. Davidson set a bearish precedent for Canada Goose (GOOS) ahead of next week's report, while Goldman Sachs bestowed a bull note on Manitowoc Company (MTW) after its earnings beat. 

Stocks Making Big Moves on Mergers 

Several stocks were making M&A headlines this week. Most notable is the buzz surrounding Xerox's (XRX) proposed takeover of HP (HP), which first moved the stocks on Wednesday. By Friday, however, reports suggested some doubts on HP's end could snuff out the deal. In other buyout news, Taylor Morrison Home (TMHC) announced it would be purchasing rival William Lyon (WLH) in a cash-and-stock deal worth $2.4 billion. 

Meanwhile, electric car maker Nio (NIO) inked a partnership with Intel's (INTC) Mobileye, Canopy Growth (CGC) signed a deal with Canadian rapper Drake in a joint venture called More Life Growth, and First Horizon (FHN) merged with Iberiabank (IBKC) under the former's name. 

Wall Street Gears Up for Powell Speech Next Week 

Earnings will continue to roll in next week with the retail sector mainly in focus. Specifically, Walmart (WMT), Canada Goose, JD.com (JD) and J C Penney (JCP) are set to report. Weed stocks will be burning up too, with earnings from Tilray (TLRY) and Canopy Growth both on tap. 

The Federal Reserve will also be in focus next week, with a handful of speeches from central bank officials -- namely, Fed Chair Jerome Powell -- on tap, along with a pair of key inflation updates, including the consumer price index (CPI) on Thursday. Investors should note that the bond market will be closed Monday for Veterans Day, while the stock market will remain open. 

A bear note from Morgan Stanley has sent the shares of Qualcomm, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) down 3% to trade at $91.15 this morning. Specifically, the analyst dropped its rating to "equal-weight" from "overweight," but raised its price target to by $1 to $90. The brokerage firm said that while a deal between the U.S. and China -- paired with growing new markets -- could drive the stock higher, slow adoption of 5G and headwinds induced by growing China competition could bring the stock's value all the way down to $55. 

This dip comes just one session after QCOM's 20-year high of $94.11, hit on Friday, Nov. 8. During the last few weeks, the equity has been in rally mode, following a sharp bounce off its 140-day moving average last month. In fact, the security just came off a weekly gain of 12.5%, its fourth straight and biggest weekly win in nearly seven months. 

Despite this recent price action, the brokerage bunch has been wary of the semiconductor name, with nine of the 17 in coverage giving it a "hold" or worse rating, prior to today. What's more, the stock's 12-month consensus price target of $86.95 is at a slight discount to Friday's close. 

The options pits have been unusually bearish, too. Currently, QCOM sports a 50-day put/call ratio of 0.56 on the the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) that sits in the 88th percentile of its annual range. This suggests a bigger-than-usual appetite for puts of late. 

Mere days off its recent post-earnings pop, Chinese tech name Baidu Inc (NASDAQ:BIDU) has received yet another bull note, this time out of Oppenheimer. The analyst upgraded the stock to "outperform" from "perform," with a price target of $145. Regardless, BIDU is down 1.5% this morning at $122.74, as the broader equities market sells off on U.S.-China trade concerns. 

Longer term, Baidu stock has struggled to gain momentum since a rapid descent from its early April peak brought it to a six-year low of $93.39 in mid-August. The security has shed 21% in 2019 alone, and last week's surge higher was capped by BIDU's 180-day moving average.

Digging deeper, Baidu stock's 50-day call/put volume ratio across the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) comes in at 2.80, and ranks in the 95th annual percentile. In other terms, this shows a stronger-than-usual demand for long calls relative to puts in recent weeks.

In the wake of Baidu's earnings report, implied volatility levels have imploded, making near-term options attractively priced at the moment. The stock's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 32% sits in just the 18th percentile of its annual range, meaning now is an opportune time to speculate on BIDU's short-term trajectory with options.

The shares of SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR) are up 10.2% to trade at $9.22 today, after the solar name announced it would split into two separate publicly traded companies. The new company, Maxeon Solar Technologies, will be independent, complementary, and strategically aligned with SunPower, and will rely on a $298 million investment from partner Tianjin Zhonghuan Semiconductor. 

Although SunPower stock was up 68% heading into today, it was 47% off its Aug. 1 three-year high of $16.04. This pullback found support at the $8.30 level, an area that coincides with the shares' 320-day moving average. Perhaps today's rally was already in the cards too, considering the equity's 14-day relative strength index (RSI) drifted into oversold territory last Friday at 35. 

It will be interesting to see how analysts react to the company's split. There are eight analysts covering SPWR, and seven rate it a "hold" or worse. There's similar pessimism among short sellers, where short interest increased 10% in the two most recent reporting periods to 20.34 million shares, the most since April. This accounts for a hefty 32% of the security's total available float, and six days' worth of pent-up buying power, at the stock's average pace of trading. 

Options traders have been focused on calls. In the last 10 days, 8,082 calls were bought to open at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), compared to 1,802 puts. Given the amount of short interest tied up in the stock though, it's possible some of these calls could be shorts seeking an options hedge against any additional upside.

The U.S. stock market is struggling to claw its way back into positive territory, as Wall Street digests a slew of trade-related headlines. Among the stocks making notable moves today are blue chip Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA), plastic maker Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE:TUP), and drug stock Dare Bioscience Inc (NASDAQ:DARE). Here's a quick look at what's moving the shares of WBA, TUP, and DARE.   

WBA Options Pop as Buyout Rumors Swirl

Walgreens Boots Alliance is the best Dow stock today, up 6% to trade at $62.75, after a Bloomberg report indicated global investment firm KKR & Co had approached the company for a buyout. Walgreens has reportedly been exploring the option, and the deal would be the biggest leveraged buyout ever according to sources. WBA is still below its year-to-date breakeven point, despite adding 21% in the last three months. Plus, today's rally has run out of steam at the shares' 320-day moving average.

Options traders have been reacting to the news. More than 52,000 options have changed hands today, double the average intraday amount and volume in the 99th percentile of its annual range. Leading the charge is the November 61 call, but there are also new positions being opened at the December 60 put. 

New Bottom For TUP After Suspending Quarterly Dividend

Tupperware stock is trading down 1.1% at $9.22, after the houseware company suspended its quarterly common dividend Friday night. TUP earlier tapped a new record low of $8.32, and has now stretched its 2019 deficit out to 71%. The shares were even rejected by their 100-day moving average prior to a late-October earnings-induced bear gap. 

The bevy of short sellers are likely cheering the recent struggles. Short interest increased by 11.2% in the most recent reporting period, the most since July 2016. This represents 10% of TUP's total available float, and 5.5 times the average daily trading volume.

DARE Topples Key Trendline After Microchips Purchase

Dare Bioscience stock is up 11% to trade at $0.93 today, after the drugmaker announced it had bought Microchips Biotech. The company now has access to a microchip implant that delivers drug doses over an extended duration, but could face up to $46.5 million in contingent payments. DARE is on track to topple its 320-day moving average on a closing basis for the first time since April. However, the drug stock is still sitting below its year-over-year breakeven level. Analysts are hopeful, with all three in coverage rating DARE a "buy," while the consensus 12-month price target of $4 sits in territory not seen since May 2018. 

Coming into the quarter we highlighted Kroger Co (NYSE:KR) and its 320-day moving average, a trendline that was acting as resistance. After the stock broke out last week thanks to the company's well-received analyst day -- where it released a strong full-year outlook -- this moving average may have switched roles, acting as support yesterday. KR will need the help on the charts, since the $28 level, site of the March bear gap, swiftly put an end to last week's gains. With the grocery name sitting in such a noteworthy spot on the charts, analysts continue to weigh in.

This morning, Deutsche Bank came through and upgraded its view to "hold" from "sell," and lifted its price target to $27 from $22 -- right in line with yesterday's close of $26.61. This is at least the fourth positive analyst note to come through on KR this month, and there's plenty of room for more. Specifically, 11 of the 15 covering brokerage firms still have "hold" or "strong sell" ratings.

What's more, short interest on Kroger has been declining sharply for months, falling from an August peak of 46.6 million shares, to the 31.4 million shares that are now held by short sellers. This covering trend could continue, too, since that figure represents a healthy 3.4 times the stock's average daily trading pace.

Some options traders are growing bullish, as well. Not only has call buying remained the clear favorite strategy of speculators at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), but there was a huge increase in open interest at the April 29 call during the past 10 days. Data confirms buy-to-open activity here, so some traders are betting on long-term upside for Kroger stock.

The worst stock on the Nasdaq this morning is Solid Biosciences Inc (NASDAQ:SLDB), down 69.2% to trade at $3.39, and earlier hitting a new record low of $3.15. This comes after a trial for the drugmaker's therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy was put on clinical hold by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is the second time the FDA has put a hold on the treatment due to serious side effects. 

This is pacing to be SLDB's worse single-session percentage drop ever, surpassing the 67.8% bear gap from February when the FDA placed its first clinical hold. Prior to today, the shares had traded in a tight range between the $7-$12 levels for the past six months.

Despite these struggles, half of analysts remain confident in their "strong buy" ratings. But the security is certainly vulnerable to bear notes now, considering its consensus 12-month price target of $12.38 was a 10% premium to last night's closing perch at $11.

Options traders are firmly entrenched in calls, albeit amid limited absolute volume. In the last 10 days, 260 calls were bought to open at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), compared to 12 puts. However, given how short interest accounts for a healthy 12.3% of SLDB's total available float, it's possible some of these calls could be shorts seeking an options hedge against any unexpected upside. 

A buyout proposal from Taiwanese sector peer Yageo Corp has the shares of electronic components maker Kemet Corporation (NYSE:KEM) up 10.8% at $25.60 -- eyeing a fresh yearly high. Specifically, Yageo said it plans on purchasing Kemet for $1.58 billion, or $27.20 per share -- a roughly 18% premium to KEM's Monday close -- in hopes of expanding globally. 

Should these gains hold, KEM could notch its biggest percentage gain on a daily basis since May 16. Since its early September lows, the security has climbed higher, with pullbacks caught by its 20-day and 100-day moving averages. While the stock has cooled since running into pressure at the $24 level, today's pop has KEM breaking out of this region, set to close north of here for the first time since Sept. 2018. 

While KEM only holds two analysts ratings, both in coverage call it a "strong buy." But, the consensus 12-month target price of $25.67 is now a discount to its current perch, implying there's ample room for price-target hikes that could boost the stock. 

Despite this recent positive price action, short sellers have latched on to the equity, rising 19% in the last two reporting periods to 12.69 million shares sold short. These pessimistic positions make up nearly a quarter of KEM's available float, and would take over two weeks to cover at the equity's average pace of trading. Should some of these bearish bets begin to unwind, it could put some additional wind at the security's back. 

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq are trading at new highs today, as investors digest a speech from President Donald Trump at the Economic Club of New York. Among three stocks making notable moves higher today are IT specialist DXC Technology Co (NYSE:DXC), factory automation equipment maker Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK), and biopharmaceutical name Amarin Corporation (NASDAQ:AMRN). Here's a quick look at what's moving the shares of DXC, ROK, and AMRN.   

Strategic Review Triggers DXC Breakout

DXC Technology stock is up 17.9% to trade at $34.65, after the company said it is reviewing strategic alternatives for three of its businesses. DXC expects to utilize $4.25 billion or more to repurchase shares and pay dividends in the next few years. This is helping offset fiscal second-quarter earnings that fell short of expectations, as well a round of price-target cuts, including one to $32 from $40 at Susquehanna. DXC is heading toward its best day since May 2016, but is running out of steam at its 80-day moving average.

Call trading has ramped up in response. With just under 90 minutes left in trading, 14,000 calls have changed hands, five times the average intraday amount and almost triple the number of puts traded. Leading the charge is the March 25 call, where it looks like speculators may be liquidating their in-the-money positions.

ROK Beat-and-Raise Spurs New Annual High

One of the best stocks on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is Rockwell Automation, up 10.7% to trade at $198.41, earlier snagging a new annual high of $207.11. This comes after the factory equipment maker reported fiscal fourth-quarter adjusted earnings and revenue that exceeded expectations. The company also upped its fiscal 2020 forecast, putting the stock on track for its best day since April 2009. 

ROK's usually quiet options pits have sprung to life. At last check, around 5,600 options have changed hands, 11 times the average intraday amount and volume pacing in the 99th percentile of its annual range. The November 210 call is most active, and it looks like new positions are being purchased here. 

AMRN Breaks Past Key Trendline After FDA Comments

Amarin stock is up 20.9% to trade at $20.44, after U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) staffers said concerns the company's use of mineral oil as a placebo in a trial for its cholesterol drug, Vascepa, were found to be inconclusive. The drug will be evaluated by an independent advisory panel this Thursday, Nov. 14, and Citi thinks there's a strong likelihood it will be approved by year's end. AMRN is heading toward its highest close since mid-July, and has broken above resistance at its 200-day moving average. 

Options traders are rushing toward the surging stock, with the 180,000 contracts traded five times the average intraday amount. The most active option is the November 21 call, though it's not clear if positions are being opened or closed here. Buy-to-open activity has been detected at the November 22 call, where more than 5,000 contracts have crossed. 

Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT) will report earnings before the open tomorrow, Nov. 14, and the stock just received a bullish analyst note from Telsey Advisory Group. The firm lifted its price target on the Dow component to $130 from $125, putting it deeper into record-high territory. WMT shares peaked at $120.92 last week, and are trading right in line with their 20-day moving average, last seen at $119.40. 

Looking back, the equity has moved higher the day after earnings in three straight quarters, including a 6.1% jump in August. The options market is pricing in a 6.3% post-earnings swing for tomorrow's trading, and call buying has remained popular at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX). The 10-day call/put volume ratio across those exchanges is 2.28, showing call buying has doubled put buying in the past two weeks. In the front-month November series, peak open interest is at the 125-strike call, with the 120-strike call close behind.

If Walmart does report strong earnings, it could result in a wave of price-target hikes, since its average 12-month price target is just $123.58. Upgrades are possible, too, since there remain seven "hold" ratings out there.