Buzz Stocks: T-Mobile US Inc, Starz, and OPKO Health Inc.

Soaring bond yields are weighing heavily on U.S. equities this morning. In company news, today's stocks to watch include telecom firm T-Mobile US Inc (NYSE:TMUS), entertainment expert Starz (NASDAQ:STRZA), and diagnostics concern Opko Health Inc. (NYSE:OPK). 

• TMUS is reportedly in talks with DISH Network Corp (NASDAQ:DISH) on a potential merger, just a week after a similar deal hit the Street. The M&A buzz has shares of T-Mobile US Inc 6.6% higher ahead of the bell -- and on track to open at a multi-year high. Yesterday, the stock closed at $38.33, up more than 42% in 2015, after hitting a nearly seven-year peak of $39.12 on Monday. Not surprisingly, the brokerage bunch has been extremely bullish on TMUS. Fifteen of 18 analysts rate the shares a "buy" or better, compared to two "holds" and just one "sell." Likewise, traders at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) have bought to open TMUS calls over puts at an accelerated clip of late, per the equity's 10-day call/put volume ratio of 20.18 -- in the 89th percentile of its annual range.


• STRZA, which is up 40.4% year-to-date to perch at $41.70, is in focus this morning, after media magnate John Malone said the company may be a buyout target of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (USA) (NYSE:LGF). The comments carry weight, as Malone owns a roughly 3% stake in LGF. Should the shares capitalize on the speculation, Starz could top yesterday's all-time high of $43.30. Short sellers are likely getting antsy. Over 9% of STRZA's float is sold short, which represents nearly 12 sessions' worth of pent-up buying power, at the stock's typical daily trading level.


• OPK is also making M&A headlines, after securing a deal to buy Bio-Reference Laboratories (NASDAQ:BRLI) for roughly $1.5 billion. Wall Street is panning the move, though, as Opko Health Inc. is poised to open nearly 5.2% lower. Longer term, the stock has been a beast, almost doubling in value this year to trade at $19.12, and touching a record peak of $19.20 just yesterday. Additional upside could be on tap, too, considering roughly 18% of OPK's float is sold short. At the equity's average daily volume, it would take 12 sessions to repurchase all these bearish bets.