Analyst Update: Weatherford, Container Store

Analysts are weighing in today on oil interest Weatherford International Plc (NYSE:WFT), as well as retail concerns Container Store Group Inc (NYSE:TCS) and Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:OLLI). Here's a quick roundup of today's brokerage notes on WFT, TCS, and OLLI.

• WFT is 7.2% lower today, last seen trading at $8.86, despite Citigroup raising its rating on the stock to "buy." On the charts, Weatherford International Plc has dropped more than 17% since the first of the month, joining most of the energy sector in sliding lower along with plummeting oil prices. And while nearly 7% of the stock's available float is wrapped up in short interest -- accounting for eight days of trading, at the equity's average volume -- options traders are leaning more bullishly than usual on WFT. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), the security's 10-day call/put volume ratio of 0.9 is higher than 70% of readings from the past year.

• TCS is trading at $8.28, a loss of 18%, after BofA-Merrill Lynch cut its rating on the stock to "underperform" all the way from "buy," and sharply reduced its price target to $9 from $23, sending Container Store Group Inc to a new all-time low of $8.10. Today's movement was just more of the same for the stock, which has been trending steadily lower since the beginning of 2014 -- just two months after the security began trading publicly. Traders are expecting more lows ahead for TCS, as nearly one-fifth of its total float is sold short -- a level that would take more than 12 days to buy back, at the stock's average daily pace.

• OLLI was in the black earlier today, thanks to an upgrade to "buy" from "neutral" at BofA-Merrill Lynch, but has since succumbed to broad-market headwinds. The stock is trading 1.9% lower at $16.75, giving up a healthy portion of yesterday's earnings-inspired gains. Since publicly trading for the first time in July, Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc has been trending mostly lower on the charts, giving up 20% of its value so far. But while nearly 23% of the stock's float is currently sold short -- accounting for more than 14 days' of pent-up buying demand, at OLLI's typical pace of trading -- options traders have shown a strong preference for calls. On the ISE, CBOE, and PHLX, the stock's 50-day call/put volume ratio of 6.27 indicates that more than six calls have been bought to open for every put over the last 50 trading days.