Buzz Stocks: Bank of America Corp, Pandora Media Inc, and Infosys Ltd

Major stock indexes appear set to bounce back today, as earnings season kicks off. Among specific equities in the spotlight are bank stock Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC), streaming media interest Pandora Media Inc (NYSE:P), and IT specialist Infosys Ltd ADR (NYSE:INFY). Here's a quick look at what's driving BAC, P, and INFY.

• BAC kicked off the fourth-quarter earnings season by beating earnings-per-share expectations on the Street. However, the shares are down 0.8% in pre-market trading, as investors react to lower-than-predicted revenue. Should these losses materialize today, Bank of America Corp could be marking a change of pace from its recent history of upside post-earnings moves. But bullish options traders will be hoping the 30-day moving average continues to keep any losses in check. And analysts so far seem satisfied to maintain their optimistic outlooks, with 14 out of 19 calling BAC a "buy" or better, and not one rating the bank stock a "sell" -- not terribly surprising, considering the shares closed Thursday at $22.92, up 53.8% year-over-year.
  
  
• P is set to pop 8.8% higher at the open, after closing last night at $12.00, on news the company will cut about 7% of its U.S. workforce. Pandora Media Inc also said that it expects to top previously predicted quarterly revenue figures. The news earned P price-target hikes to $14 from $12 at FBR, and to $15 from $13 at FBN Securities. The stock could certainly benefit from more upbeat attention from the brokerage bunch, as half of the firms tracking P maintain a "hold" rating or worse. Today's gains could have short sellers on edge, considering nearly 30% of P's total float is dedicated to short interest. Based on typical daily volumes, it would take shorts more than three weeks to cover all their pessimistic positions.

• INFY reported net profits up 6.1% for its December quarter, but the company also cut its full-year outlook, causing the shares to slide 2% ahead of the bell. Such losses could have Infosys Ltd ADR testing its recent foothold above the 50-day moving average, after finishing Thursday at $15.25 -- its highest close since Nov. 1. Options traders may not mind if that trendline fails to keep the stock in check, however. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), INFY has seen 2.53 puts purchased for every call over the past 10 weeks -- a put/call volume ratio in the bearishly skewed 87th percentile of its annual range. 

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