Buzz Stocks: Kohl's, Puma, Cypress Semiconductor

U.S. stocks are poised for a strong session, following Wednesday's choppy action. In company news, today's stocks to watch include retailer Kohl's Corporation (NYSE:KSS), drugmaker Puma Biotechnology Inc (NYSE:PBYI), and chip producer Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ:CY).

• KSS is getting walloped in pre-market trading, as declining same-store sales outweigh a first-quarter earnings beat. At last check, the stock was down 11%, after closing at $74.51 yesterday -- and on a 22% year-to-date lead. On top of that, Kohl's Corporation is at risk of closing below its supportive 80-day moving average for the first time in 2015. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), traders have been buying to open calls over puts at a rapid-fire rate in recent months. The equity's 50-day call/put volume ratio of 1.71 ranks in the 97th percentile of its annual range.
  


• PBYI is reeling ahead of the bell on disappointing breast cancer drug results. Specifically, the shares are off 18% in electronic trading, threatening to drag them into negative year-to-date territory. As of Wednesday's close at $209.72, Puma Biotechnology Inc had rallied 10.8% in 2015. One group likely to cheer a drop in the stock is short sellers. Twelve percent of PBYI's float is sold short, representing two weeks' worth of trading, at the equity's average daily volume.


• CY has placed an all-cash bid to purchase Integrated Silicon Solution, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISSI) for roughly $627 million, or $19.75 per share -- a 5.4% premium to last night's close at $18.74. Amid this news, shares of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation are pointed 2.3% higher this morning, attempting to hurdle their 20-day moving average, and come back from an 11.4% year-to-date deficit to rest at $12.65. Options traders are hopeful, based on data from the ISE, CBOE, and PHLX. During the past two weeks across those exchanges, nearly 29 calls have been bought to open for every put. CY's resultant 10-day ISE/CBOE/PHLX call/put volume ratio of 28.78 outstrips 89% of comparable readings from the last 12 months.