Buzz Stocks: Twitter Inc, Bank of America Corp, and Apple Inc.

Today's stocks to watch in the news include Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR), Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC), and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Josh Selway

Jun 15, 2016 at 9:26 AM

Dow futures are hinting at a positive open, as stocks look to rebound ahead of today's Fed decision. Among the equities in focus today are social media stock Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR), bank stock Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC), and tech giant Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).

TWTR and fellow social media stocks have been all the rage recently, as M&A speculation in the sector grows following LinkedIn Corp's (NYSE:LNKD) huge deal. Today, the company is grabbing headlines again, with reports indicating Twitter Inc has invested $70 million in music service SoundCloud. Shares of TWTR have gained 1.8% in electronic trading following the news, after settling at $15.36 on Tuesday -- almost 56% lower year-over-year. The potential gains are great news for options traders, though, as TWTR's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 0.39 marks a call-skewed annual low.

BAC has picked up 0.7% ahead of the open, amid reports the company is planning to cut up to 8,000 retail jobs. It's been a rough year for the bank stock, which has lost over 21% in 2016 to trade at $13.26. Regardless, options traders have remained upbeat, and so have analysts. In fact, 15 of the 20 brokerage firms covering Bank of America Corp recommend buying it, with not a single "sell" rating on the books.

AAPL is edging higher in pre-market trading, as Japan's Nikkei reported the company is considering music production to help its Apple Music business. The stock closed at $97.46 on Tuesday, falling over 13% since its year-to-date high of $112.39 in mid-April. Options traders are still betting on a breakout, though. More specifically, call buying has outpaced put buying during the past two weeks at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX).

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