Workday Inc (NASDAQ:WDAY) stock is up 7.8% at $275.15, after the software name posted fourth-quarter earnings of $1.92 per share on revenue of $2.21 billion, beating estimates of $1.78 on $2.18 billion. The software company is seeing a greater demand for artificial intelligence (AI) tools and benefited from a "$1.1 billion release of the valuation allowance related to U.S. federal and state deferred tax assets." Year over year, the equity is down 6.8%. 

In the options pits so far, WDAY has seen 11,000 calls and 11,000 puts exchanged, which is already 2.4 times its average daily options volume. The weekly 4/4 245-strike put is the most popular, with new positions being sold to open there. 

Intuit Inc (NASDAQ:INTU) is shooting off last session's 52-week lows, up 11.7% at $620.37 at last check, though still down 6.6% year over year. The fintech company reported fiscal second-quarter earnings of $3.32 per share on $3.96 billion in revenue, above expectations of $2.58 per share on $3.83 billion, and better-than-expected current-quarter guidance. Following the news, Morgan Stanley upgraded the shares to "overweight" from "equal weight," though no fewer than five other analysts slashed their price targets, including Scotiabank to $600 from $700. 

INTU has seen 7,829 calls and 3,779 puts cross the tape so far, which is seven times the overall volume typically seen at this point. March 720 call is the most popular, where new positions are being sold to open. 

The auto industry is in the spotlight today, as several major stocks react to earnings reports, strategic moves, and executive changes. Investors are closely watching General Motors Co (NYSE:GM), Stellantis NV (NYSE:STLA), and Lucid Group Inc (NASDAQ:LCID) amid these developments.

General Motors announced a 25% increase in its quarterly dividend to 15 cents per share and unveiled a $6 billion stock buyback plan, with $2 billion in repurchases set for the second quarter. In response, GM has surged 6.9% to $49.96 so far today, extending its 23.3% year-over-year gain.

Stellantis, meanwhile, is grappling with a steep 70% drop in full-year profit, reporting 2024 net earnings of 5.5 billion euros, falling short of analyst expectations. The disappointing results have sent STLA 5.4% lower to $13.28 at last glance, deepening its 47.7% year-over-year decline.

As for Lucid Group, the EV maker announced plans to more than double vehicle production to 20,000 units this year. However, the stock took a hit after news of a leadership shakeup, with CEO Peter Rawlinson stepping down. LCID was last seen down 7.1% at $2.42, bringing its 2025 loss to 20.4%.

Options activity is heating up for all three. General Motors stock is trading at three times its average intraday volume, while Stellantis and Lucid Group stocks are both seeing five times their usual activity. At STLA’s most popular contract, the June 11 put, new positions are being sold to open, suggesting traders may be eyeing a short-term floor.

Just a day after competitor Home Depot (HD) had its turn in the earnings confessional, Lowe's Companies Inc (NYSE:LOW) revealed a top- and bottom-line win for the fourth quarter amid improving sales. The home improvement retailer also saw demand fall amid higher interest rates and home costs, however, issuing a lackluster sales and profit forecast for the year.

LOW is up 3.6% to trade at $251 at last glance, after yesterday snapping a six-day losing streak. The stock has only had three positive weeks since the beginning of the year, but still added 12.6% over the last six months. The shares are extending a bounce off their lowest level since August, but overhead pressure remains at their 20-day moving average.

Analysts have yet to chime in on the results, but already lean bullish on LOW, with 21 of the 32 in coverage sporting a "buy" or better rating. Plus, the 12-month consensus target price of $283.71 is a 17.1% premium to current levels.

That optimism is echoed in the options pits. This is per LOW's 50-day call/put volume ratio of 1.54 at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), which stands higher than 70% of annual readings.

Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA) is gearing up for its fourth-quarter report, due out after the close tomorrow, Feb. 26. NVDA typically has a strong earnings showing, closing six of its last eight post-earnings sessions higher, and yet it's still sliding ahead of the event, gathering plenty of attention from investors.

The stock's upward momentum has slowed over the past few months, with concerns swirling over China's artificial intelligence (AI) breakthroughs and the potential for slowing demand from key customers. Per Wolfe Research, this report is a "make or break" moment for the chip darling. 

At last glance, NVDA was down 1.8% at $127.95. The shares are headed for their third-straight loss as they fall further from their Jan. 7 record high of $153.13. The tech stock added 171.2% in 2024, and 238.9% in 2023, but since the start of 2025, it is down 4%.

The options pits are pricing in a 15.2% post-earnings move this time around, regardless of direction. Over the last two years, the security has averaged a 9.2% next-day swing. 

Nvidia is consistently a favorite amongst options traders, yesterday topping Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White's list of stocks with the highest options volume in the past 10 days. So far today, 1.3 million calls and 1.2 million puts have been traded, with the most activity at the weekly 2/28 140-strike call. 

These options are reasonably priced, too. NVDA's Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 70% ranks in the low 19th percentile of its annual range, meaning options traders are pricing in low volatility expectations. 

Bitcoin (BTC) began the year on a high note, nearly reaching the $110,000 mark. However, the world’s leading cryptocurrency is now trading at a three-month low, just above $86,000. As BTC pulls back, put traders are increasingly targeting key equities such as MicroStrategy Inc (NASDAQ:MSTR) and Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ:COIN), signaling potential challenges ahead.

At last glance, MSTR shares were down 11%, trading at $251.64. Despite a remarkable 217% year-over-year gain, the stock has declined 12.8% in 2025, largely due to a 28.4% drop over the past month. Notably, MicroStrategy stock is now trading below the $280 mark --  support level that previously served as a floor during a significant late-December pullback.

Coinbase Global stock was last seen down 7.6% to trade at $209.76, marking its seventh consecutive day of losses. The shares have shed 29% over the past month and are down 14.8% year-to-date. Additionally, COIN is now trading below the $220 level for the first time since early November.

Put traders are targeting both equities at roughly double their average intraday volume. For MSTR, the most popular option is the weekly 2/28 250-strike put, where new positions are being sold to open. Meanwhile, COIN’s favored contract is the weekly 2/28 200-strike put.

CAVA Group Inc (NYSE:CAVA) and Sweetgreen Inc (NYSE:SG) are slated to report fourth-quarter results after the close tomorrow and on Wednesday, Feb. 26, respectively. Below, let's check in with the restaurant groups, as well as competitor Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG).

CAVA Cools Before Earnings

CAVA is down 3.3% to trade at $104.37 at last check, trading at its lowest level since December and pacing for a fourth-straight loss. Last week, the shares suffered a 17.5% weekly drawdown, their worst of the year. The stock still sports a 105.2% year-over-year lead though, and has an encouraging history of post-earnings reactions, finishing four of its five next-day sessions higher to average a move of 7.4%, regardless of direction. This time around, the options pits are pricing in a much larger swing of 20.6%. 

SG Bounces Back

SG was last seen up 6.4% to trade at $23.22, eyeing their best single-day percentage gain since November. The shares are bouncing off a pullback to their lowest level since May, and remain below all long- and short-term moving averages despite a 103.8% year-over-year lead. SG usually fares well after earnings, settling higher the following session in five out of the last eight quarters. The equity averaged a move of 24.3% over the past two years, regardless of direction, but this time the options pits are pricing in a smaller move of 17.4%.

CMG Eyes 6th-Straight Loss

CMG is down 0.2% to trade at $51.41 at last check, and dropped 18.5% in the last nine months. Should these losses hold, Chipotle stock will etch a sixth consecutive loss, just after marking a third-straight weekly drop. CMG is trading at its lowest level since August after failing to conquer overhead pressure at the $60 level, which snapped into place in January.

Iron & steel stock Cleveland-Cliffs Inc (NYSE:CLF) was last seen down 9.1% at $10.13, after the company posted wider-than-expected fourth-quarter losses of 68 cents per share alongside a revenue miss. Demand for steel remains cautious amid the early stages of Trump's tariffs and the potential merger between Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel (X), which is still on the table. 

Cleveland-Cliffs stock is headed for its worst daily percentage loss since its Nov. 5 post-earnings drop of 11.5%. The stock has been struggling to stage a meaningful breakout from its Dec. 30 roughly four-year low of $8.99, and was just rejected multiple times by the 150-day moving average above the $12 level. Support appears to be consistent at the $10 level, however. 

Over in the options pits, 21,000 calls and 11,000 puts have already been exchanged, which represents double the overall options volume typically seen at this point. The weekly 2/28 10.50-strike and 12-strike calls are the most popular, with new positions being bought to open at the May 12 call. 

Notably, while short interest has started to unwind, down 8.2% over the last two weeks, it still represents 8.7% of the stock's available float. It would take three days for shorts to cover, at CLF's average pace of trading.