Saqib Iqbal Ahmed

Dec 12, 2023 ... trillion in U.S. stock options are set to expire on Friday, 80% in S&P 500-linked contracts - the largest in at least 20 years.

Wall Street's most watched gauge of investor anxiety rose to a three-week high on Friday as stock indexes sold off following a an upbeat jobs report that pushed back market expectations for further Federal Reserve interest rate cuts.

As Wall Street draws the curtain on a tumultuous quarter in which stocks logged a record high before tumbling into correction, investors are faced with a mountain of policy uncertainty that clouds the outlook for coming quarters.

Short sellers targeting U.S. companies have gained $127 billion on paper from April 2 through Monday after President Donald Trump's plans for sweeping tariffs sparked a sharp selloff in stocks, according to data and analytics company Ortex Technologies.

Investors will be keeping a close eye on tariff headlines out of Washington next week, as a temporary suspension of punitive import levies is set to expire. If that Wednesday deadline passes without an increase in trade tensions, it could prove positive for the markets.

Investors are becoming more measured in their reaction to news about Trump's Washington policy, with Wednesday's whipsawing headlines over Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell triggering a reaction that fell short of what could happen if the Fed chair was indeed fired.

As U.S. President Donald Trump narrows his shortlist for the next Federal Reserve chair, investors and strategists are closely analyzing the range of possible market reactions to each potential nominee poised to replace Jerome Powell when his term is over.

Climate and energy remain top of mind for long-term investors looking to ensure robust portfolios, panelists at the Reuters Next conference in New York said on Wednesday.

Short sellers are finding it easier to ​borrow SpaceX shares, even as some 5% to 7% ‌of the company's float, about 40 million shares, has been sold short, according to S3 Partners.

Short sellers ​targeting SpaceX ‌shares are sitting on an ​estimated $15.5 billion ​in paper profit since ⁠the rockets-to-AI ​firm's mid-June ​initial public offering, as its stock ​slipped below ​the IPO price, according ‌to ⁠data through Tuesday from analytics firm Ortex ​Technologies.