Stocks are a mixed bag today. While the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is off triple digits, the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) is heading for an 11th-straight win and the S&P 500 Index (SPX) is close to record highs. Semiconductor stocks continue to outperform, with bank earnings and central bank drama also in focus. Amid recent choppiness, Wall Street's "fear gauge" -- the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) -- is headed for a sixth-straight loss.
IonQ Inc stock is getting blitzed by options traders today. At last look, 110,000 calls have exchanged hands, volume that's seven times the average intraday amount and almost triple the number of puts traded. The April 40 call is the most active, with new positions are being bought to open there. IonQ stock is 17.9% higher to trade at $42.17 at last check, as quantum computing names rally after the company scored a contract in the Heterogeneous Architectures for Quantum (HARQ) program within the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). IONQ is down 6.6% in 2026.
Allbirds Inc stock has exploded today, up 632.5% to trade at $18.24 at last check. The former shoe company is rebranding into the AI compute infrastructure business. Allbirds secured a $50 million convertible financing agreement and will change its name to Newbird AI. Its footwear brand assets will be sold to the American Exchange Group, and a special dividend in the third quarter is anticipated. Prior to this unexpected development, BIRD was trading in penny stock territory, falling to a record low of $2.15 on March 31.
ASML Holding NV stock is near the bottom of the Nasdaq today, down 4.5% to trade at $1,463.68. The Dutch-based semiconductor company reported a top-line beat for the first quarter and also hiked its 2026 outlook, but a lackluster second-quarter sales outlook is weighing on the shares. ASML is up 36% in 2026 still and is not far off its Feb. 25, all-time high of $1,546.72.
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