Institutions Just Loaded These Squeeze Plays

Brandon Chapman flagged a stock today with nearly 30% of its float sold short. Big money bought 24,000 call contracts on it in one session.

That setup can trigger a violent short squeeze.

Brandon breaks down the mechanics in tonight’s video. Heavy call buying forces dealers to hedge.

They buy stock to offset the calls they sold. That pressure ignites the short covering underneath.

TripAdvisor (TRIP) is the standout. Traders piled into the $15 strike for August.

The stock sits just under 15 now. A push through that level opens room to 17, then 20.

The short data raises the stakes.

Here are the numbers Brandon pulled up in tonight’s video:

TripAdvisor carries nearly 30% of its float short with a short ratio of 8.26 days to cover.
Traders scaled up to 24,000 contracts at the TripAdvisor $15 strike, filling near the ask around $1.05.
PBF Energy printed 4,600 call contracts in one order, then stacked a second 4,600 print on top.
PBF holds 14 million shares short against a 91 million share float, near 12.3% and about 4.5 days to cover.
Institutions bought PBF calls targeting $60 by August 21st as the stock tagged a new 52 week high.

PBF is a refiner. The oil bid runs wider than that one name.

Oil broke out today. The conflict in the Persian Gulf keeps a bid under crude.

Brandon tracked call buying across refiners and energy funds. Each order marks a strike that can pull price toward it, then accelerate through it.

Tonight’s video maps the specific orders:

Occidental (OXY) drew about 3,000 calls at the 56 strike, sitting near a 36 delta.
HF Sinclair (DINO) saw roughly 3,000 contracts at the 85 strike for August, already above its top open interest strike by about $1.70.
The natural gas fund UNG had 5,000 contracts bought in one print at the ask at the $12 strike for August.

There is a second thread. The S&P 500 slipped about three quarters of a percent today.

Brandon says the market gapped out of positive gamma over the weekend. It landed in negative gamma territory.

That structure accelerates moves lower. A flat or lower open tomorrow could bring real selling pressure at the bell.

The week’s range sits between 740 and 760. A heavy magnet holds at 750.

The read already produced trades. Brandon points to a move this morning that ran from 60 cents to a dollar, a 67% gain for those who caught it.

Brandon lays out every strike, every level, and the exact squeeze mechanics in tonight’s video.

Video Length: 00:20:45

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