There's finally some movement from stocks today, after several sessions of rangebound price action. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is up almost 80 points and nabbed a record high earlier, buoyed by a positive post-earnings reaction from Home Depot (HD). The S&P 500 Index (SPX) is more muted, while the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) was last seen down triple digits, as semiconductor stock -- namely Nvidia (NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)-- profit-taking grips the broader tech sector.

Viking Therapeutics Inc (Nasdaq: VKTX) is on fire in the options pits today. At last check, over 114,000 contracts have changed hands, volume that's 9 times the average intraday amount. Most action surrounds the January 2026 60-strike call, a LEAPS contract. Viking stock is down 43.9% to trade at $23.60, after the biotech's mid-stage trial for an experimental obesity drug showed upbeat results, but higher-than-expected patient exits due to side effects. This is poised to be VKTX's biggest one-day drop on record, and puts the shares into the red for the year. 

Intel Corp (Nasdaq: INTC) stock is trying to keep tech stocks afloat today, last seen up 8% to trade at $25.55. Japanese investment conglomerate SoftBank will invest $2 billion in the buzzing chipmaker, a roughly 2% stake in the company. INTC is trading at its highest level since March, and is now up 28% in August alone, a monthly pop that has the shares reclaiming their year-to-date breakeven level. 

Palantir Technologies Inc (Nasdaq: PLTR) is a major part of the tech sector slide today, down 6.8% to trade at $162.05. The controversial data-mining software stock is heading for a fifth-straight loss, a sharp pullback from its Aug. 12 record high of $190. PLTR remains up 113% year to date, and support could be stepping up from a channel of higher highs carved out from an April bottom.

(Click on image to enlarge)

More By This Author:

Quiet Day On Wall Street Finishes Flat As Bitcoin Falters
Stock Struggling For Direction To Start New Week
Stocks Log Second Weekly Win Despite Mixed Close