Option News Today — July 24, 2026

The markets are bracing for potential volatility as the S&P 500 flashes sell signals, prompting options traders to prepare for wild swings in major tech stocks such as Apple, Meta, and Microsoft. This comes as traders are closely watching key levels, including the 'risk pivot' level, which could indicate a significant shift in market sentiment. The uncertainty in the market is also being driven by broader economic and technological trends, including the growing importance of artificial intelligence and the potential risks associated with it.

The intersection of technology and geopolitics is also making headlines, with the US and other nations expressing support for open-source AI with strong security at a recent China summit. Meanwhile, the potential risks of AI are being highlighted by incidents such as the Hugging Face hack, which has triggered a bill in Congress aimed at creating an 'AI Kill Switch'. In a separate development, an analyst has downplayed the near-term threat posed by SpaceX to AT&T, suggesting that the telecom giant has years to adapt to the emerging competition. As the markets navigate these complex trends and uncertainties, options traders are likely to remain focused on the major tech stocks and the broader market indices, including the S&P 500.

Today's signal:
• Hollywood home of Martin Short’s late daughter is listed for $1.8 million (marketwatch.com)
• U.S., other nations back open-source AI with 'strong security' at China summit (cnbc.com)
• S&P 500 flashes sell signals — options traders are bracing for wild swings in Apple, Meta and Microsoft (marketwatch.com)
• OpenAI's Hugging Face hack triggers 'AI Kill Switch' bill in Congress (cnbc.com)
• As the S&P 500 sells off, traders eye key 'risk pivot' level (cnbc.com)
• AT&T won’t need to worry about SpaceX for ‘years,’ analyst says (marketwatch.com)