The stock performance of the "Magnificent Seven" group is now moving in different directions.

This group of seven companies, often referred to as the "Magnificent Seven," has just done something unprecedented since the launch of ChatGPT sparked a market-wide artificial intelligence frenzy.

According to equity derivatives strategists at Bank of America, except for NVIDIA (which has not yet reported earnings), each of these companies experienced a post-earnings stock price movement that exceeded the implicit expectations priced in by the options market beforehand.

This does not mean all movements were positive, but the magnitude was significant. Tesla Motors shares plunged 15% after its earnings release, while Microsoft shares surged 16%.

Bank of America's calculations indicate that these earnings reports, combined with the unwinding of a position by the hedge fund Situational Awareness and the uncertainty arising from the press conference of new Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, have collectively pushed stock market dispersion in the U.S. to its highest level in nearly 35 years.

Strategists stated, "While the accumulation of a tech bubble can overcome such headwinds and uncertainty over the long term, short-term declines and rotations into value stocks are not uncommon."

They proposed some ideas for hedging these risks. They noted that a call option spread strategy for the healthcare sector (XLv) can yield up to $4 in returns for every $1 invested, while also limiting downside risk compared to directly buying stocks, given the sector is already in overbought territory.

A call option gives the buyer the right to purchase the underlying stock at a specific price within a specific time frame. A call spread is a trading strategy involving buying one call option and simultaneously selling another call option with a higher strike price and the same expiration date. This strategy aims to reduce the upfront cost of the trade while limiting potential profits and maximum risk.

Across all sectors or markets, healthcare ranks highest on Bank of America's bubble risk indicator, which combines an asset's returns, volatility, momentum, and vulnerability.

Strategists also pointed out that some options strategies could benefit from a "slow decline" in the S&P 500, achievable through put spreads or put spread collars, "given the current market's susceptibility to rotation and the high level of put option skew."

A put option gives the buyer the right to sell the underlying asset at a specific price before a specific time.

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Editor: Zhang Jun, SF065