Stocks Kick Off Holiday Week on a High Note

U.S.-Iran progress is giving the market a lift today, after the two countries agreed to pause hostilities after a weekend of military conflict. The Nasdaq Composite Index (IXIC) is up 305 points, despite sharp pullbacks from several memory stocks including SanDisk (SNDK) and Micron Technology (MU). The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is up triple digits as well, while the S&P 500 Index (SPX) sits modestly higher. 

Continue reading for more on today's market, including:

• Comcast stock surges as company splits into 3. 
• Bitcoin mining stock hit with another 'buy' rating. 
• Plus, call traders eye AMAT's record highs; CHTR jumps on SpaceX partnership; and VZ tumbles on joint venture. 

Options bulls are targeting Applied Materials Inc (NASDAQ:AMAT) as the stock surges, up 9.9% at $688.71 at last glance -- earlier tapping a record $696.09 -- after price-target hikes from KeyBanc and Cantor Fitzgerald. So far, 32,000 calls have been exchanged, which is double the intraday average call volume and more than double the amount of puts. The July 950 call is the most popular, with new positions opening there. 

Charter Communications Inc (NASDAQ:CHTR) was last seen up 12.2% at $150.00, after Bloomberg reported high-level talks with SpaceX (SPCX) to form a partnership focused on launching a consumer mobile phone offering in the U.S. Today's pop has the shares moving further from a June 22, 10-year low of $124.05, though the 60-day moving average appears to be keeping a cap on gains. Year to date, the equity is down 27.2%. 

One of the worst stocks on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) today, Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ) is down 7.6% to trade at $43.00, after news that the company is combining with British telecommunications company BT Group in a 50/50 joint venture. Plummeting to its lowest level since late January, VZ is still holding on to a 5.8% year-to-date lead.