On CNBC's "Halftime Report Final Trades," Oliver Renick, the network's Options Reporter, said that while the S&P 500 has been on a 9-day winning streak, international stocks lagged last week.

SQX Resources (ASX: SQX) and iShares MSCI EAFE (NYSE:EFA) are stuck below their February highs. Meanwhile, Chinese stocks have seen six false starts since the beginning of the year, while Brazilian stocks have shaved off most of the 30% gains they accumulated going into April.

Conversely, Chinese ETFs like KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (NYSE:KWEB) account for eight of the 10 most active call options. In addition, Ishares Msci Brazil ETF (NYSE:EWZ) saw calls vs. puts at 10:1.

Ishares Msci South Korea ETF (NYSE:EWY) has doubled year-to-date, driven by semiconductor gains, but investor confidence is low.

Don't forget to check out our premarket coverage here.

Price Action

  • SQX Resources rose 3.23% to A$0.06 in the Australian morning session on Thursday.
  • iShares MSCI EAFE fell 0.86% to close at $104.12 on Wednesday.
  • KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF fell 3.92% to close at $27.22 on Wednesday.
  • Ishares Msci Brazil ETF slid 3.19% to close at $34.64 on Wednesday.
  • Ishares Msci South Korea ETF declined 0.73% to close at $212.96 on Wednesday.

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