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Market Insights

Opportunity knocks for those with trading in their DNA.
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Banks Come Through: Earnings This Week

Banks Come Through: Earnings This Week

Earnings season began on a strong foot, thanks to financials and a handful of other key stocks. Bank of America (BAC), Goldman Sachs (GS) and Citigroup (C) led the charge. Stronger banking activity was the big driver, also lifting smaller regionals like Comerica (CMA)...

Brazil Bull Looks for Carnival Rally: Options Recap

Brazil Bull Looks for Carnival Rally: Options Recap

Someone's looking for a Carnival rally in Brazil's top bank, with the help of an unusual options strategy. Shortly after lunch on Friday, a trader sold 10,180 June 17 puts in Itau Unibanco (ITUB) for $3.58. At the same second, he or she bought exactly the same number...

Why Stocks Move: Investor Rotation

Why Stocks Move: Investor Rotation

This post, originally published on September 19, is is part of a series about the catalysts for stock movements. Sign up for TradeStation's Master Class learning sessions next week for the complete course. Anyone who's been in the market for a while will...

Don’t Ignore This Currency as Fear Sweeps Market

Don’t Ignore This Currency as Fear Sweeps Market

The Japanese yen is gaining steam as fear sweeps the market. The currency has long been viewed as a safe haven because of Japan's huge trade surplus and low interest rates. Money traditionally flows away from the country when times are "good" and vice versa when times...

Some Key Funds May Be on the Precipice

Some Key Funds May Be on the Precipice

Volatility's on the rise this month, and three popular ETFs are trying to hang on. The Market Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH), S&P SPDR Financial ETF (XLF) and S&P SPDR Energy ETF (XLE) had all slammed down to apparent support levels earlier in the year. At...

Nasdaq Gets Slammed as Rates Shoot Higher

Nasdaq Gets Slammed as Rates Shoot Higher

Stocks began the fourth quarter in the red as interest rates spiked and money streamed out of the technology sector. The S&P 500 slid 1 percent between Friday, September 28, and Friday, October 5. But that was nothing compared with the Nasdaq-100's 3 percent drop...

The Message Behind Yesterday’s Volatility Spike

The Message Behind Yesterday’s Volatility Spike

Yesterday was a reminder for traders who forgot what volatility feels like. The S&P 500 had its biggest drop since June 25, and Cboe's Volatility Index ($VIX.X) had its biggest spike over the same period. Even more impressive, TradeStation data showed 23.6 million...

How Long Can the Party Last in This Latin Lender?

How Long Can the Party Last in This Latin Lender?

Brazil is en fuego, as Market Insights highlighted yesterday. But this session options traders are fading the rally in a key name. Itau Unibanco (ITUB), the country's biggest lender, is up 7.49 percent to $12.34 in afternoon trading. The gains come amid optimism that...

The Subprime Crash Started a Decade Ago

The Subprime Crash Started a Decade Ago

October 2008, a month that's lived in infamy for many investors, is now a decade in the rear-view mirror. A decade ago today, the S&P 500 slipped under 1100. It was the lowest close in almost four years and kicked off an historic slide that shook confidence in the...