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Bullish and Bearish: Key Points About Vertical Option Spreads
by David Russell | Sep 21, 2025
Vertical spreads are one of the most common strategies in the options market because they can generate leverage with limited risk. This article will consider key points about bullish and bearish spreads. Vertical spreads involve two "legs" on the same underlier to...
Art of TradeStation: Getting Ready for Earnings Season
by David Russell | Dec 19, 2022
Earnings season is a key time because it lets the market assess the finances of individual companies and whole industries. Earnings season is also a time of increased volumes and price movements, creating potential opportunities for investors and active traders. While...
Negatives Are Piling Up in This Year’s Only Positive Sector
by David Russell | Dec 12, 2022
Energy stocks are the only positive sector in 2022, but they're ending the year under a cloud of negativity. Crude oil futures (@CL) have fallen 13 percent so far in December, putting them on pace for their biggest drop in over a year. They're down in six of the last...
Technical Analysis: What If Apple Holds This Price Level?
by David Russell | Dec 11, 2022
Megacap technology stocks like Apple have dragged on the market amid disruptions in China. But what if the iPhone giant manages to bounce? Could it give the bigger indexes a boost? The main pattern on today’s chart is the $140 level. This price first had importance on...
Attention Amazon Traders! Check Out This Chart
by David Russell | Dec 9, 2022
Amazon.com has declined along with the broader Nasdaq-100. But other consumer-facing companies have fared much better. The chart below compares AMZN with competing retailers. It uses percentage-change charts with a six-month interval. Notice how the e-commerce giant...
Stocks Could Face a Lull as Investors Wait for Bigger Events Next Week
by David Russell | Dec 5, 2022
Action in the stock market could hit a brief lull as investors wait for big events later in the month. The S&P 500 rose 1.1 percent between Friday, November 25, and Friday, December 2. All of the gain occurred on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome...
Three Potential Signs of a Turn, Even After Stocks Had Another Bearish Week
by David Russell | Dec 3, 2022
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on April 6, 2020. Stocks fell again last week, but there may be signs the market is starting to see light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel. The S&P 500 slid 2.1 percent between Friday, March 27, and Friday,...
Top Stocks for Options Trading
Technology & Communication
Troubled Trio? Why These Megacaps Are Faltering in 2024
by David Russell | Mar 5, 2024
The stock market is off to a roaring start in 2024, but three former leaders might be left behind. Apple (AAPL), Tesla (TSLA) and Alphabet (GOOGL) have dropped in recent weeks as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 rallied to new highs. They're now below chart levels that...
A Wave of IPOs Is Building, Led by WeWork and SmileDirectClub
by David Russell | Sep 5, 2019
Volatility is fading this month, just as a wave of companies looks to go public. Prominent firms including WeWork (WE) and SmileDirectClub (SDC) are expected to raise more than $1 billion each in their initial public offerings (IPOs). Combined with other big names...
Apple Slips From Top Spot as Volatility Spikes: August at TradeStation
by David Russell | Aug 30, 2019
Volatility spiked in August, shifting attention away from individual stocks and toward the indexes. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) was the busiest symbol on TradeStation since the end of July, ending a four-month reign at the top by Apple (AAPL). Other index-linked...
Retailers Rebound as Earnings Season Ends on a Strong Note
by David Russell | Aug 23, 2019
Retail stocks rebounded from a selloff last week as investors shrugged off tariff fears and looked for strong earnings into the holidays. Target (TGT), Home Depot (HD), Lowe's (LOW) and Nordstrom (JWN) are among the market's biggest gainers in the last week. Some had...
Retailers Crash as Unsold Merchandise Piles Up: Earnings This Week
by David Russell | Aug 14, 2019
Retail earnings are off to a bearish start as unsold merchandise piles up and shopping centers go quiet. Macy's (M) started things on a bearish foot yesterday. Not only did profit, revenue and guidance miss estimates. The tone of its release was also dismal: "Rising...





