Market Insights
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Bearish Option Strategy: Call Credit Spread
Traders sell a call option near the money and buy another at a higher strike. This strategy generates a credit, while limiting potential losses if prices increase. Learn more
Technical Analysis: Exxon Mobil Could Be Stalling
Energy stocks have dominated the market this year, but now the biggest of the bunch is showing signs of weakness: Exxon Mobil. The first pattern on today’s chart is the jump following strong quarterly results on July 29. While that may have been impressive, it soon...
Where’s the Fear? VIX Keeps Sliding as Big Events Fail to Lift Volatility
Cboe's "fear index" hasn't been showing a lot of panic lately. The Volatility Index ($VIX.X) declined steadily between mid-June and late July. That six-week slide was the longest negative streak since late 2019, according to TradeStation data. It's up slightly this...
Stocks Leapt Higher in July, But Will the Rally Continue this Month?
Stocks just finished their best month in over a year. Can they keep running in August? The S&P 500 climbed 4.3 percent in the week between Friday, July 22, and Friday, July 29. That helped lift the index 9.1 percent in July, giving the index its biggest monthly...
Chart of the Day: Chinese Electric Car Stock Rallies and Pulls Back
Most Chinese stocks remain well below their 52-week highs, but not Li Auto. Let's consider some of the patterns on the Beijing-based maker of electric cars and SUVs. First you have the level around $33. It was the opening price on December 3 when news of Didi's...
The Fed Hints at Peak Hawkishness Following Another Huge Interest Rate Hike
The Federal Reserve may have reached "peak hawkishness" after seven months of embracing tighter monetary policy. The central bank raised the target for its interest rates by 75 basis points today. The move matched expectations and mirrored a similar historic increase...
Options Alert: Mega Call Spreads Target Historic Level in Brazilian Energy Stock
For the second session in a row, options traders targeted a key level in South American oil driller Petrobras. Check out this large bullish call spread Monday in Rio De Janeiro-based PBR: A block of 40,000 January 14 calls was purchased for $0.50. An equal number of...
Technology & Communication
Options Alert: Trader Looks for More Upside in Chinese Tech Stock
Chinese technology stocks have been jumping, and one options trader is positioning for the move to continue. Check out this unusual activity this afternoon in e-commerce company JD.com (JD): Some 5,000 February 70 calls were purchased for $4.01.At the same time, the...
Bears Still Proliferating, and Not Just Because of Tariffs on China
Sentiment has swung sharply bearish this week. President Trump's tariffs on China are a big part of the story, but health care's another major culprit. The biggest decliner in the S&P 500 today, for instance, was Mylan (MYL). Disappointing results, manufacturing...
Podcast: Uber’s IPO and the Truth About Tech
Uber’s initial public offering (IPO) is scheduled for Friday. In this podcast we break down what it means for Uber and the broader technology sector.
Big Tech Beats, Big Tech Misses: Earnings This Week
Three of the biggest companies in the U.S. have reported earnings in the last week. Their results were good, so-so, and bad. Take the good news first: Apple (AAPL) is starting to move beyond its reliance on smart phones and shifting into longer-lasting businesses....
Apple Rules the Roost as IPhone Maker Surges: April at TradeStation
Apple (AAPL) was the most popular symbol at TradeStation in April as the technology giant kept rising for a fourth straight month. There weren't many changes to the list of most active stocks and ETFs last month. Attention continued to focus on large technology...