Market Insights
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How to Trade SPY Options
SPDR S&P 500 ETF isn’t just the most active product in the stock market – it’s also the most traded in the options market. Learn more here.
Technical Analysis: Netflix Shares Are Inching Toward a Big Price Gap
Does anyone remember Netflix? After losing three-quarters of its value between November and May, the streaming-video stock may be trying to claw its way back. The first pattern on today’s chart is the bearish price gap on April 20 after the business unexpectedly lost...
Videogame Slowdown Is the Latest Negative to Hit Semiconductor Stocks
Nvidia fell sharply after cutting guidance yesterday, the latest bearish headline facing the semiconductor industry. "Our gaming product sell-through projections declined significantly," CEO Jensen Huang said in a statement preannouncing weak results for the fiscal...
Stocks Keep Advancing as Economic, Inflation Hopes Draw Investors Back to the Market
Stocks advanced again last week as inflation-wary investors keep inching back into the market. The S&P 500 rose 0.36 percent between Friday, July 29, and Friday, August 5. It was the third straight weekly advance, returning the index to its highest level in two...
Options Alert: Big Investor Adjusts Upside Trade In Ford Motor
Ford Motor has jumped as its business roars back to life, and one options trader is giving the automaker more room to run. Check out this unusual options activity in F this morning: Some 20,000 August 16 calls were purchased for $0.25 against open interest of 68,700...
Technical Analysis: Exxon Mobil Could Be Stalling
Energy stocks have dominated the market this year, but now the biggest of the bunch is showing signs of weakness: Exxon Mobil. The first pattern on today’s chart is the jump following strong quarterly results on July 29. While that may have been impressive, it soon...
Where’s the Fear? VIX Keeps Sliding as Big Events Fail to Lift Volatility
Cboe's "fear index" hasn't been showing a lot of panic lately. The Volatility Index ($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...
Technology & Communication
Chart of the Day: Are Chips Losing Their Edge to Software Stocks?
Semiconductor stocks have surged this year, thanks in large part to Nvidia. But they could be losing relative strength to software makers within the technology sector. Today’s main chart focuses on the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH), which closely tracks the...
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...
Know Your Options: What Earnings Mean for Volatility
One of the most predictable trends in the market is that implied volatility rises before big events. But do you know what this means and how to trade it? Here are the basics. Options price in the likelihood of a stock moving, either higher or lower. They get more...
Stocks Keep Climbing as Market Enters a Huge Week for Events
Stocks keep climbing amid bullish news as we enter a super-busy week of events. The S&P 500 rose 1.2 percent between Friday, April 19, and Friday, April 26. The index also closed at a new all-time high of 2940, with technology and the Nasdaq-100 still leading the...
Podcast: Investors Chasing Stocks As the Other Shoe Fails to Drop
Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft are leading a rally in technology stocks. Some companies are repairing damage from last year, while others just keep innovating. The podcast also highlights some newer companies you may not know.