Market Insights
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The Basics of Options
by David Russell | Sep 21, 2025
Options are an important tool for many retail investors. They can either replace trading shares, or make it easier to position oneself in stocks. Let’s consider the first things options traders need to know. An Option’s Price Is Usually Called ‘Premium’ There are some...
Technical Analysis: Tight Consolidation in Another Clean Energy Stock
by David Russell | Sep 14, 2022
Clean-energy stocks have been one of the strongest parts of the market lately, and today’s chart focuses on a new battery-tech name: Stem. The first pattern is the quick uptrend in late summer, fueled by the Inflation Reduction Act and strong quarterly results on...
Inflation Jumps Before the Fed: Are There Any Signs of Improvement?
by David Russell | Sep 14, 2022
Inflation jumped again in August, but there could be signs of price increases slowing. The Consumer Price Index rose 8.3 percent last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was 0.2 percentage point higher than expected. The surprise made investors...
Options Alert: Call Volume Swells in Apple as IPhone 14 Hits the Market
by David Russell | Sep 13, 2022
The options activity may be turning bullish in Apple as the smart-phone giant rolls out the iPhone 14. Some 1.1 million call contracts traded in AAPL yesterday. That was the most since the earnings came out in late July, according to TradeStation data. Our analytics...
Chart of the Day: Is It Time to Go Back to the Well in Occidental?
by David Russell | Sep 12, 2022
Occidental Petroleum is the biggest gainer in the S&P 500 this year, but was the biggest decliner last week. Is the dip an opportunity for the bulls? The first pattern on today's chart is the surge to a new 52-week high in late August. It is one of only 12 S&P...
Stocks Hold Key Support as the Bulls Face a Wall of Worry
by David Russell | Sep 12, 2022
Stocks just held key support as strong economic data overshadowed persistent bearishness. The S&P 500 just had its first positive week in the last four. Ninety-three percent of the index’s members advanced, along with every major sector.
Technical Analysis: ON Semi’s Breakout and Pullback
by David Russell | Sep 9, 2022
ON Semiconductor is one of the few chip stocks to hit new highs this summer. It then pulled back along with the rest of the market, and is now bouncing. The first pattern on today's chart is the falling trendline along the peaks of January, March and June. ON broke...
Top Stocks for Options Trading
Technology & Communication
Nvidia Is Sitting Quietly After Another Strong Report
by David Russell | Nov 29, 2023
Nvidia is the only member of the S&P 500 that's tripled this year. Now it's stuck near record highs as traders enter the home stretch into 2024. This chart highlights some a few patterns on the semiconductor giant. First, notice how prices have shown signs of...
Good News Shrugged Off: Earnings This Week
by David Russell | May 9, 2019
Investors are looking past good quarterly results and punishing stocks that missed estimates. In the last week, companies like Walt Disney (DIS), Allergan (AGN), Electronic Arts (EA) and KLA Tencor (KLAC) beat estimates, only to drift or fall. The tepid response comes...
Solar ETF Shining as Rest of Market Dives Lower
by David Russell | May 8, 2019
The S&P 500 had its worst day in over a month, but one forgotten corner of the market was shining. The Invesco Solar Energy ETF (TAN) rose 2.35 percent on Tuesday, bucking a drop of 1.65 percent for the broader S&P 500. TAN's gain of almost 4.2 percent in the...
Bears Still Proliferating, and Not Just Because of Tariffs on China
by David Russell | May 7, 2019
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
by David Russell | May 7, 2019
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.




