Market Insights
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Options Alert: Is This AI Pioneer Broken?
Super Micro Computer was an early leader in the AI boom, but one options trader could be taking a grim view.
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...
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...
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...
Some of 2018’s IPOs Have Pulled Back As Uber Deal Approaches
Initial public offerings (IPO) are taking a pause before Uber's (UBER) huge deal next month. That makes it good time to review some of last year's deals. Several companies that went public in early 2018 or late 2017 have pulled back after pushing to new highs in...
Bulls Chasing Strongest Name in a Breakout Sector: Options Recap
Semiconductors have broken out to new highs, and one investor is targeting more gains in one of the industry's top performers. Marvell Technology (MRVL), whose chips are used for data storage and networking, has climbed 11 percent in the last week. That makes it the...
Media ETF on the Move as Disney Shifts to Streaming Services
Media stocks are on the move as a key player in the space makes an historic shift. The SPDR Communications Services ETF (XLC) has risen almost 4 percent so far in April -- almost twice the performance of the broader S&P 500 over that period. It was also one of...
Pinterest IPO Is Coming to the Market For Less Than Expected
The flood of initial public offerings (IPOs) continues, with attention now turning to a popular social-media service. Pinterest (PINS) announced yesterday it would issue 75 million shares for $15-17 each. Based on its 529 million share count, that translates into an...