Market Insights
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Options Alert: Put Volume Spikes in PepsiCo
by David Russell | Sep 16, 2025
PepsiCo began September with a failed rally, and a big options trade yesterday seemed to target further downside.
Chart of the Day: Tight Consolidation, Golden Cross in Top Solar Stock
by David Russell | Jul 13, 2022
Solar energy has been one of a few bright spots in this bearish market. Today we’re looking at the company in the group with the largest market cap: Enphase Energy (ENPH). The first pattern on this daily chart is the uptrend since mid-May -- the opposite of the...
Nasdaq and Tech Are Stabilizing as Investors Prepare for Earnings Season
by David Russell | Jul 11, 2022
Growth stocks and the Nasdaq-100 could be attempting a turn after six months of steady declines. The technology-heavy index rose 4.7 percent in the holiday-shortened week between Friday, July 1, and Friday, July 8. In absolute terms, the gain was smaller than two...
Trend Following: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Pullback
by David Russell | Jul 8, 2022
Everybody talks about buying the pullback, but sometimes it's easier said than done. Fortunately, TradeStation's desktop and web platforms include several tools for investors looking to follow trends. This information-packed educational video demonstrates how...
Call Volume Spikes in Nikola Before Shareholder Vote
by David Russell | Jul 7, 2022
After a big slide, one big options trader is looking for a rebound in Nikola. Large blocks of calls changed hands yesterday in the electric-truck developer. A block of 40,000 July 5.50 calls were bought for $0.22. The investor sold a matching number of July 6.50 calls...
Chart of the Day: Is it Prime Time for Amazon.com?
by David Russell | Jul 5, 2022
Amazon.com has retraced almost all of its pandemic gains. Is this an opportunity for buyers? Let's consider some chart patterns. First is the $101.79 level (split adjusted). It was a peak in July 2019 and a breakout area immediately before the coronavirus selloff in...
Recession Fears Swelled Last Week. Is That Good News for the Nasdaq?
by David Russell | Jul 5, 2022
Stocks fell again last week as recession worries increased, but there could be some positives as the second half begins. The S&P 500 fell 2.2 percent between Friday, June 24, and Friday, July 1. The decline finished another negative quarter, however a bigger story...
Top Stocks for Options Trading
Technology & Communication
Chart of the Day: Are Chips Losing Their Edge to Software Stocks?
by David Russell | Sep 11, 2023
Semiconductor stocks have surged this year, thanks in large part to Nvidia. But they could be losing relative strength to software makers within the technology sector. Today’s main chart focuses on the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH), which closely tracks the...
Why Stocks Move: Business Transformation
by David Russell | Mar 12, 2019
This post is part of a series about the catalysts for stock movements. It’s based on a series of talks at TradeStation’s Master Class learning sessions. Business changes over time, and companies need to keep up. This process creates...
What are FANG Stocks? Nasdaq Growth Names on the Move
by David Russell | Mar 11, 2019
Remember FANG stocks? Investors are flocking back to major technology stocks like Facebook (FB) today. The NYSE FANG+ index ($NYFANG) is up 2.7 percent in afternoon trading, its biggest gain since late January. That's driving a big rally in the Nasdaq-100. Meanwhile...
Retailers Rebound as Tech Traders Sell the News: Earnings This Week
by David Russell | Mar 7, 2019
The last week of earnings saw big rallies by old-fashioned retailers. Software companies also beat estimates, but failed to advance. Foot Locker (FL) led the charge by crushing consensus on its top and bottom lines. Same-store sales, a key metric showing the...
Chinese Tech Stocks Are Crushing the Nasdaq
by David Russell | Mar 7, 2019
Forget about trade wars. The big story with China this year may be the runaway rally in the country's technology sector. The Golden Dragon Index ($HXC) has surged 9 percent in the last month and is up 28 percent so far in 2019. That's more than twice the gains of the...





