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Super Micro Options: Do Traders See a Downtrend?
by David Russell | May 23, 2025
Super Micro Computer was an early leader in the AI boom, and options traders are active as it trends lower. This large transaction was detected yesterday in the maker of machine-learning servers: 20,000 23-May 56 calls traded for $0.01. 20,000 23-May 49 calls traded...
Stocks Teeter Again as Investors Nervously Eye Rising Bond Yields
by David Russell | Jan 18, 2022
Stocks tumbled again last week as investors brace for a potentially major increase in bond yields. The S&P 500 slid 0.3 percent between Friday, January 7, and Friday, January 14. It was the index's second straight weekly decline after failing to hold new highs...
Tired of Tech Stocks? These Five Value Names Have Broken Out as the Nasdaq Sputters
by David Russell | Jan 17, 2022
The Nasdaq-100 is sputtering as investors shed growth stocks, but a handful of value names are breaking out. The iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) is down about 7 percent so far in January, while the iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD) is little changed. The 7...
Options Alert: Massive Call Volume Detected in Global Mining Giant
by David Russell | Jan 14, 2022
Metal stocks have jumped lately, and one options trader is apparently looking for upside in a key global producer. Check out this unusual activity in Vale (VALE), the Rio de Janeiro-based mining giant: 26,000 January 14 calls traded for $1.52.26,000 January 17 calls...
The Dollar Is Dropping Sharply, Lifting Global Stocks and Commodity Plays
by David Russell | Jan 13, 2022
All of a sudden, weak-dollar trades are working. At least 26 foreign-country exchange-traded funds are outperforming the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 so far this year, according to TradeStation data. Producers of commodities like oil and metals, which tend to track the...
Energy Stocks Look Like Technology Did Five Years Ago: Technical Analysis
by David Russell | Jan 11, 2022
2022 has begun with another sharp rotation from growth to value stocks. The SPDR Technology ETF had its biggest weekly drop in over a year, while the SPDR Energy ETF had its biggest gain in even longer. The SPDR Financial ETF (XLF) also jumped. Price action in the two...
Value Stocks Are Crushing Tech in 2022. Here Are Some Ways to Find Them With TradeStation
by David Russell | Jan 11, 2022
Value stocks are outperforming again in the New Year. Today we'll consider some methods for discovering them with TradeStation. It may be an opportune time to consider these points because the Nasdaq-100 and "growth" stocks have led the market for several years. But...
Top Stocks for Options Trading
Technology & Communication
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...
IPOs Keep Coming in September
by David Russell | Sep 24, 2018
Initial public offerings (IPOs) are running at their quickest pace in years. Have you been watching? Volume at the end of August was already close to the total for all of 2017, according to data from ClickIPO. In fact, if you include Spotify's (SPOT)'s unusual direct...
Options 101: Hedging With Ratio Spreads
by David Russell | Sep 24, 2018
This post is part of an educational series on equity derivatives. Want to learn more? Sign up for our Options Stars 2018 symposium in Chicago next month. Sometimes I love trading options so much I forget they were invented to be used in tandem with stocks. This post...
Your Favorite Sector’s Getting Reshuffled
by David Russell | Sep 21, 2018
Everyone loves tech. Did you know the sector's about to get reshuffled? Over the years, "technology" has become an increasingly ambiguous term. What do semiconductors have in common with phone companies? Why should routers and photocopiers get lumped alongside social...
Good Tech, Bad Tech: Options Activity Recap
by David Russell | Sep 18, 2018
Call volume spiked noticeably in two different technology stocks yesterday, with two very different meanings. Just look at Broadcom (AVGO). The chip maker went from a darling to a pariah two months ago by purchasing software maker CA (CA). Investors, confused by the...





