Market Insights
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Deals and Doves This Summer?
by David Russell | Jul 10, 2025
M&A has increased as the Federal Reserve inches toward potential rate cuts.
Technical Analysis: Amazon.com Bounced After Earnings. Now What?
by David Russell | Feb 8, 2022
Amazon.com rallied sharply on some bullish news last week. But it may face some bearish patterns over the intermediate and longer terms. First, consider the level around $3,175. AMZN bounced there in the second, third and fourth quarters of last year before breaking...
Stocks Try to Rebound on Strong Earnings as Yields Surge Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels
by David Russell | Feb 7, 2022
Stocks bounced amid some positive news last week, but remain under pressure as interest rates increase. The S&P 500 rose 1.5 percent between Friday, January 28, and Friday, February 4. It was the second straight gain following a sharp decline in January. Other big...
Amazon.com vs Meta: Earnings Highlight Confusing Changes as Covid Winds Down
by David Russell | Feb 4, 2022
Amazon.com is flying and Meta Networks crashed: This earnings season is highlighting new divisions between haves and have-nots as America moves away from the coronavirus pandemic. On one side are companies successfully executing their plans: Amazon.com (AMZN),...
Quadruple Witching Dates for 2022: How Can They Impact Stock and Futures Trading?
by David Russell | Feb 3, 2022
Quadruple witching is an event in financial markets when four different sets of futures and options expire on the same day. Futures and options are derivatives, linked to underlying stock prices. When derivatives expire, traders must close or adjust positions. That...
The Nasdaq-100 Rebounds After a Brutal January: What Does the Chart Say?
by David Russell | Feb 3, 2022
The Nasdaq-100 has rebounded following a sharp drop. It's a good time to consider where things stand with the tech-heavy index. First, Wednesday's close represented almost exactly a 50 percent retracement of the decline from December 28 through January 24. Second,...
Energy Stocks Aren’t The Only Companies Riding the Inflationary Trend Higher
by David Russell | Feb 2, 2022
Inflation is a key theme for investors this year. Aside from lifting energy stocks, it's also boosting a lesser known corner of the market: agriculture. Companies like Deere (DE), Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and Mosaic (MOS) have outperformed the market by a wide...
Top Stocks for Options Trading
Technology & Communication
Options Alert: Bearish Traders Could Be Sticking With Western Digital
by David Russell | Oct 7, 2022
Western Digital tried to bounce after a big drop, but the bears don't seem to be going away. Check out this unusual options activity in the maker of data-storage products: A block of 7,500 October 36 puts was sold for $2.05.A trader bought an equal number of October...
Basics of Hedging, Part 3: Buying Vs. Selling Options
by David Russell | Oct 12, 2018
We recently outlined protective puts and covered calls as common hedging techniques. This brings us to the important question of selling options versus buying options. To understand the these two basic kinds of transactions, traders need to recognize the difference...
Nasdaq Gets Slammed as Rates Shoot Higher
by David Russell | Oct 8, 2018
Stocks began the fourth quarter in the red as interest rates spiked and money streamed out of the technology sector. The S&P 500 slid 1 percent between Friday, September 28, and Friday, October 5. But that was nothing compared with the Nasdaq-100's 3 percent drop...
The Message Behind Yesterday’s Volatility Spike
by David Russell | Oct 5, 2018
Yesterday was a reminder for traders who forgot what volatility feels like. The S&P 500 had its biggest drop since June 25, and Cboe's Volatility Index ($VIX.X) had its biggest spike over the same period. Even more impressive, TradeStation data showed 23.6 million...
Cannabis Craze Drives Activity: September at TradeStation
by David Russell | Sep 28, 2018
The cannabis craze swept markets in September, with TradeStation clients riding the wave. Canadian marijuana firm Tilray (TLRY) was the third-busiest stock on our platforms this month, catapulting from No. 24 in August. Related companies Canopy Growth (CGC) and Cronos...





