Market Insights
Opportunity knocks for those with trading in their DNA.
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Bearish Option Strategy: Put Spread
Traders buy a put option near the money and sell another at a lower strike. This strategy can leverage a price drop with limited capital at risk. Learn more
This Disruptor Is Moving Beyond Mobile After Helping Create Smart Phones: Do You Know December’s Mystery Stock?
Even before coronavirus drove triggered heavy demand for electronic devices, chipmakers were booming. This month's mystery stock has been a key player in the semiconductor industry for over a generation. Like many technology firms, its history began during the Cold...
Stocks Fall Again as Investors Brace For the Fed to Take Away the Punch Bowl
Stocks fell again last week as investors brace for the Federal Reserve to "take away the punch bowl," by tightening monetary policy. The S&P 500 slid 1.2 percent between Friday, November 26, and Friday, December 3. Following the earlier week, the index had its...
Hawks at the Fed, Omicron, Buyer Fatigue: A New Set of Negatives Are Driving Volatility
After smooth sailing for most of the year, a series of negatives are hammering stocks as December begins. The S&P 500 is down 3.8 percent since Wednesday, November 24. While that might not sound like much, it's the biggest five-day drop since late October 2020....
This Corner Of the Technology Sector Was Coming to Life Before Omicron Struck the Market
Stocks have tumbled in the last week as investors worry about the omicron variant of coronavirus. However a certain group of technology firms was rallying before the selloff: computer hardware. HP (HPQ) and Dell Technologies (DELL), the world's No. 2 and 3 PC makers,...
Chart Analysis: Is a Breakout Coming in Bitcoin Miner Riot Blockchain?
Bitcoin miner Riot Blockchain hit a seven-month high in mid-November. It pulled back sharply and now may be attempting a breakout. The first pattern on today's chart is the price zone around $38. This is the roughly the spot where RIOT peaked in June and August. It's...
Omicron Variant Hammers Stocks, But Is the Pullback a Buying Opportunity?
Stocks crashed last week as the omicron variant of coronavirus appeared, overshadowing a wave positive economic news. The S&P 500 closed little changed on Wednesday as investors thought they would settle into a quiet Thanksgiving, but reports of the new pathogen...
Technology & Communication
Chart of the Day: Is This Chip Stock Rolling Over?
Advanced Micro Devices has bounced sharply from its early-July lows, but some patterns could be pointing lower for the chip stock. The first pattern on today’s chart is the descending parallel channel that’s been in effect most of the year. AMD’s latest highs...
Goldilocks Drives S&P 500 to New Highs
If the longest bull market in history had a patron saint, it would be Goldilocks. This Wednesday marked the 3,453rd session in the uptrend that began on March 9, 2009. That outlasted the earlier run between late 1990 and early 2000. While improving economics and...
Calls Spike as Small Cap Goes Mobile: Options Recap
Last month, Market Insights highlighted a surging maker of smart-phone games. Yesterday, options traders lit up the name. Here's a breakdown of the large transactions detected in Glu Mobile (GLUU): A block of 5,500 September 5.50 calls was bought for $2.04. A block of...
Retail Revival Underway: Earnings This Week
Remember when everyone thought traditional retailers were going extinct? This week's earnings reports may have destroyed that narrative. "This is the healthiest environment I have ever seen," Target (TGT) CEO Brian Cornell told CNBC as his stock shot into record...
Looking Behind the Numbers as Stocks Test Old Highs
The S&P 500 hit a new all-time high yesterday, slightly above its previous record in January. Many things have changed since that previous peak. Then, stocks drifted upward in a mindless and complacent bubble. Now, they've proven themselves with two strong...