Market Insights
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Chart of the Day: Is the AI Trade Done for Now?
by David Russell | Aug 20, 2025
AI has been a dominant theme for months, but some traders may think the robots are getting tired.
Where Does the Economy Stand With the Fed Tapering? Check Out These 7 Charts
by David Russell | Dec 17, 2021
The Federal Reserve deployed historic supports to the economy during the coronavirus pandemic. This week it took major steps toward removing the stimulus by tapering asset purchases more quickly. Policymakers also moved forward interest-rate increases, signaling three...
Options Alert: Heavy Call Volume Appears in the Top Utility Stock
by David Russell | Dec 16, 2021
Utilities broke out to new highs yesterday, and an option trader targeted the biggest company in the sector. Check out the call unusual volume in NextEra Energy (NEE): A block of 17,919 December 90 calls traded for $1.A block of 17,919 March 100 calls changed hands at...
Taper Tantrum? High Multiple Growth Stocks Take a Hit Before the Big Fed Meeting
by David Russell | Dec 15, 2021
High-multiple growth names crumbled again yesterday as investors brace for tighter monetary policy from the Federal Reserve. Using TradeStation's extensive library of fundamental and technical data, we compared S&P 500 members that fell at least 1 percent on...
Chart of the Day: Mega Candle in Johnson & Johnson
by David Russell | Dec 14, 2021
Johnson & Johnson is often a dull stock, but it had some exciting price action yesterday. The health care giant dropped 1 percent in the initial seconds of trading, undercutting Friday's low. Buyers immediately came out of the woodwork, driving the stock to its...
Investors Shift to Safe Havens, Shunning Riskier Stocks as the Fed Taper Approaches
by David Russell | Dec 14, 2021
The S&P 500 fell yesterday, but a new kind of stock seems to be breaking out. Consumer staples, real estate investment trusts and utilities hit new 52-week highs on Monday, based on analysis of the SPDR funds tracking each sector. Meanwhile economically sensitive...
Stocks Explode Higher as Tech Buyers Pounce on Omicron Pullback
by David Russell | Dec 13, 2021
Stocks just had their best week since February as buyers defied worries about the omicron variant, amassing technology stocks and reopening plays. The S&P 500 rose 3.8 percent between Friday, December 3, and Friday, December 10. The index established a new...
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...
Stocks Keep Climbing as Confidence Builds
by David Russell | Aug 20, 2018
Stocks keep inching higher as confidence builds. The S&P 500 rose 0.6 percent between Friday, August 10, and Friday, August 17. It was the seventh positive week in the last eight, and the second-highest weekly close in history. The big stories are the U.S. economy...
Here’s How Much Money Someone Made in Apple on Friday
by David Russell | Aug 20, 2018
There's a reason why people trade options in Apple (AAPL). Check out this massive call spread that took shape in the tech giant during Friday's session. Roughly 81,400 August 215 calls were purchased in thousands of small blocks. Buyers paid $1.03 on average. A...
Not All Tech is Rolling Over
by David Russell | Aug 17, 2018
Earlier today, Market Insights highlighted the general weakness in technology. But there's one huge exception to that statement: Apple (AAPL). Tim Cook's smart-phone behemoth made a new high this morning, and has set new records in nine of the 13 trading sessions this...
Tech and FANG Languish as Sentiment Shifts
by David Russell | Aug 17, 2018
FANG seems to be losing its mojo along with the rest of tech as sentiment shifts in the market. FANG, if you don't know, stands for Facebook (FB), Amazon.com (AMZN), Netflix (NFLX) and Alphabet (GOOGL). This grouping accounted for a big chunk of the market's gains...





