Market Insights
Opportunity knocks for those with trading in their DNA.
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Understanding and Managing Sector Risk in Your Portfolio
Investors face many potential risks in the stock market. Today we'll focus on the important issue of sector risk. Sectors are broad categories of companies like technology, health care and financials. Because their businesses are often similar, companies in the same...
Here Are 3 Key Hedging Strategies If You’re Worried About a Pullback in the Stock Market
Stocks have been sliding since Labor Day. This post will consider some potential hedging techniques if you're worried about a deeper pullback. The strategies use options, which give investors the right to buy and sell shares at given prices. Because they're...
Stocks Retreat as Data Weakens. Is Stagflation Coming?
Stocks had their worst week in almost three months as the economy slows and the Federal Reserves prepares to tighten monetary policy. The S&P 500 slid 1.7 percent in the holiday-shortened period between September 3 and September 10. It was the biggest drop since...
This Tech-Savvy Restaurant Chain Took Off During the Pandemic. Can You Guess September’s Mystery Stock?
The coronavirus pandemic transformed the nature of in-person businesses like retail and restaurants. This month's mystery stock was ready for the change, and has thrived amid the crisis. It started 28 years ago when a sous chef noticed the popularity of tacos and...
Is the S&P 500 Rolling Over? Check Out Today’s Technical Analysis
The S&P 500 has climbed for seven straight months. But it may face some near-term challenges as September gets underway. The main pattern on today’s chart is the resistance line running along the highs since mid-April. Notice how prices have stalled once again at...
Options Alert: Call Buyers Target Breakout in Up-and-Coming Cloud Stock
Datadog, an 11-year old cloud-computing firm, broke out to new highs last month. Today, options traders looked for the rally to continue. More than 20,000 call options changed hands at the 140 strike, plus another 5,000 at the 142 strike. Four contracts accounted for...
IPOs, iPhones and Fed Tapering: Stocks Enter the Home Stretch for 2021
The U.S. economy took a hit last month, but investors may find new opportunities as they come back from the summer. A wave of initial public offerings (IPOs), changes in Federal Reserve policy and technology news could prove catalysts in coming weeks. We'll consider...
Technology & Communication
Options Alert: Call Buyer Gives Chinese Tech Stock More Time for a Potential Move
Chinese technology stocks jumped last week, and one big options trader is targeting a former high flier. Check out this unusual options activity in Shanghai-based e-commerce company Pinduoduo (PDD): A block of 15,000 April 50 calls was sold for $1.67 against open...
China’s challenge to Silicon Valley
Chinese tech stocks warmed up this spring. Will they have an even hotter summer? Iqiyi (IQ), the "Netflix of China," is up more than 60 percent in the last month. Mobile-based social network Momo (MOMO) rose 38 percent and e-commerce service provider Baozun (BZUN) has...
Options traders see fireworks in beaten down tech stock
Options traders seem to expect a hot summer from a forgotten tech stock. More than 19,000 July 29 calls traded in Juniper Networks (JNPR) on Friday. Buyers initially paid $0.56 and kept nibbling as the stock moved higher. Pretty soon they doubled to $1.15 and even...
Big techs battle over privacy: WWDC review
Maybe we should have guessed it. After all, Tim Cook spent most of the last month bashing Facebook (FB) for collecting user data. Now it turns out there's some bark to his bite. Apple (AAPL) is in the midst of its annual WWDC conference, begun with Cook's keynote...
Is Dorsey the new Bezos?
Technology's all about change. There's even change in the hottest CEO. Sure Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com (AMZN) might be the richest man in the world. And, sure, Tim Cook of Apple (AAPL) may run the most valuable company. And sure, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook (FB) is...