Market Insights
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Options Alert: Call Volume Surges in Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo is flirting with new highs, and options traders are getting active. Heavy volume was detected yesterday in the bank's September 97.50 calls. The initial blocks priced for $1.44, followed by larger blocks at $1.65. Volume of 27,990 contracts was more than...
The Economy Suddenly Shows Improvement Despite Delta Variant and Bottlenecks
After a string of bad data, the U.S. economy is suddenly looking better. The U.S. Commerce Department reported today that retail sales increased by 0.7 percent in August. It was the biggest gain in four months and crushed estimates for a 0.8 percent drop. The...
Options Alert: Traders Brave Selloff in Casino Stock, Look for Oversold Bounce
Political and Covid-19 worries have crushed a major casino key gambling stock, but some options traders are looking for a bounce. Wynn Resorts (WYNN) is having its worst week in over a year, down 15 percent, after the government of Macau said it may increase...
Bitcoin: The Correction that Never Was?
"What if they gave a war and nobody came?" was a popular saying with protestors in the 1960s. Something similar could be asked of Bitcoin today: "What if they gave a selloff and nobody came?" Consider how BTCUSD knifed violently lower on September 7. Then consider the...
Oil and Gas Are Back in Focus as Winter Approaches and Demand Rebounds
Bullish catalysts seem to be increasing in the oil and natural-gas markets as demand rebounds and winter-heating season approaches. OPEC surprised investors on Monday by forecasting that global oil demand will hit new all-time highs in 2021, above pre-pandemic levels....
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...
Technology & Communication
Chart of the Day: Is it Prime Time for Amazon.com?
Amazon.com has retraced almost all of its pandemic gains. Is this an opportunity for buyers? Let's consider some chart patterns. First is the $101.79 level (split adjusted). It was a peak in July 2019 and a breakout area immediately before the coronavirus selloff in...
Bulls Return to Gaming Space: Options Recap
Two weeks ago, a options traders were bullish in a slot-machine maker. Yesterday, a similar transaction lit up a race-track and casino operator. Traders bought 6,000 June 31 calls in Penn National Gaming (PENN) for $1.25 in the middle of the afternoon. A block of...
IPOs come roaring to life
April is shaping up to the best month for initial public offerings in years. Data from ClickIPO shows over $10 billion of new equity entered the market in April. That's the most since September 2014. Combined volume in the first four months of the year also stands at...
Suddenly the Bears are in Retreat
Stocks recovered from early losses last week as interest rates stabilized and money streamed into tech. A Friday-afternoon surge landed the S&P 500 back above its 50-day moving average, resulting in a 0.55 percent gain for the holiday-shortened span. The...
Stocks Have Biggest Drop in Two Years as Rates Rise
Stocks just took their deepest dive in two years as higher interest rates caused investors to take profits. The S&P 500 cratered 3.85 percent between Friday, January 26, and Friday, February 2 -- its biggest weekly decline since early 2016. The selloff contrasted...