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Stocks Set a New Record as Pharma Comes to Life
by David Russell | Oct 6, 2025
Stocks keep setting records as new sectors come to life. Last week, healthcare and pharmaceuticals led the charge.
Options Alert: Has Nio Recharged its Batteries?
by David Russell | Sep 10, 2024
Nio has been sputtering for years, but some options traders seem to think the Chinese electric-car maker has recharged its batteries. TradeStation data shows call volume surging in the stock this month. Most of the increase came after the company reported record...
Options Alert: Bears Could Be Active in Social Media Stock
by David Russell | Sep 10, 2024
Snap plunged on weak results last month, and some options traders may be targeting further downside. Check out this unusual activity from yesterday in the social-media stock: More than 29,000 November 6 puts traded, mostly for $0.17. About 16,000 December 8 puts...
Tech Unwind Continues as Traders Wait for the Fed
by David Russell | Sep 9, 2024
Technology stocks are still falling as investors wait for big news events like inflation and the Federal Reserve. The Nasdaq-100 shed 5.9 percent of its value in the holiday-shortened period between Friday, August 30, and Friday, September 6. It was the biggest weekly...
Gasoline Futures Go on Sale as China Sputters and Saudis Cut Prices
by David Russell | Sep 4, 2024
Energy costs are falling on signs of weaker demand and increased supply. Several negative headlines appeared before and after the Labor Day weekend. First, Chinese manufacturing activity slowed more than expected to its worst level in six months. Then Reuters reported...
Bears Enter September in Retreat After a Dramatic August
by David Russell | Sep 3, 2024
Bears tried to hit the stock market in August, but were driven off by good news about the economy and earnings. The S&P 500 began last month with a sharp selloff, initially falling more than 9 percent below its July close. But sellers quickly evaporated and the...
Rotation Continues as Nvidia Beats Again: Market Trends This Week
by David Russell | Aug 29, 2024
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Check out our next “State of the Market,” on Monday, 9/9. (Next Market Trends will be Thursday, 9/12) Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 holds 5560 price area...
Top Stocks for Options Trading
Technology & Communication
Tech: Smaller Names Break Out as the ‘Big 3’ Lag
by David Russell | Feb 4, 2025
Technology is the worst-performing sector this year. A lot of the weakness is at the top, but some smaller names are breaking out. Apple (AAPL), Nvidia (NVDA) and Microsoft (MSFT) are the three biggest technology stocks, accounting for more than 40 percent of the...
Stocks Are Climbing an Epic Wall of Worry as Earnings Blow Past Estimates
by David Russell | Jul 26, 2021
An old adage states that "bull markets climb a wall of worry." It's especially true now. The S&P 500 fell 1.6 percent last Monday, its worst drop in over two months. But it immediately rebounded, and climbed the next four sessions. That resulted in gain of almost...
Earnings Season Begins on a Strong Note, Thanks to Snap and Chipotle
by David Russell | Jul 23, 2021
Earnings season is off to a bullish start as companies like Snap, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Coca-Cola blitz past estimates. That variety of companies -- social media, casual dining and hospitals -- highlights the breadth of the stock market's earning power. It shows...
Call Buyers Target Square as Jack Dorsey Talks Crypto with Elon Musk
by David Russell | Jul 22, 2021
Yesterday was big for cryptocurrencies as Elon Musk and Jack Dorsey spoke publicly about Bitcoin. The event also triggered a wave of bullish options activity in Dorsey's payments company, Square. Most of the volume focused on the short-term 23-July 255 calls. Buyers...
A Certain Chart Pattern Keeps Popping Up as Smaller Tech Stocks Come to Life
by David Russell | Jul 21, 2021
Last year saw dramatic rallies in smaller technology stocks like Nio and Snap. This month, several of those same companies have the same potentially bullish chart pattern. The table below lists companies whose 50-day moving averages recently crossed above their...





