Market Insights
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Chart of the Day: Valero Could Be Fighting Higher
by David Russell | Feb 4, 2026
Valero Energy hit a record high in November, and some traders may expect further upside.
Chart of the Day: Merck Could Be Sickly
by David Russell | Dec 17, 2024
Merck has struggled for most of the year, and now some traders may look for another push to the downside. The first pattern on today’s chart is the series of higher lows from mid-November through early last week. MRK has dropped below that line, which may be viewed as...
Wall Street Is Bracing for a Less Dovish Fed
by David Russell | Dec 16, 2024
Stocks are falling as traders brace for fewer rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. The S&P 500 slid 0.6 percent between Friday, December 6, and Friday, December 13. It was the first negative week in the last four. More than three-quarters of the index's members...
New Chapter in AI Boom Revives Megacaps
by David Russell | Dec 12, 2024
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Check out our next “State of the Market,” on Monday, 12/16. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 approaches 6,100 after holding last week's low RSI near overbought is potentially...
Using Fibonacci Retracements on TradeStation
by David Russell | Dec 11, 2024
Stock prices usually zig and zag instead of moving in a straight line. Today we'll explore Fibonacci retracements, a popular tool for navigating ups and downs in stock and futures markets. The Fibonacci ("Fib") tool is a drawing instrument on TradeStation's charts...
Stock Picking Returns as Calm Sweeps the Market
by David Russell | Dec 9, 2024
Stock picking could be making a comeback as volatility falls and attention shifts from interest rates to individual growth stories. The S&P 500 rose 1 percent between Friday, November 29, and Friday, December 6. It was the third straight positive week,...
Crypto Stocks Jump with Bitcoin in New Bull Market
by TradeStation | Dec 5, 2024
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have entered a new bull market with Donald Trump returning to the White House and investors diversifying into new assets. Digital assets have a combined value of about $3.5 trillion, according to data from TradingView. It's up more than...
Top Stocks for Options Trading
Technology & Communication
Big Tech Earnings Begin Tonight
by David Russell | Jul 23, 2025
Second-quarter earnings season has begun with technology leading the stock market to new highs. Companies like Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Nvidia (NVDA) have rallied more than 15 percent in the last month as investors look for more AI growth. Most of these major...
Call Buyers Flock to Advanced Micro as Chipmaker Wins Business From Microsoft and Meta
by David Russell | Nov 9, 2021
Advanced Micro Devices lit up the options market yesterday after being included in the world's biggest social network. The three busiest contracts across the entire options market were short-term AMD calls expiring this Friday, November 12. They outpaced other...
Technical Analysis: Is It Showtime for AMC Entertainment?
by David Russell | Nov 2, 2021
AMC Entertainment had a dramatic short squeeze in May and June. Now it may be ready to move again following months of consolidation. The price level around $35 is the first noteworthy pattern on the chart of the movie-theater operator. That was a peak in 2015 and...
Stocks Just Had Their Best Month in a Year as Strong Earnings Drive Away the Bears
by David Russell | Nov 1, 2021
Stocks just finished their best month in a year as strong quarterly results melted a bubble of extreme negativity. The S&P 500 finished October up 6.9 percent at a new all-time high. It was the biggest monthly gain since November 2020, with over three-quarters of...
Facebook, Amazon.com Miss, Apple Struggles with Supply Chain, Microsoft Jumps: Earnings This Week
by David Russell | Oct 29, 2021
Quarterly results from Apple, Amazon.com and Facebook came up short this week, but Microsoft and Alphabet jumped to new highs. It was the busiest period of earnings season, with five of the market's six biggest companies issuing numbers. (Tesla was last week.) Most...





