Market Insights
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Stocks Are Turbulent, But Go Nowhere
Stocks were barely changed last week despite a big jump and sharp decline.
Bulls in the China Shop? Options Surge Before Big Events
Options traders are getting active in Chinese technology companies like Baidu before two potentially important events. The first catalyst is at 8:30 a.m. ET tomorrow, when the U.S. Labor Department releases the consumer price index (CPI). It's the first reading of...
Stocks Keep Climbing as Lower Rates Push Growth Names Higher
Large growth stocks are leading the market to new highs again as investors anticipate lower interest rates. The S&P 500 rose almost 2 percent in the holiday-shortened week between Friday, June 28, and Friday, July 5. The index closed above 5,500 for the first time...
Key Points About Selling Credit Spreads
A previous post covered debit spreads, when you pay a debit looking for a stock or ETF to move in a certain direction. Credit spreads are just the opposite, with traders collecting premium up front in hope that the stock won’t move a certain way. What a...
Measuring the Summer Calm With TradeStation’s Custom Functionality
Stocks have enjoyed a calm drift higher since the beginning of May. But just how smooth has the ride been? Today we'll answer that question using TradeStation's award-winning platform. One approach is to measure the amount of time since the S&P 500 last had a...
Technology and the Nasdaq Surged Back to Life in June
Stocks keep hitting new highs as technology comes back to life. The S&P 500 rose 3.5 percent in June, while the Nasdaq-100 climbed 6.2 percent. Software companies, chipmakers and other large technology companies broadly drove the gains. As a result, the technology...
Rolling Options: Key Things for Traders to Know
“Rolling options” is a common transaction for options traders, but there are several ways to do it. This article will explain the different ways and reasons why traders might roll positions. These are the key points we’ll cover: What does it mean to roll options? Why...
Technology & Communication
Chart of the Day: Apple May Have Peaked
Apple has tried to bounce recently, but some traders may think the tech giant has peaked. The first pattern on today’s chart is the February low of $225.70. AAPL broke under the level on March 11 and has stayed there since. That may suggest old support is new ... For...
Cloud-Computing vs Crude Oil: Lessons in a Dramatic Chart
One of the biggest events in the history of the Dow Jones Industrial Average happened last August when Salesforce.com replaced Exxon Mobil as an index member. A 21-year software company elbowed out a transnational giant tracing its origins to John D. Rockefeller and...
Apple Crushes Estimates But Investors Are More Interested in Two Other Nasdaq Giants
Apple had an amazing quarter, but investors seem more interested in the advertising growth at Alphabet and Facebook. All three of the Nasdaq giants reported better-than-expected earnings this week, but their stocks moved in different directions. AAPL tried to rally...
Chart Study: Do You Know This Chipmaker Getting Close to Record Highs?
Micron Technology (MU) has stalled after a big rally. Is it time to buy the dip? The first pattern on the memory-chip maker's chart is the oversold condition on stochastics. Given its current uptrend, strong fundamentals and positive macro backdrop (GDP +6%), that...
Four Key Options Strategies to Know With the Biggest Week of Earnings Season About to Begin
Next week is the biggest week of earnings season. More than one-third of the S&P 500's members announce results, including the biggest companies like Apple. This blog post will focus on options strategies that can help stock investors during earnings season. It...