Market Insights
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Broad Rally as Buyers Move Beyond Tech Stocks
by David Russell | Jan 12, 2026
Stocks are broadly gaining on optimism about government policy and the economy.
Options Alert: Call Volume Spikes as Apparel Stock Attempts a Turnaround
by David Russell | Aug 8, 2024
Options activity is surging as beaten-down VF jumps and traders unwind bearish positions. The owner of brands like Vans and The North Face rallied 7 percent yesterday after earnings and revenue beat expectations. It was the company's second big surge in the last two...
How Long Will the Volatility Last? Market Trends This Week
by David Russell | Aug 8, 2024
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Check out our next “State of the Market,” on Monday, 8/12. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 down for 4th straight week, longest negative streak since...
Chart of the Day: The Nasdaq Could Be Oversold
by David Russell | Aug 6, 2024
The Nasdaq-100 has fallen sharply in the last three weeks, but some traders may think the tech-heavy index is oversold. The first pattern on today's chart is the sequence of simple moving averages (SMAs). The 50-day SMA is above the 100-day SMA and both are above the...
Stocks Slide: Is the Fed Behind the Curve Again?
by David Russell | Aug 5, 2024
Almost three years ago, investors thought the Federal Reserve was behind the curve on inflation. Now they have just the opposite fear. The S&P 500 slid 2.1 percent between Friday, July 26, and Friday, August 2. It was the third consecutive negative week, dragging...
Platform Lesson: How Big Was Thursday’s Sharp Move?
by David Russell | Aug 2, 2024
The S&P 500 fell 1.4 percent yesterday, but in some ways the move was much bigger than that. The chart below includes two custom indicators highlighting the size of a symbol's move. Both show that Thursday's drop was the most dramatic in over a year. (They're...
Stocks Rose Again in July as New Sectors Spring to Life
by David Russell | Aug 1, 2024
Stocks kept rising last month, but important changes could be happening as the second half of 2024 begins. The S&P 500 climbed 1.1 percent between Friday, June 28, and Wednesday, July 31. However the Nasdaq-100 fell 1.6 percent and lagged the broader market by its...
Top Stocks for Options Trading
Technology & Communication
Can Earnings Break Chip Stock’s Downtrend?
by David Russell | Apr 30, 2025
Advanced Micro Devices reports earnings next week, and options traders are bracing for a move.
Most Recent Technology IPOs Have Struggled, But This Stock Is Breaking Out
by David Russell | May 24, 2021
Most high-profile tech IPOs from the past year have struggled – but not Roblox. The maker of virtual-reality software ended last week at a new all-time high. Its chart also pulled off some interesting feats. First, it broke the descending trendline running along......
Bears Tried to Sink the Semiconductor Index and Failed: Chart Study
by David Russell | May 20, 2021
Chip stocks have lagged along with the broader technology sector. But just when you think they're dead, they have a session like yesterday. Notice how the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index opened 2.2 percent below its close the previous session. Also notice how quickly...
Is This Level a Lucky Number for Facebook? Here’s Today’s Technical Analysis
by David Russell | May 12, 2021
Technology and the Nasdaq have gone through a rough spot lately because of inflation. That may be creating an opportunity in social-media giant Facebook. FB is one of the few major Nasdaq stocks to hit new highs recently. Now it’s pulled back and retraced nearly six...
Cloud-Computing vs Crude Oil: Lessons in a Dramatic Chart
by David Russell | May 11, 2021
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...





