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Bullish and Bearish: Key Points About Vertical Option Spreads
by David Russell | Sep 21, 2025
Vertical spreads are one of the most common strategies in the options market because they can generate leverage with limited risk. This article will consider key points about bullish and bearish spreads. Vertical spreads involve two "legs" on the same underlier to...
Attention Fed Watchers: 4 Reasons Why April’s Inflation Report Could Be Good News
by David Russell | May 11, 2023
Consumer prices rose 4.9 percent in April, which could be good news for investors worried about inflation and the Federal Reserve. The reading was below 5.25 percent, the top of the central bank's target range. This represents the first drop below the Fed funds rate...
Options Alert: Call Volume Grows as Salesforce.com Nears Highs
by David Russell | May 9, 2023
Major technology stocks like Apple and Microsoft jumped on quarterly results. Will peer Saleforce.com make a similar move? Marc Benioff's provider of cloud-based marketing software is up 49 percent this year after a sharp selloff in 2022. It has paused over the last...
Technical Analysis: Amazon.com Could Be Struggling After Uncertain Guidance
by David Russell | May 8, 2023
Amazon.com may be showing signs of weakness after another post-earnings drop. The first pattern on today’s chart is the rising trendline along the lows of March and April. AMZN fell to that support last week after issuing so-so guidance and has remained there since....
Stock Market Faces Big Tests After a String of Positive Earnings
by David Russell | May 8, 2023
Earnings season has gone better than feared, but traders face new uncertainties this week. Today and the next two sessions bring key news on the impact of bank failures, the U.S. debt ceiling and inflation. It's a big change from recent weeks, when strong quarterly...
Double Top Before the Debt Ceiling? Market Trends This Week
by David Russell | May 4, 2023
Downloads are available here. Register for Market Trends here. Sizing Up the S&P 500 Attention now turns to debt ceilingPotential double-top versus February highFalse breakout on weekly chart versus last weekTight range has potential for increased volatilityFewer...
Stocks Keep Fighting Higher as Inflation Slows and Earnings Beat Expectations
by David Russell | May 1, 2023
Stocks kept fighting higher last month as inflation slowed and earnings beat estimates. The S&P 500 rose 1.5 percent in April, its third gain in the first four months of the year. The index has returned to challenge its February high, and is still above falling...
Top Stocks for Options Trading
Technology & Communication
Stocks Keep Running as Inflation Fades and Apple Breaks Out
by David Russell | Jun 17, 2024
Stocks are hitting new highs as inflation eases and Apple breaks out. The S&P 500 rose 1.6 percent between Friday, June 7, and Friday, June 14. It was the second consecutive positive week, and the second straight record weekly closing high. The technology-heavy...
Do You Know Which Tech Stocks Rallied The Most on Earnings This Week?
by David Russell | Feb 20, 2020
Earnings season keeps highlighting new growth stocks for technology investors. This week, solar energy came into its own. Enphase Energy (ENPH) spiked 42 percent on its results while SolarEdge Technologies (SEDG) ripped more than 20 percent. Both companies' products...
Three Big Things To Know as The Stock Market Looks Past Coronavirus
by David Russell | Feb 19, 2020
Stocks keep rising as investors come to believe China's coronavirus is starting to fade. Here are three big things to know as buyers return to the market: Coronavirus May Have Peaked Beijing announced just 1,749 new cases of the disease today, the lowest total this...
Uber and Pinterest Lead Rally in Newer Tech Stocks: Earnings This Week
by David Russell | Feb 13, 2020
Smaller and newer technology stocks have rallied on strong earnings in the last week, even as older companies stagger. Uber Technologies (UBER), Shopify (SHOP) and Pinterest (PINS) jumped after announcing their quarterly numbers. Each company beat earnings and revenue...
Options in These Two Tech Stocks Are Suddenly on Fire
by David Russell | Feb 11, 2020
A pair of technology companies are suddenly on fire in the U.S. options market. International Business Machines (IBM) and Slack Technologies (WORK) and have both set records in the options market over the last few sessions. The surging activity is yet another example...





