Market Insights
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Value Stocks Rally on Fed Hopes, Dealmaking
Lagging stocks like small caps and materials are playing catchup as investors pivot from megacap growth to value plays.
Greek of the Week: Gamma
Editor’s note: This post, part of a four-part series about options Greeks, was originally published on Monday, August 20, 2018. We previously looked at delta. Delta measures how much an option changes in price when the underlying stock or ETF fluctuates. Calls...
Greek of the Week: Theta
Editor’s note: This post, part of a four-part series about options Greeks, was originally published on Tuesday, August 28, 2018. So far, we’ve looked at delta and gamma. This week, we’ll turn to theta. Theta: T is for “time decay.” Theta measures how...
Greek of the Week: Vega
Editor’s note: This post, part of a four-part series about options Greeks, was originally published on Tuesday, September 4, 2018. So far we’ve reviewed three options “Greeks,” with memory tricks for keeping them straight: Delta: D is for direction.Gamma: G is for...
The Basics of Options
Options are an important tool for many retail investors. They can either replace trading shares, or make it easier to position oneself in stocks. Let's consider the first things options traders need to know. An Option's Price Is Usually Called 'Premium' There are some...
The Structure of Options Trades
While options can be traded by themselves, investors often use them in conjunction with other securities. So before going further, let's consider the four basic ways that options trades are structured. You Can Trade Options by Themselves As we learned in a previous...
Essential Options Knowledge: Time, Volatility and Different Kinds of Value
Options confuse a lot of investors because several factors impact their value. Unlike stocks, they don't just go up and down based on supply and demand. This post will explain three of the most important concepts you need to get started: time, volatility and intrinsic...
Technology & Communication
Chart of the Day: Tight Price Action in Microsoft
Microsoft has paused this month as the Nasdaq-100 climbs to new highs. However, some chart watchers could look for the software giant to come off the sidelines. The first pattern on today’s chart is the December 1 close of $374.51, which became resistance. A daily...
No More Growth? Triple Downgrade Rocks Software Space
Software stocks have been growth darlings for years, but doubts are growing on Wall Street. Yesterday three different investment banks made bearish calls on three different companies: Citi downgraded Adobe Systems (ADBE) to "neutral." The analyst thinks recurring...
FireEye Rallies from Lows, Just in Time for Cybersecurity Month
October is cybersecurity month, and a pioneering stock in the industry has come to life. FireEye (FEYE) has rallied 15 percent in the last two weeks and is having its best month in more than two years. A combination of takeover speculation, improved results and...
Emotions Flip Away From Safe Havens as Earnings Season Begins
Emotions seem to be flipping away from caution as earnings season begins. Safe-haven sectors including utilities, consumer staples, bonds and precious metals are all lagging this week. Meanwhile "risk-on" groups like financials, semiconductors and industrials are...
Why Apple Is Sailing to New Highs Two Weeks Before Earnings
The world's biggest company keeps getting more valuable as investors look for a mix of positive forces to keep it moving upward. Apple (AAPL) hit new all-time highs the last two sessions and has risen for seven of the last eight weeks. That's established it firmly...