Market Insights
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Bullish and Bearish: Key Points About Vertical Option Spreads
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...
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 Credit Spread...
Greek of the Week: Delta
Editor's note: This post, part of a four-part series about options Greeks, was originally published on Tuesday, August 14, 2018. Some traders may be confused by options, especially their use of Greek letters. Delta, gamma, theta, and vega. How to remember what they...
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...
Technology & Communication
Chart of the Day: Palantir Stabilizes Above Old Highs
Palantir Technologies has advanced as investors embrace AI and non-government customers embrace its products. Is its current pullback offering an opportunity? The first pattern on today’s chart is the pair of rallies after the last two quarterly reports. Those may...
Streaming Wars Dominate Activity: September at TradeStation
The streaming wars came to TradeStation last month, with two of the biggest stocks in the industry dominating activity on our platform. Roku (ROKU) was the second-busiest symbol among our clients in September. The provider of media players lost one-third of its value...
What Recession? Chip Stocks Had Another Strong Quarter
Two strange things happened last quarter: Chip makers went up and health-care stocks went down. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index ($SOX) rose almost 7 percent between June 28 and September 30. Meanwhile the SPDR Health Care ETF (XLV) slid about 3 percent. This is...
Stocks Down as Range Tightens Before a Huge News Month
Stocks fell again last week but remain trapped in a range as investors wait for some huge news events next month. The S&P 500 slid 1 percent between Friday, September 20, and Friday, September 27. Still, the index held some key levels and remained within striking...
Market Gets a Timeline for China Talks, Just in Time for Earnings Season
Investors just got a timeline for the most important concern facing the market, President Trump's trade war with China. Last night, CNBC reported that Vice Premier Liu He will visit Washington on October 10 and 11. Those are the first specific details the talks since...