Individuals Institutional

Call toll-free 800.328.1267

Market Insights

Opportunity knocks for those with trading in their DNA.
Curiosity creates opportunity. Insights create strategy. Born traders create their destiny.

Education
Greek of the Week: Gamma

Greek of the Week: Gamma

This is the second installment of a four-part series about options Greeks that will appear on Market Insights between now and Labor Day week. Last week, we looked at delta. Delta measures how much an option changes in price when the underlying stock or ETF fluctuates....

Horseshoes and Hand Grenades: Levels on the S&P 500

Horseshoes and Hand Grenades: Levels on the S&P 500

Ever heard the saying that "close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades?" It means coming close to a goal isn't good enough for most projects. But it can be good enough when it come to charting the S&P 500. Last week, for instance, Market Insights surveyed...

Greek of the Week: Delta

Greek of the Week: Delta

This is the first installment of a four-part series about options Greeks that will appear on Market Insights between now and Labor Day week. Some clients may be confused by options, especially their use of Greek letters. Delta, gamma, theta, and vega. How to remember...

Volatility and the Dog Days of Summer

Volatility and the Dog Days of Summer

Earlier today, we highlighted the spreading risk of global debt and currency problems. But what does it mean for the chart most of us really care about, the S&P 500? Here are some thoughts. First, the U.S. index is in the midst of its longest weekly winning streak...

Know Your Options: Buying Volatility When It’s Cheap

Know Your Options: Buying Volatility When It’s Cheap

Buy low, sell high. It's a basic rule of investing everyone's heard. What they might not appreciate, however, is how it applies to implied volatility. We'll examine that today because it may help spare some readers money and hassle. First, remember that implied...

Vix under Siege as S&P 500 Fills January Gap

Vix under Siege as S&P 500 Fills January Gap

The S&P 500 hit its highest level since late-January as the index fills a "bearish gap." Remember, gaps are patterns on candle-stick charts that show a security jumping up or down from one price zone to another without any transactions between the two. That leaves...

How Time Was Money on Tech Earnings: Winning Trade in Apple

How Time Was Money on Tech Earnings: Winning Trade in Apple

Earlier this week, we outlined a potential options trade on Apple (AAPL) before earnings. That strategy hit maximum profit this morning after strong results sent the tech giant to a new all-time high. Let's take a look with TradeStation's OptionStation Pro. The green...

Know Your Options: Diagonal Spread Targets Apple Volatility Crush

Know Your Options: Diagonal Spread Targets Apple Volatility Crush

One of the most predictable things in the market is time decay after a big event like earnings. Have you ever used a diagonal spread to capitalize on the change? Today we'll see how it's done. First, remember that option premiums attempt to factor in price swings. As...

S&P 500 Erases February Selloff

S&P 500 Erases February Selloff

Stocks may have just broken a key level from early in the year, shortly before they suffered a gut-wrenching drop. Here's what it felt like at the time: The S&P 500 hit a record high on January 26. It then stalled and chopped in a right range before spiraling...