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Options
Buying and Selling Options

Buying and Selling Options

Most clients understand buying and selling stocks. Options are similar, and can be traded in the same brokerage accounts. However, you should know some basic differences. Bid / Ask Spreads Matter A bid/ask spread is the difference between where you can sell a security...

The Basics of Options

The Basics of Options

Options are an increasingly important tool for retail investors. They can either replace trading shares, or make it easier to position yourself in stocks. Let's consider the first things you need to know. An Option's Price Is Usually Called 'Premium' There are some...

The Yield Curve Inverted, and the Bears Are Going to Work

The Yield Curve Inverted, and the Bears Are Going to Work

The big story today is that weak economic numbers overseas caused the yield curve to invert. That means the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds fell below the two-year rate. Stocks, especially financials, are crashing as a result. The "inverted curve" is a potentially big...

Trader Fears Reversal In Key Gold Miner: Options Recap

Trader Fears Reversal In Key Gold Miner: Options Recap

Have gold miners gone from safe havens to risky stocks? One options trader seems to think so. Put volume is surging to a 4-1/2 year high in Newmont Mining (NEM), the world's biggest gold producer. Traders started buying the 23-August 37 puts shortly before lunch,...

Emerging Market ETF Has Options Traders Feeling Bearish

Emerging Market ETF Has Options Traders Feeling Bearish

Some big options traders seem to think the pain may continue in emerging markets. Two large strategies were detected today in the MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM), which is heavily concentrated in China and East Asia. One will profit from the fund dropping further,...

Can This Transport Keep Trucking? Options Trader Thinks So

Can This Transport Keep Trucking? Options Trader Thinks So

Someone's looking for a major trucking stock to keep motoring higher. Check out Monday's activity in Knight-Swift Transportation (KNX), the country's largest operator of tractor trailers: A block of 25,000 September 35 calls was bought for $3.36.A block of 25,000...

This Social Media Stock Just Had a Monster Volume Day

This Social Media Stock Just Had a Monster Volume Day

Suddenly, it seems a new tech stock has arrived. Social media upstart Snap (SNAP), the mobile-centric parent of Snapchat, just proved it's a real player with stunning user growth. That fueled a monster rally on Wednesday to the stock's highest level in over a year....

Is the 5G Boom Starting? A Huge Options Trade Thinks So

Is the 5G Boom Starting? A Huge Options Trade Thinks So

Ever heard of 5G networking? One big options trader is looking for the next big thing in tech to drive a breakout in a major global chip stock. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) is the world's third-largest player after Intel (INTC) and Samsung. It's rallying...

South American Oil Giant Gets Big Vote of Confidence: Options Recap

South American Oil Giant Gets Big Vote of Confidence: Options Recap

Brazilian markets are running higher, and yesterday an investor placed a big vote of confidence in the nation's most important stock. A large put sale occurred in Petrobras (PBR) minutes after the opening bell. The transaction was unusually bullish, looking for the...