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This Is Why Options Traders Need to Know Gamma

This Is Why Options Traders Need to Know Gamma

The ancient Greeks were pretty smart. They gave us the Olympics, philosophy and medicine. But my favorite invention of theirs right now is Gamma. In case you haven't been following our Greek of the Week series on Market Insights, gamma is one of the key variables...

Greek of the Week: Vega

Greek of the Week: Vega

This is the fourth and final installment in a series about options Greeks on Market Insights. So far we've reviewed three options "Greeks," with memory tricks for keeping them straight: Delta: D is for direction. Gamma: G is is gaining Delta. Theta: T is for time...

Apple Rockets Up the Rankings: August at TradeStation

Apple Rockets Up the Rankings: August at TradeStation

August brought upsets to TradeStation's rankings as clients shifted attention to big technology companies. Major exchange-traded funds lost interest. Apple (AAPL), which didn't even make the Top 10 in June or July, was the busiest stock at TradeStation last month. The...

Two Tech Giants Moving in Very Different Directions

Two Tech Giants Moving in Very Different Directions

Two tech giants are moving in two very different directions as we enter the home stretch for the third quarter. Apple (AAPL) has appreciated 22 percent since the end of June. That makes it the second-best performer in the SPDR Technology Fund (XLK), with only Advanced...

Another Week, Another Gain for Stocks

Another Week, Another Gain for Stocks

The U.S. bull market's winning run continued last week as the S&P 500 broke out to new highs. The index rose 0.9 percent between Friday, August 24, and Friday, August 31 -- its eighth gain in the last nine weeks. The benchmark also advanced 3 percent in August,...

Traders, Keep an Eye on Chip Stocks

Traders, Keep an Eye on Chip Stocks

Semiconductors have been a weak spot in technology for most of the year. But now the group may be trying to break out. The Market Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH) is challenging an old peak from earlier this month. It comes at a time when the broader technology sector...

A Weak End to a Strong Season: Earnings This Week

A Weak End to a Strong Season: Earnings This Week

A good earnings season ended on a weak note, thanks to dinosaur consumer stocks. Traditional retailers and food stocks are down sharply as changes in the ecosystem continue to weigh on sentiment. Some beat estimates, others missed. Either way, investors looked for...

Is Biotech Quietly Breaking Out?

Is Biotech Quietly Breaking Out?

Biotechnology stocks are trying to break out as investors await potential catalysts after Labor Day. The iShares Nasdaq Biotech ETF (IBB) has closed at new 52-week highs in the last two sessions. It's now pushing back to price areas last seen in the summer of 2015....

Bullish Narrative Potentially Returns to Oil

Bullish Narrative Potentially Returns to Oil

Just as quickly as they appeared, oil bears are on the run. Crude oil futures (@CL) closed at their highest level yesterday since July 10, bolstered by a series of positive headlines: Weekly inventories fell by 2.6 million barrels, more than twice the expected drop....