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Riding a megabank on the cheap: Options recap

Riding a megabank on the cheap: Options recap

One big investor is riding a megabank on the cheap, thanks to the leveraging power of options. Bank of America (BAC) has been on the move since late 2016. A large call roll yesterday seemed to show that a money manager is using options as a surrogate for owning...

Big Tech De-fangs the SPY: July at TradeStation

Big Tech De-fangs the SPY: July at TradeStation

FANG ruled the roost in this month as volatility swept the Nasdaq. The two busiest stocks for TradeStation clients in July were members of the high-tech quartet: Facebook (FB) and Netflix (NFLX). Both crashed from record highs after mediocre quarterly reports raised...

Bears Target Consumer Heavyweight: Options Recap

Bears Target Consumer Heavyweight: Options Recap

Bears were moving in for the kill as a giant consumer staples firm prepared earnings. Procter & Gamble (PG), after all, has had anything but a strong track record. The parent of brands like Gillette, Pampers and Tide dropped fell after its last three quarterly...

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...

Tech Falls as Earnings and Economic Data Disappoint

Tech Falls as Earnings and Economic Data Disappoint

Technology stocks took a hit last week, but the broader market still managed a fourth straight gain. The S&P 500 rose 0.6 percent between Friday, July 20, and Friday, July 27. That contrasted with the Nasdaq-100's decline of 0.7 percent. Sub-par earnings and...

Caution Reigns in Chip Space: Options Recap

Caution Reigns in Chip Space: Options Recap

Options traders are bracing against a drop in chip makers as earnings season marches on. Here's a breakdown a large bearish spread in the Market Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH) yesterday: Roughly 22,000 September 100 puts were bought for $1.85. Roughly 22,000...

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...

Traders, Key an Eye on Small Caps

Traders, Key an Eye on Small Caps

It's a busy week for earnings and economic news. But, don't forget about one the year's strongest areas in the market. We're talking about small-cap stocks, tracked by the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM). Its 9 percent gain so far this year makes it the second-best...

Can China Spend Its Way out of Trade War?

Can China Spend Its Way out of Trade War?

In case you didn't notice, China gave emerging markets and commodities a shot in the arm yesterday by announcing a series of stimulus measures. What's going on? Why's the world's second-largest economy turning to Keynesianism at a time when the U.S. is enjoying some...