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Why a Ton of Puts May Not Be Bearish in This Sector: Options Recap

Why a Ton of Puts May Not Be Bearish in This Sector: Options Recap

Put volume is usually bearish, but that might not be the case with a huge trade yesterday. More than 177,000 puts traded in the SPDR S&P Regional Bank ETF (KRE) on Monday. That was about 65 times more than the volume in calls. Puts fix the price where a stock can...

Big Tech Beats, Big Tech Misses: Earnings This Week

Big Tech Beats, Big Tech Misses: Earnings This Week

Three of the biggest companies in the U.S. have reported earnings in the last week. Their results were good, so-so, and bad. Take the good news first: Apple (AAPL) is starting to move beyond its reliance on smart phones and shifting into longer-lasting businesses....

Energy ETF Resumes its Losing Ways as Bears Return to Weakest Sector

Energy ETF Resumes its Losing Ways as Bears Return to Weakest Sector

The bears may be coming back to energy stocks as oil falters. The SPDR Energy ETF (XLE) fell 2 percent yesterday to its lowest close since March 8. It's also the worst-performing major sector fund in the last week, down almost 4 percent. Several negative factors are...

Construction Reclaiming Role in U.S. Economy, Years After Subprime Crash

Construction Reclaiming Role in U.S. Economy, Years After Subprime Crash

Construction, left for dead after the subprime crash, may be reclaiming its importance for the U.S. economy. Today's private-sector payrolls report from ADP showed the industry adding 49,000 jobs in April. That translated into a 0.66 percent increase overall -- triple...

Apple Rules the Roost as IPhone Maker Surges: April at TradeStation

Apple Rules the Roost as IPhone Maker Surges: April at TradeStation

Apple (AAPL) was the most popular symbol at TradeStation in April as the technology giant kept rising for a fourth straight month. There weren't many changes to the list of most active stocks and ETFs last month. Attention continued to focus on large technology...

Know Your Options: What Earnings Mean for Volatility

Know Your Options: What Earnings Mean for Volatility

One of the most predictable trends in the market is that implied volatility rises before big events. But do you know what this means and how to trade it? Here are the basics. Options price in the likelihood of a stock moving, either higher or lower. They get more...

Stocks Keep Climbing as Market Enters a Huge Week for Events

Stocks Keep Climbing as Market Enters a Huge Week for Events

Stocks keep climbing amid bullish news as we enter a super-busy week of events. The S&P 500 rose 1.2 percent between Friday, April 19, and Friday, April 26. The index also closed at a new all-time high of 2940, with technology and the Nasdaq-100 still leading the...

Podcast: Investors Chasing Stocks As the Other Shoe Fails to Drop

Podcast: Investors Chasing Stocks As the Other Shoe Fails to Drop

Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft are leading a rally in technology stocks. Some companies are repairing damage from last year, while others just keep innovating. The podcast also highlights some newer companies you may not know.

Big Tech to the Rescue! Earnings this Week

Big Tech to the Rescue! Earnings this Week

The bears may have to wait before they get their pullback. That's how earnings season has shaped up so far. Big technology companies like Facebook (FB) and Microsoft (MSFT) surged higher after beating estimates. Several major industrials and notable consumer stocks...