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Market Insights

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Guess Who’s Shopping in the Retail Space

Guess Who’s Shopping in the Retail Space

Bears are shopping for downside in the retail space after a rough start to the month. A block of 40,000 December 47 puts was purchased this morning in SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) for $1.08. It was one of the largest transactions in the entire market. Puts can make...

Nasdaq Gets Slammed as Rates Shoot Higher

Nasdaq Gets Slammed as Rates Shoot Higher

Stocks began the fourth quarter in the red as interest rates spiked and money streamed out of the technology sector. The S&P 500 slid 1 percent between Friday, September 28, and Friday, October 5. But that was nothing compared with the Nasdaq-100's 3 percent drop...

Bulls Want a Gusher from South American Oil Giant

Bulls Want a Gusher from South American Oil Giant

Brazil's ripping this week, and today's biggest options trade is following the trend. Check out the bullish call spread this morning in oil giant Petrobras (PBR), the country's largest company by market cap: A block of 130,000 October 16 calls was bought for $0.28....

The Message Behind Yesterday’s Volatility Spike

The Message Behind Yesterday’s Volatility Spike

Yesterday was a reminder for traders who forgot what volatility feels like. The S&P 500 had its biggest drop since June 25, and Cboe's Volatility Index ($VIX.X) had its biggest spike over the same period. Even more impressive, TradeStation data showed 23.6 million...

Emerging Markets? More Like Diverging Markets!

Emerging Markets? More Like Diverging Markets!

A sharp dichotomy has appeared in emerging markets as Asia struggles and oil rallies. The iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA) is down 8 percent in the last two weeks and the iShares China Large-Cap ETF (FXI) has declined 2 percent. Meanwhile, the iShares Brazil MSCI ETF...

How Long Can the Party Last in This Latin Lender?

How Long Can the Party Last in This Latin Lender?

Brazil is en fuego, as Market Insights highlighted yesterday. But this session options traders are fading the rally in a key name. Itau Unibanco (ITUB), the country's biggest lender, is up 7.49 percent to $12.34 in afternoon trading. The gains come amid optimism that...

The Subprime Crash Started a Decade Ago

The Subprime Crash Started a Decade Ago

October 2008, a month that's lived in infamy for many investors, is now a decade in the rear-view mirror. A decade ago today, the S&P 500 slipped under 1100. It was the lowest close in almost four years and kicked off an historic slide that shook confidence in the...

Suddenly Another Global Name Is Moving

Suddenly Another Global Name Is Moving

Attention has focused heavily on China, Italy and NAFTA. But suddenly today another part of the world is in play. The iShares Brazil ETF (EWZ) rallied 6 percent today and has gained 8 percent in the last week. That places it well ahead of the S&P 500 and other...

Options Are Moving in This Forgotten Space

Options Are Moving in This Forgotten Space

Biotechnology's quietly coming to life, and options traders are flocking to one of the biggest names in the space. Want to learn more about options? Sign up for our "Options Stars 2018" symposium in Chicago this month. Call volume is spiking in Gilead Sciences (GILD)...