Market Insights
Opportunity knocks for those with trading in their DNA.
Curiosity creates opportunity. Insights create strategy. Born traders create their destiny.
The Basics of Options
Options are an important tool for many retail investors. They can either replace trading shares, or make it easier to position oneself in stocks. Let’s consider the first things options traders need to know. An Option’s Price Is Usually Called ‘Premium’ There are some...
Customize Without Coding: Make the Most of TradeStation With This Free Educational Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XtEsARP0NQ TradeStation is famous for its broad versatility and the ability to program in EasyLanguage. But did you know that a wide range of adjustments and customizations can be accomplished without learning a single line of code?...
This Key Part of the Technology Sector Could Be Flashing Warning Signs: Chart of the Day
Semiconductors have been a key pillar of the S&P 500’s advance since 2016, and now they may be flashing a warning signal for the overall market. This chart of the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index shows how gains have been slowing all year. Prices have squeezed...
Bitcoin Ripped Higher Amid Growing Signs That Cryptocurrencies May Have Bottomed
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum ripped higher yesterday. After months of weakness, there could be reasons to be optimistic on the market. This article will consider several key points about Bitcoin and Ethereum. It's not intended as a recommendation, but as...
Stocks Are Climbing an Epic Wall of Worry as Earnings Blow Past Estimates
An old adage states that "bull markets climb a wall of worry." It's especially true now. The S&P 500 fell 1.6 percent last Monday, its worst drop in over two months. But it immediately rebounded, and climbed the next four sessions. That resulted in gain of almost...
Market Breadth Can Anticipate Turns, Gauge Strength: Must-See Instructional Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j25eI_iLJEM The stock market's recent pullback followed a period of weakening breadth. Traders can use tools like advance/decline lines, equal-weighted ETFs and other measures of index internals to judge participation in rallies. This...
Earnings Season Begins on a Strong Note, Thanks to Snap and Chipotle
Earnings season is off to a bullish start as companies like Snap, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Coca-Cola blitz past estimates. That variety of companies -- social media, casual dining and hospitals -- highlights the breadth of the stock market's earning power. It shows...
Technology & Communication
Facebook, Amazon.com Miss, Apple Struggles with Supply Chain, Microsoft Jumps: Earnings This Week
Quarterly results from Apple, Amazon.com and Facebook came up short this week, but Microsoft and Alphabet jumped to new highs. It was the busiest period of earnings season, with five of the market's six biggest companies issuing numbers. (Tesla was last week.) Most...
A Tough Slog For Banks, With a Happy Ending
There was a day when higher interest rates lifted financials. But not anymore. Selling in the sector has been intense, with 64 of the 67 members of the SPDR Financial ETF (XLF) down so far this week. Banks, insurers and asset managers have all taken a beating. (Don't...
IPOs Keep Coming in September
Initial public offerings (IPOs) are running at their quickest pace in years. Have you been watching? Volume at the end of August was already close to the total for all of 2017, according to data from ClickIPO. In fact, if you include Spotify's (SPOT)'s unusual direct...
Options 101: Hedging With Ratio Spreads
This post is part of an educational series on equity derivatives. Want to learn more? Sign up for our Options Stars 2018 symposium in Chicago next month. Sometimes I love trading options so much I forget they were invented to be used in tandem with stocks. This post...
Your Favorite Sector’s Getting Reshuffled
Everyone loves tech. Did you know the sector's about to get reshuffled? Over the years, "technology" has become an increasingly ambiguous term. What do semiconductors have in common with phone companies? Why should routers and photocopiers get lumped alongside social...