Market Insights
Opportunity knocks for those with trading in their DNA.
Curiosity creates opportunity. Insights create strategy. Born traders create their destiny.
Bullish Option Strategy: Put Credit Spread
Traders sell a put option near the money and buy another at a lower strike. This strategy generates a credit, while limiting potential losses if prices decline. Learn more
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 $0.28....
The Message Behind Yesterday’s Volatility Spike
Yesterday was a reminder for traders who forgot what volatility feels like. The S&P 500 had its biggest drop since June 25, and Cboe's Volatility Index ($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!
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?
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
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
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...
Technology & Communication
Technical Analysis: Don’t Forget About Chip Stocks
The Nasdaq is trying to stabilize, which could draw buyers back to semiconductors. Chip stocks like NXP Semiconductors (NXPI), Broadcom (AVGO) and Lam Research (LRCX) were some of the biggest gainers in the Nasdaq-100 last week. That helped push NDX ahead of the...