Market Insights
Opportunity knocks for those with trading in their DNA.
Curiosity creates opportunity. Insights create strategy. Born traders create their destiny.
Stocks
Options
Futures

Chips Gain Before Nvidia Results
by David Russell | Feb 20, 2025
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Check out our next “State of the Market,” on Monday, 2/24. Sizing Up the Market S&P 500 crosses 6,119 as volatility fades MACD, RSI, 9-day rate of change (ROC) steadily push...
Chart of the Day: Make or Break Time for the Russell?
by David Russell | Jul 10, 2024
The Russell 2000 has gone nowhere since December, but some traders may think the small cap index is poised for a move. The main pattern on today’s chart is the pair of converging lines along the lows since April and the highs since May. Will there be a breakout from...
Bulls in the China Shop? Options Surge Before Big Events
by David Russell | Jul 10, 2024
Options traders are getting active in Chinese technology companies like Baidu before two potentially important events. The first catalyst is at 8:30 a.m. ET tomorrow, when the U.S. Labor Department releases the consumer price index (CPI). It's the first reading of...
Stocks Keep Climbing as Lower Rates Push Growth Names Higher
by David Russell | Jul 8, 2024
Large growth stocks are leading the market to new highs again as investors anticipate lower interest rates. The S&P 500 rose almost 2 percent in the holiday-shortened week between Friday, June 28, and Friday, July 5. The index closed above 5,500 for the first time...
Key Points About Selling Credit Spreads
by David Russell | Jul 7, 2024
A previous post covered debit spreads, when you pay a debit looking for a stock or ETF to move in a certain direction. Credit spreads are just the opposite, with traders collecting premium up front in hope that the stock won’t move a certain way. What a...
Measuring the Summer Calm With TradeStation’s Custom Functionality
by David Russell | Jul 4, 2024
Stocks have enjoyed a calm drift higher since the beginning of May. But just how smooth has the ride been? Today we'll answer that question using TradeStation's award-winning platform. One approach is to measure the amount of time since the S&P 500 last had a...
Technology and the Nasdaq Surged Back to Life in June
by David Russell | Jul 1, 2024
Stocks keep hitting new highs as technology comes back to life. The S&P 500 rose 3.5 percent in June, while the Nasdaq-100 climbed 6.2 percent. Software companies, chipmakers and other large technology companies broadly drove the gains. As a result, the technology...
Top Stocks for Options Trading
Technology & Communication

Options Alert: Long-Term Position Stays Bullish on Chip Giant
by David Russell | Sep 25, 2024
Will Broadcom be the next company to achieve a $1 trillion valuation? One big options trader may think so. Check out this unusual activity yesterday in AVGO, which is up more than 50 percent so far this year: 7,000 December 200 calls were purchased for $5.40. 7,000...

Technical Analysis: Airbnb Could Be Planning a Trip North as ‘Golden Cross’ Looms
by David Russell | Apr 20, 2022
Like millions of Americans, Airbnb has been cooped up for a long time. But now the room-sharing stock could be planning a trip north. The first pattern on today's chart is the 50-day moving average climbing toward the 200-day moving average. At its current pace, a...

Chart of the Day: Is Tesla Going into Reverse After a Sharp Rally?
by David Russell | Apr 11, 2022
Tesla had a sharp rally in late March, but now there could be evidence of sellers taking the wheel. The first major pattern on today's chart is the trendline running along the peaks of November 4, January 4 and April 5. Each time prices have approached with a bang,...

Options Alert: Twitter Traders Break Records as Elon Musk Fuels Historic Rally
by David Russell | Apr 5, 2022
Twitter leaped yesterday after Elon Musk revealed a giant stake in the social-media company. The news also triggered historic options volume. More than 1.5 million calls and puts changed hands in TWTR on Monday, according to TradeStation data. That was 346,000...

Tesla Is Leading a Rebound in Megacap Growth Stocks as the Fed Fades and Earnings Approach
by David Russell | Mar 29, 2022
High-multiple growth stocks have lagged since late 2021. But that's changing thanks to Tesla. The electric-vehicle giant is up 25 percent so far this month, making it the top performer in the Nasdaq-100 in March. The rally began when TSLA refused to stay under $800...