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Wall Street Is Bracing for a Less Dovish Fed
by David Russell | Dec 16, 2024
Stocks are falling as traders brace for fewer rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. The S&P 500 slid 0.6 percent between Friday, December 6, and Friday, December 13. It was the first negative week in the last four. More than three-quarters of the index's members...
Options Alert: Call Volume Spikes in Consumer Lender
by David Russell | Nov 6, 2024
Synchrony Financial jumped on strong earnings last month, and options traders seem to think the move will continue. Call volume in the consumer-lending company spiked to a four-year high yesterday, according to TradeStation data. Two contracts were especially active...
Elections and Global Risk: Futures Might Help at Moments Like This
by David Russell | Nov 5, 2024
Financial markets are entering a time of potential turmoil, with uncertain timing of news events and price moves. Traders may react by turning to futures. Futures are securities that track an underlying index or market virtually around the clock. Traders can take...
Stocks Slide and Yields Rise Before Key U.S. Elections
by David Russell | Nov 4, 2024
Stocks are under pressure as earnings fail to impress and investors brace for tomorrow's election. Rising bond yields are another potential risk. The S&P 500 fell 1.4 percent between Friday, October 25, and Friday, November 1. It was the second consecutive...
Stocks Finish October in the Red as Big Tech Breaks Lower
by David Russell | Nov 1, 2024
Stocks just declined for the first time in six months, thanks to weak guidance from Microsoft and Meta Platforms. The S&P 500 spent most of October above the level where it ended September. However it plunged in the final session, giving the index a 0.7 percent...
Are Chips Getting Left Behind? Market Trends This Week
by David Russell | Oct 31, 2024
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Check out our next “State of the Market,” on Monday, 11/4. Tickets for the Crossroads Summit 2024, sponsored by TradeStation Group, can be accessed here. Sizing...
Large Options Trade Appears in Coinbase as Bitcoin Rallies
by David Russell | Oct 30, 2024
Bitcoin is flirting with record highs and the options are getting active in Coinbase before its quarterly results. Check out this large transaction yesterday in the cryptocurrency exchange: Some 35,215 December 190 calls traded for an average price of $44.87. Matching...
Top Stocks for Options Trading
Technology & Communication
Large Options Trade Appears in Coinbase as Bitcoin Rallies
by David Russell | Oct 30, 2024
Bitcoin is flirting with record highs and the options are getting active in Coinbase before its quarterly results. Check out this large transaction yesterday in the cryptocurrency exchange: Some 35,215 December 190 calls traded for an average price of $44.87. Matching...
After Months of Weakness, Are Megacaps Ready for a Comeback?
by David Russell | Sep 11, 2024
Megacap growth stocks have lagged for a few months, but some investors may see potential for the tide to turn. The Nasdaq-100 led the market in the first half of 2024, powered by AI stocks like Nvidia (NVDA). It stalled in July as money shifted into sectors like real...
Options Alert: Bears Could Be Active in Social Media Stock
by David Russell | Sep 10, 2024
Snap plunged on weak results last month, and some options traders may be targeting further downside. Check out this unusual activity from yesterday in the social-media stock: More than 29,000 November 6 puts traded, mostly for $0.17. About 16,000 December 8 puts...
Big Technology Companies Report Earnings Soon
by David Russell | Jul 18, 2024
Second quarter earnings season has begun. Financials have already reported, and attention will soon turn to major technology companies like Microsoft and Apple. This article will cover some key dates and recent news on these stocks....
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...