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AI Stocks May Show Signs of Stalling After Big Rally
by David Russell | Jun 24, 2024
AI stocks could be showing signs of fatigue as the end of the second quarter approaches. The S&P 500 rose 0.6 percent in the holiday-shortened week between Friday, June 14, and Friday, June 21. It was the third consecutive positive week, with more than 70 percent...
Stocks Retreat as Data Weakens. Is Stagflation Coming?
by David Russell | Sep 13, 2021
Stocks had their worst week in almost three months as the economy slows and the Federal Reserves prepares to tighten monetary policy. The S&P 500 slid 1.7 percent in the holiday-shortened period between September 3 and September 10. It was the biggest drop since...
This Tech-Savvy Restaurant Chain Took Off During the Pandemic. Can You Guess September’s Mystery Stock?
by David Russell | Sep 10, 2021
The coronavirus pandemic transformed the nature of in-person businesses like retail and restaurants. This month's mystery stock was ready for the change, and has thrived amid the crisis. It started 28 years ago when a sous chef noticed the popularity of tacos and...
Options Alert: Call Buyers Target Breakout in Up-and-Coming Cloud Stock
by David Russell | Sep 8, 2021
Datadog, an 11-year old cloud-computing firm, broke out to new highs last month. Today, options traders looked for the rally to continue. More than 20,000 call options changed hands at the 140 strike, plus another 5,000 at the 142 strike. Four contracts accounted for...
IPOs, iPhones and Fed Tapering: Stocks Enter the Home Stretch for 2021
by David Russell | Sep 7, 2021
The U.S. economy took a hit last month, but investors may find new opportunities as they come back from the summer. A wave of initial public offerings (IPOs), changes in Federal Reserve policy and technology news could prove catalysts in coming weeks. We'll consider...
Stocks Rise for 7th Month, Led by Tech Stocks like Paycom and Etsy
by David Russell | Aug 31, 2021
Stocks are in the middle of their longest winning streak in 3-1/2 years, bolstered by strong earnings and an abundance of buyers on the sidelines. The S&P 500 rose 2.9 percent in August, its seventh straight positive month. The last time the index rose that long...
This Industry Is Holding Its Ground, Despite a Lot of Bad News This Week
by David Russell | Aug 20, 2021
Homebuilder stocks are holding their ground, despite enduring a lot of bad news this week. First, Home Depot (HD) crashed after reporting unexpectedly weak same-store sales. The National Association of Homebuilders next announced that business conditions had fallen to...
Top Stocks for Options Trading
Technology & Communication
Chart of the Day: Has the Tide Finally Turned for This Chinese E-Commerce Giant?
by David Russell | Jun 8, 2022
Chinese stocks like Alibaba have been under pressure for the last 1-1/2 years, but now the tide could be turning. The first pattern on today's chart is the high-volume bullish gap on March 16 after officials in Beijing took a more supportive approach toward financial...
Big Banks and Netflix Surprise to the Upside: Earnings This Week
by David Russell | Oct 17, 2019
Earnings season started on a strong foot as major banks reported surprising growth in their core businesses. JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Citigroup (C), Morgan Stanley (MS), U.S. Bancorp (USB) and PNC Financial (PNC) all beat estimates in the last...
No More Growth? Triple Downgrade Rocks Software Space
by David Russell | Oct 17, 2019
Software stocks have been growth darlings for years, but doubts are growing on Wall Street. Yesterday three different investment banks made bearish calls on three different companies: Citi downgraded Adobe Systems (ADBE) to "neutral." The analyst thinks recurring...
FireEye Rallies from Lows, Just in Time for Cybersecurity Month
by David Russell | Oct 16, 2019
October is cybersecurity month, and a pioneering stock in the industry has come to life. FireEye (FEYE) has rallied 15 percent in the last two weeks and is having its best month in more than two years. A combination of takeover speculation, improved results and...
Emotions Flip Away From Safe Havens as Earnings Season Begins
by David Russell | Oct 15, 2019
Emotions seem to be flipping away from caution as earnings season begins. Safe-haven sectors including utilities, consumer staples, bonds and precious metals are all lagging this week. Meanwhile "risk-on" groups like financials, semiconductors and industrials are...