Market Insights
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Key Points About Selling Credit Spreads
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...
Stocks Teeter Again as Investors Nervously Eye Rising Bond Yields
Stocks tumbled again last week as investors brace for a potentially major increase in bond yields. The S&P 500 slid 0.3 percent between Friday, January 7, and Friday, January 14. It was the index's second straight weekly decline after failing to hold new highs...
Tired of Tech Stocks? These Five Value Names Have Broken Out as the Nasdaq Sputters
The Nasdaq-100 is sputtering as investors shed growth stocks, but a handful of value names are breaking out. The iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) is down about 7 percent so far in January, while the iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD) is little changed. The 7...
Options Alert: Massive Call Volume Detected in Global Mining Giant
Metal stocks have jumped lately, and one options trader is apparently looking for upside in a key global producer. Check out this unusual activity in Vale (VALE), the Rio de Janeiro-based mining giant: 26,000 January 14 calls traded for $1.52.26,000 January 17 calls...
The Dollar Is Dropping Sharply, Lifting Global Stocks and Commodity Plays
All of a sudden, weak-dollar trades are working. At least 26 foreign-country exchange-traded funds are outperforming the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 so far this year, according to TradeStation data. Producers of commodities like oil and metals, which tend to track the...
Energy Stocks Look Like Technology Did Five Years Ago: Technical Analysis
2022 has begun with another sharp rotation from growth to value stocks. The SPDR Technology ETF had its biggest weekly drop in over a year, while the SPDR Energy ETF had its biggest gain in even longer. The SPDR Financial ETF (XLF) also jumped. Price action in the two...
Value Stocks Are Crushing Tech in 2022. Here Are Some Ways to Find Them With TradeStation
Value stocks are outperforming again in the New Year. Today we'll consider some methods for discovering them with TradeStation. It may be an opportune time to consider these points because the Nasdaq-100 and "growth" stocks have led the market for several years. But...
Technology & Communication
Tech Stocks Break the Downtrend Despite a Hawkish Fed. Are the Bears Losing Control?
Stocks just had their biggest rally in over a year as a broad cloud of bearishness began to lift, despite an increasingly hawkish Federal Reserve. The S&P 500 rose 6.2 percent between Friday, March, 11, and Friday, March 18. The Nasdaq-100 jumped 8.4 and the Dow...
Options Trader Sees Opportunity in China Crisis: Volatility Spotlight
Semiconductors are having their worst month this decade, but one big options trader is calling a bottom in a key name. Xilinx (XLNX) has been one of the industry's top performers in the last year as investors looked for a boost from 5G networks. That same positive...
Is Real Estate ETF a Stealth Technology Trade?
Believe it or not, real-estate investment trusts (REITs) are leading the market this month. The SPDR Real Estate ETF (XLRE) is up 1.8 percent so far in May. That contrasts with a 2.4 percent drop for the broader S&P 500 over the same period. Even more surprising,...
Glass Seems Half Full in Big Tech: Earnings this Week
Investors stayed bullish on big technology stocks in the last week, even when their results missed estimates. Cisco Systems (CSCO), Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO) and Booking (BKNG), and JD.com (JD) all rallied after reporting quarterly numbers. Some beat...
Good News Shrugged Off: Earnings This Week
Investors are looking past good quarterly results and punishing stocks that missed estimates. In the last week, companies like Walt Disney (DIS), Allergan (AGN), Electronic Arts (EA) and KLA Tencor (KLAC) beat estimates, only to drift or fall. The tepid response comes...