We recently outlined protective puts and covered calls as common hedging techniques. This brings us to the important question of selling options versus buying options. To understand the these two basic kinds of transactions, traders need to recognize the difference...
Last earnings season was a tough act to follow, but Corporate America is about to give it a try. Per-share profits climbed about 25 percent and revenue rose approximately 10 percent. Both of those gains were the best since the start of the decade. Early indications...
Carbohydrates might not be good for your waist-line but they’ve worked wonders for Darden Restaurants (DRI). The parent of Olive Garden, has risen sharply in 2018 after its quarterly results beat estimates for three straight quarters. Last time around, earnings grew...
Software versus semiconductors. It's a major split running down the middle of the technology sector. The chart below compares the performance between the iShares North American Software ETF (IGV) and the Market Vectors Semiconductor ETC (SMH) since the start of 2016....
A good earnings season ended on a weak note, thanks to dinosaur consumer stocks. Traditional retailers and food stocks are down sharply as changes in the ecosystem continue to weigh on sentiment. Some beat estimates, others missed. Either way, investors looked for...
Remember when everyone thought traditional retailers were going extinct? This week's earnings reports may have destroyed that narrative. "This is the healthiest environment I have ever seen," Target (TGT) CEO Brian Cornell told CNBC as his stock shot into record...
Investors like turnaround stories. That seems to be the message from the last week of corporate earnings. Consider two major retailers: Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) and Macy's (M). Both beat analysts' estimates, but moved in two very different directions. Why? It was all...
As earnings season marches on, investors remain happy with results. Most of the big companies that have reported in the last week beat estimates, including some well-known retail and media names. Take Dish Network (DISH) for instance. The satellite-TV company...
Lots of attention obviously focuses on the biggest stocks, but results from smaller companies have been arguably better this earnings season. This post will review some of those lesser-known names, especially in the e-commerce space. A big one is Match (MTCH). The...