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Goldilocks Drives S&P 500 to New Highs

Goldilocks Drives S&P 500 to New Highs

If the longest bull market in history had a patron saint, it would be Goldilocks. This Wednesday marked the 3,453rd session in the uptrend that began on March 9, 2009. That outlasted the earlier run between late 1990 and early 2000. While improving economics and...

Calls Spike as Small Cap Goes Mobile: Options Recap

Calls Spike as Small Cap Goes Mobile: Options Recap

Last month, Market Insights highlighted a surging maker of smart-phone games. Yesterday, options traders lit up the name. Here's a breakdown of the large transactions detected in Glu Mobile (GLUU): A block of 5,500 September 5.50 calls was bought for $2.04. A block of...

Retail Revival Underway: Earnings This Week

Retail Revival Underway: Earnings This Week

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...

Looking Behind the Numbers as Stocks Test Old Highs

Looking Behind the Numbers as Stocks Test Old Highs

The S&P 500 hit a new all-time high yesterday, slightly above its previous record in January. Many things have changed since that previous peak. Then, stocks drifted upward in a mindless and complacent bubble. Now, they've proven themselves with two strong...

Don’t Forget About Mexico

Don’t Forget About Mexico

Everyone's focused on China, but don't forget about Mexico. That was a message on this week's Market Action webinar, and so far it's been playing out. In case you missed it, officials on both sides of the border have suggested a deal is close. They include White House...

Big Trade in a Little Gaming Stock: Options Recap

Big Trade in a Little Gaming Stock: Options Recap

A small gaming stock has pulled back hard following a big rally, but now the bulls are back. Remember Scientific Games (SGMS)? It's a provider of gambling-technology like slot machines and lottery systems. But it was also viewed as a key beneficiary to the U.S....

Small Caps Trying to Break Out

Small Caps Trying to Break Out

Almost a month ago, Market Insights spotted a bullish triangle in small cap stocks. Today they're trying to break out. The chart below shows the tightening range on the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) over the last two months. Notice how it's made higher lows while...

Options Recap: Are Airlines Ready to Fly?

Options Recap: Are Airlines Ready to Fly?

Are airlines ready to take off? Some options traders seem to think so. The ARCA Airline Index ($XAL) rose 2.2 percent Monday, its biggest gain in over a month. The move on the heels of strong weekly bookings data and followed a broader rally in the transportation...

Greek of the Week: Gamma

Greek of the Week: Gamma

This is the second installment of a four-part series about options Greeks that will appear on Market Insights between now and Labor Day week. Last week, we looked at delta. Delta measures how much an option changes in price when the underlying stock or ETF fluctuates....