Market Insights
Bringing you the trading news around the world.
Bullish and Bearish: Key Points About Vertical Option Spreads
Vertical spreads are one of the most common strategies in the options market because they can generate leverage with limited risk. This article will consider key points about bullish and bearish spreads. Vertical spreads involve two "legs" on the same underlier to...
Is Good News Priced In For Now? January Ends On a Weak Note
Stocks rose for a third straight month in January, but some investors may worry most of the good news is priced in for now. The S&P 500 advanced 1.6 percent between December 29 and January 31. At one point it was up as much as 3.4 percent, but fell sharply to end...
Netflix Leads Market to New Highs Before Fed Meeting
The stock market set a new record last week, led by communication companies like Netflix, Comcast and Alphabet. The S&P 500 rose 1.1 percent between Friday, January 19, and Friday, January 26. It was the third straight positive week, bringing the index above 4900...
Stocks Break Out as AI Boom Fuels Tech Rally
Stocks are breaking out to new highs as the Artificial Intelligence boom widens. The S&P 500 rose 1.2 percent in the holiday-shortened week between Friday, January 12, and Friday, January 19. The index closed at a new all-time high for the first time in over two...
Chart of the Day: Can Intel Keep Running?
Intel has been rallying on hopes of a turnaround, and some chart watchers may see potential for more upside. The first pattern on today’s chart is the series of lower highs since December 27. The chipmaker has tested the falling trendline over the last week. Could a...
Stocks Pause Near Record Highs Before Inflation, Earnings
Stocks are pulling back as traders wait for key inflation data and the start of earnings season. The S&P 500 fell 1.5 percent in the holiday-shortened period between Friday, December 29, and Friday, January 5. It was the first drop in 10 weeks, ending the index's...
Tech, Housing, Inflation: Stock Market Trends To Watch in the New Year
The New Year begins with increased confidence that inflation and interest rates have peaked. What will that mean for the market? Here are some potential outcomes based on recent trends. New Growth Stocks May Go Mainstream The period after 2017 saw a flurry of initial...
Technology & Communication
Chart of the Day: Palantir Stabilizes Above Old Highs
Palantir Technologies has advanced as investors embrace AI and non-government customers embrace its products. Is its current pullback offering an opportunity? The first pattern on today’s chart is the pair of rallies after the last two quarterly reports. Those may...
Options Alert: Large Put Spread Targets Key Level in Apple
Apple has surged this year as Wall Street anticipates a new iPhone cycle and growth opportunities in India. But yesterday options traders looked for a pause. Check out this large transaction that occurred shortly after Monday's open: 20,000 4-August 180 puts traded...
Technical Analysis: Don’t Forget About Alphabet
Alphabet has been on the sidelines since a big rally in May. Is it time for traders to think about more upside? The first pattern on today’s chart is last August’s peak around $122.43. GOOGL chopped on either side of the level for three weeks but has mostly stayed...
Chart of the Day: Micron Pulls Back After Breaking Out
Semiconductor stocks have been moving lately. Today’s chart focuses on memory-chip producer Micron Technology. The first pattern to consider is the level around $64.30. MU peaked near this price in November, January, March and April. A breakout followed in mid-May...
Options Alert: Call Volume Grows as Salesforce.com Nears Highs
Major technology stocks like Apple and Microsoft jumped on quarterly results. Will peer Saleforce.com make a similar move? Marc Benioff's provider of cloud-based marketing software is up 49 percent this year after a sharp selloff in 2022. It has paused over the last...