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Geopolitical Risks Emerge as October Begins: Market Trends This Week
by David Russell | Oct 3, 2024
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Check out our next “State of the Market,” on Monday, 10/7. Tickets for the Crossroads Summit 2024, sponsored by TradeStation Group, can be accessed here. Sizing Up the S&P...
Where’s the Fear? VIX Keeps Sliding as Big Events Fail to Lift Volatility
by David Russell | Aug 3, 2022
Cboe's "fear index" hasn't been showing a lot of panic lately. The Volatility Index ($VIX.X) declined steadily between mid-June and late July. That six-week slide was the longest negative streak since late 2019, according to TradeStation data. It's up slightly this...
Stocks Leapt Higher in July, But Will the Rally Continue this Month?
by David Russell | Aug 1, 2022
Stocks just finished their best month in over a year. Can they keep running in August? The S&P 500 climbed 4.3 percent in the week between Friday, July 22, and Friday, July 29. That helped lift the index 9.1 percent in July, giving the index its biggest monthly...
Chart of the Day: Chinese Electric Car Stock Rallies and Pulls Back
by David Russell | Jul 28, 2022
Most Chinese stocks remain well below their 52-week highs, but not Li Auto. Let's consider some of the patterns on the Beijing-based maker of electric cars and SUVs. First you have the level around $33. It was the opening price on December 3 when news of Didi's...
The Fed Hints at Peak Hawkishness Following Another Huge Interest Rate Hike
by David Russell | Jul 27, 2022
The Federal Reserve may have reached "peak hawkishness" after seven months of embracing tighter monetary policy. The central bank raised the target for its interest rates by 75 basis points today. The move matched expectations and mirrored a similar historic increase...
Options Alert: Mega Call Spreads Target Historic Level in Brazilian Energy Stock
by David Russell | Jul 26, 2022
For the second session in a row, options traders targeted a key level in South American oil driller Petrobras. Check out this large bullish call spread Monday in Rio De Janeiro-based PBR: A block of 40,000 January 14 calls was purchased for $0.50. An equal number of...
Stocks Muscle Higher as Rate Hike Looms and Earnings Stream In
by David Russell | Jul 25, 2022
Stocks are muscling higher before one of the busiest weeks of the year, packed with key earnings and a major Federal Reserve meeting. The S&P 500 rose 2.5 percent between Friday, July 15, and Friday July 22. The index closed at its highest level in over a month as...
Top Stocks for Options Trading
Technology & Communication
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Chart of the Day: Does Tesla Need to Recharge its Batteries?
by David Russell | Aug 18, 2022
Tesla rallied more than 50 percent from its lows of the year through earlier this week. But now it may be running out of juice. The main pattern on today's chart is the price area around $939. It was the opening price on May 5 before TSLA knifed under its 200-day...
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Big Banks Announce Strong Results as Earnings Season Begins
by David Russell | Jan 16, 2020
Earnings season is off to another strong start, thanks to big banks and financials. JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Citigroup (C) and Morgan Stanley (MS) all reported strong quarters. A combination of banking, trading and investment management drove the...
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This Social Media Upstart Just Got a Lot of Attention in the Options Market
by David Russell | Jan 15, 2020
Suddenly the bulls are logging into Pinterest. The social-media upstart had record call volume yesterday as options traders positioned for a potential move higher. The activity came after a report showed growing user traffic. PINS' user base rose 9 percent to 82.4...
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From Bear to Bull in a Few Months: Charting Tesla’s Stunning U-Turn
by William Owens | Jan 14, 2020
Never argue with price action. Look no further than Tesla for an example of why traders love technical analysis. If you haven't noticed, Elon Musk's electric-car disrupter made a dramatic U-turn last year. It's more than doubled since the summer, punishing short...
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Stocks Begin the New Decade With Technology Still Leading the Rally
by David Russell | Jan 13, 2020
Stocks began the new decade on a strong note as investors stuck with technology despite saber-rattling in the Middle East. The S&P 500 rose 0.9 percent between Friday, January 3, and Friday, January 10. It was the first full week of 2020 and the 12th positive week...