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After Months of Weakness, Are Megacaps Ready for a Comeback?
by David Russell | Sep 11, 2024
Megacap growth stocks have lagged for a few months, but some investors may see potential for the tide to turn. The Nasdaq-100 led the market in the first half of 2024, powered by AI stocks like Nvidia (NVDA). It stalled in July as money shifted into sectors like real...
Bullish Call Volume Was Just Detected in This High Flying Coal Miner
by David Russell | Mar 8, 2022
Coal miners have surged as the Ukraine crisis boosts energy prices, and options traders are active in a key name. Check out this large transaction in Peabody Energy (BTU), the world's largest private-sector coal miner: Some 7,500 December 25 calls were sold for an...
Stocks Show Some Positives Despite Geopolitics Creating Historic Uncertainty for Investors
by David Russell | Mar 7, 2022
Stocks remain under pressure as the Ukraine crisis roils the global economy, spreading uncertainty at a key time in the post-pandemic recovery. Still, some positives have emerged. The S&P 500 dropped 1.3 percent between Friday, February 25, and Friday, March 4. It...
New 20-year Treasury Bond Futures Are Launching Today
by David Russell | Mar 7, 2022
New 20-year Treasury bond futures start trading today, two years after the government launched the underlying securities. The new contracts will control $100,000 of face value, with quarterly expirations. Its symbol root will be TWE. The first contract is dated for...
With Technology Still Under Pressure, Where Is Money Going in the Stock Market?
by David Russell | Mar 3, 2022
Steel stocks are flying as investors scramble to stay ahead of spiraling inflation. The DJ US Steel Index ($DJUSST) surged 29 percent in February. It not only hit a 13-year high. It also outperformed the S&P 500 by a whopping 31 percentage points. That was its...
These Were the Busiest Symbols at TradeStation in February
by David Russell | Mar 1, 2022
Advanced Micro Devices was the busiest symbol at TradeStation Securities in February, knocking Tesla from the No. 1 spot. Activity surged in AMD after the chip maker reported better-than-expected earnings, revenue and guidance. The stock, rebounding from a four-month...
Stocks Hold Their Ground But Face a Series of Potential Risks as Ukraine Crisis Rages
by David Russell | Feb 28, 2022
Stocks inched higher last week but face a potential minefield of geopolitical risk and economic events in coming days. The S&P 500 rose 0.8 percent between Friday, February 18, and Friday, February 25. It was the first positive week in the last three, but the...
Top Stocks for Options Trading
Technology & Communication
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Chart of the Day: Has the Tide Finally Turned for This Chinese E-Commerce Giant?
by David Russell | Jun 8, 2022
Chinese stocks like Alibaba have been under pressure for the last 1-1/2 years, but now the tide could be turning. The first pattern on today's chart is the high-volume bullish gap on March 16 after officials in Beijing took a more supportive approach toward financial...
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Trio of FANG Stocks Flirts With Breakouts as Big Events Approach
by David Russell | Jul 9, 2019
Remember FANG stocks? Three members of this elite club may be flirting with breakouts before some big events. Netflix (NFLX), Facebook (FB) and Amazon.com (AMZN) are less than 1 percent from their highs for the year. The trio has quietly outperformed the broader...
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Bull Markets Climb a Wall of Worry, Once Again
by David Russell | Jul 1, 2019
"Bull markets climb a wall of worry." The old adage proved true again today as the S&P 500 breaks out to new highs. Investors ended last week fearing higher tariffs against China before the G20 Summit in Osaka. Then President Trump withdrew the threat after...
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Disney, Microsoft Led the Dow Higher in the Second Quarter
by David Russell | Jun 28, 2019
Today's the last day of the second quarter. A pair of blue-chip disruptors led the market higher during the period. Walt Disney (DIS) and Microsoft (MSFT) were the best performers in the Dow Jones Industrial Average since the end of March. DIS surged 25 percent as it...
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Videogame Bulls Fight for Key Level: Options Recap
by David Russell | Jun 18, 2019
Videogame stocks are still hurting from last year's selloff in tech. But now options traders are defending a key level in major stock. We're talking about Activision Blizzard (ATVI), which makes titles like Call of Duty, Candy Crush and Overwatch. The stock briefly...