Education
Why Yesterday Might Have Been a Big Day

Why Yesterday Might Have Been a Big Day

Something interesting happened yesterday: a bullish engulfing candle on the S&P 500. That means the index opened below the previous session's low and closed above its high. It's a classic reversal pattern that may signal a directional change. In this case, it...

Guess What Index Just Broke Out

Guess What Index Just Broke Out

Over a century ago, Charles Dow said it's bullish when transportation stocks hit new highs. That's exactly what they're doing today. So-called "Dow Theory" teaches that different parts of the market can confirm each other. This is especially true with economically...

Big Tech Slammed Again As Rotation Continues

Big Tech Slammed Again As Rotation Continues

As the saying goes, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. That seems to be the case in technology stocks this week as large-cap members of the big indexes get hammered while other parts of the market hold their ground. Notice on the RadarScreen® below that the...

This Is Why Options Traders Need to Know Gamma

This Is Why Options Traders Need to Know Gamma

The ancient Greeks were pretty smart. They gave us the Olympics, philosophy and medicine. But my favorite invention of theirs right now is Gamma. In case you haven't been following our Greek of the Week series on Market Insights, gamma is one of the key variables...

Greek of the Week: Vega

Greek of the Week: Vega

This is the fourth and final installment in a series about options Greeks on Market Insights. So far we've reviewed three options "Greeks," with memory tricks for keeping them straight: Delta: D is for direction. Gamma: G is is gaining Delta. Theta: T is for time...

Traders, Keep an Eye on Chip Stocks

Traders, Keep an Eye on Chip Stocks

Semiconductors have been a weak spot in technology for most of the year. But now the group may be trying to break out. The Market Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH) is challenging an old peak from earlier this month. It comes at a time when the broader technology sector...

Big Caps on the Move: Scanning for Breakouts in the Dow

Big Caps on the Move: Scanning for Breakouts in the Dow

It's pretty quiet today as stocks drift aimlessly before Labor Day. Dog days of summer? More like the sloth days ... Still, some members of the Dow Jones Industrial Average are melting to new highs even as the broader market snoozes in the shade. Here's a quick tool...

Greek of the Week: Theta

Greek of the Week: Theta

This is the third installment of a four-part series about options Greeks on Market Insights concluding Labor Day week. So far, we've looked at delta and gamma. This week, we'll turn to theta. Theta: T is for "time decay." Theta measures how much time value an option...

Starting with Futures: S&P 500 E-minis

Starting with Futures: S&P 500 E-minis

Do you love to trade stocks, but are confused by futures? Keep reading. Many clients are initially puzzled, or even scared, by these derivative instruments. The lingo is different. Their hours are weird. The rules seem bizarre, along with their settlements and...

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...