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Marijuana Momentum, Airlines Ascending: Groups in Focus

Marijuana Momentum, Airlines Ascending: Groups in Focus

Two different groups have been "flying under the radar" and "hitting new highs" in recent weeks. Let's check them out. First: Flying under the radar. Yep, some of the airlines have been climbing. This group is a bit muddled because performance between carriers has...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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....

Here’s How Much Money Someone Made in Apple on Friday

Here’s How Much Money Someone Made in Apple on Friday

There's a reason why people trade options in Apple (AAPL). Check out this massive call spread that took shape in the tech giant during Friday's session. Roughly 81,400 August 215 calls were purchased in thousands of small blocks. Buyers paid $1.03 on average. A...