Markets
Stocks Keep Climbing as Confidence Builds

Stocks Keep Climbing as Confidence Builds

Stocks keep inching higher as confidence builds. The S&P 500 rose 0.6 percent between Friday, August 10, and Friday, August 17. It was the seventh positive week in the last eight, and the second-highest weekly close in history. The big stories are the U.S. economy...

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...

Not All Tech is Rolling Over

Not All Tech is Rolling Over

Earlier today, Market Insights highlighted the general weakness in technology. But there's one huge exception to that statement: Apple (AAPL). Tim Cook's smart-phone behemoth made a new high this morning, and has set new records in nine of the 13 trading sessions this...

Tech and FANG Languish as Sentiment Shifts

Tech and FANG Languish as Sentiment Shifts

FANG seems to be losing its mojo along with the rest of tech as sentiment shifts in the market. FANG, if you don't know, stands for Facebook (FB), Amazon.com (AMZN), Netflix (NFLX) and Alphabet (GOOGL). This grouping accounted for a big chunk of the market's gains...

Riding a Megabank on the Cheap: Options Recap

Riding a Megabank on the Cheap: Options Recap

One big investor is riding a megabank on the cheap, thanks to the leveraging power of options. Bank of America (BAC) has been on the move since late 2016. A large call roll yesterday seemed to show that a money manager is using options as a surrogate for owning...

Big Caps Come to Life as China Blinks

Big Caps Come to Life as China Blinks

Did China just blink in its trade war against President Donald Trump? The market seems to think so. Last night, a story crossed the wires saying that Beijing would send a trade delegate to Washington this month. The news came less than a week before the U.S. was...

Turnarounds Get Rewarded: Earnings this Week

Turnarounds Get Rewarded: Earnings this Week

Investors like turnaround stories. That seems to be the message from the last week of corporate earnings. Consider two major retailers: Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) and Macy's (M). Both beat analysts' estimates, but moved in two very different directions. Why? It was all...

Horseshoes and Hand Grenades: Levels on the S&P 500

Horseshoes and Hand Grenades: Levels on the S&P 500

Ever heard the saying that "close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades?" It means coming close to a goal isn't good enough for most projects. But it can be good enough when it come to charting the S&P 500. Last week, for instance, Market Insights surveyed...

Retailers Blitz Higher Amid Earnings

Retailers Blitz Higher Amid Earnings

Forget about Turkey and tariffs. Bulls are flocking to U.S. retailers this week. Tapestry (TPR) and Advance Auto Parts (AAP) are leading the charge today. TPR, parent of Coach and Kate Spade, shot past estimates on strong hand-bag demand. The resulting 13 percent...

Tracking the Bears in China

Tracking the Bears in China

Global economic and financial issues are back in the forefront. Turkey's been the main story in the last week, but today China has some important headlines. Simply put, they're all negative. The country's economic reports for July had a triple-miss overnight:...