Sectors
Don’s Notebook May 4, 2018

Don’s Notebook May 4, 2018

Payrolls rose 164,000 after an upwardly revised 135,000 advance,  according to the Labor Department data announced earlier today. The jobless rate fell to 3.9 percent, the lowest since December 2000, after six months at 4.1 percent. Average hourly earnings increased...

Don’s Notebook May 3, 2018

Don’s Notebook May 3, 2018

Don’s Notebook May 3, 2018 March looks to have been a very good month for the trade balance, the month when tariffs and trade wars first hit the news. The trade deficit fell in March to $49.0 billion with the Chinese deficit, narrowing to $25.9 billion from February's...

Don’s Notebook May 1, 2018

Don’s Notebook May 1, 2018

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM report) came in lower than Street consensus at 57.3 (vs. estimates of 57.5-60.) This survey asks purchasing managers about the general direction of production, new orders, order backlogs, their own inventories, customer...

Bulls Return to Gaming Space: Options Recap

Bulls Return to Gaming Space: Options Recap

Two weeks ago, a options traders were bullish in a slot-machine maker. Yesterday, a similar transaction lit up a race-track and casino operator. Traders bought 6,000 June 31 calls in Penn National Gaming (PENN) for $1.25 in the middle of the afternoon. A block of...

IPOs come roaring to life

IPOs come roaring to life

April is shaping up to the best month for initial public offerings in years. Data from ClickIPO shows over $10 billion of new equity entered the market in April. That's the most since September 2014. Combined volume in the first four months of the year also stands at...

Stocks advance but hit resistance

Stocks advance but hit resistance

So much for a breakout in the S&P 500. The index began last week on a strong foot, only to stall at the top of its range since mid-March. Sellers materialized each afternoon to prevent the index from closing at its highs. Without that resistance, the S&P 500...

Suddenly energy is flying

Suddenly energy is flying

Energy's gone from forgotten to en fuego quicker than you can say "missiles over Damascus." Crude oil (@CL) hit $67.45 this morning, its highest level in 2-1/2 years. It's up almost 8 percent on the week, its biggest three-session rally since December 2016. There are...

How the bulls are chasing Fox: Options activity

How the bulls are chasing Fox: Options activity

If you've ever wondered about bulls chasing a Fox, look no further than the activity yesterday's options market. And no, we're not talking about a rerun of Downton Abbey. We're talking about the big spike of options activity in media conglomerate Twenty-First Century...

How Friday the 13th could be lucky this year

How Friday the 13th could be lucky this year

Will Friday the 13th be lucky this year? Here are some reasons it might. That's when earnings season really gets going, led by major financials like Citigroup (C), JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Wells Fargo (WFC). And, unless you've been ignoring all the news, you probably...

Don’s Notebook March 27, 2018

Don’s Notebook March 27, 2018

Case-Shiller data are likely to highlight the strength of home appreciation, which is a less publicized factor behind what have been robust levels of consumer confidence. The S&P Corelogic Case-Shiller home price index tracks monthly changes in the value of...