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Gloom Dominates as Earnings Arrive: Market Trends This Week
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 probes late-May levels following bearish outside week. Prices under 200-day MA for first time since March. 100-day MA turns negative...
Chart of the Day: CrowdStrike Pulls Back
CrowdStrike has been making new 52-week highs as the broader market languishes. Now after a quick pullback, some traders may look for the cybersecurity stock to continue higher. The first pattern on today’s chart is the bullish gap on August 31 after results and...
Options Alert: Calls Surge After Chinese Travel Stock Reverses Off Lows
Chinese stocks have struggled lately as tension grows between Washington and Beijing. However, at least one trader seems bullish on travel stock Trip.com. Heavy volume was detected in the November 38 calls, with more than 24,000 contracts changing hands for $0.15....
Higher Rates, Geopolitical Risks Keep Stocks Under Pressure
Stocks face continued pressure as interest rates rise and geopolitical risks mount. The S&P 500 fell 2.4 percent between Friday, October 13, and Friday, October 20. The index ended the week at its lowest level since June 1, erasing all its gains since Congress...
Technicals Weaken as Geopolitics Haunt Earnings: Market Trends
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 makes lower weekly high at post-Fed gap Outside days on 10/12 and 10/17 are potential reversal patterns 8-day EMA fails to cross...
Oil’s Fundamentals Could Be Weakening After a Big Surge
Energy stocks and crude oil were among the market's best performers in the third quarter, but fundamentals may be weakening. The sector started climbing in late June as Energy Department data showed crude-oil inventories remaining near long-term lows. The Strategic...
Stocks Try to Bounce as Yields Fall But Global Risks Increase
Stocks are trying to bounce as investors weigh potential positives against rising global risks. The S&P 500 rose 0.4 percent between Friday, October 6, and Friday, October 13. It was the index's second straight positive week as the fourth quarter gets underway....
Fed Worries Ease Before Earnings: Market Trends This Week
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Register for Market Trends here. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 reclaims August 2022 high following payrolls bullish outside day MACD turns positive More...
Options Alert: Call Spread Targets New Highs in AMD
Advanced Micro Devices has climbed in the last two weeks, and options traders are looking for more gains through mid-November. Heavy volume was detected yesterday in two calls expiring next month. The trades occurred in dozens of blocks between about 1pm and 3pm ET....
Gloom Dominates as Earnings Arrive: Market Trends This Week
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 probes late-May levels following bearish outside week. Prices under 200-day MA for first time since March. 100-day MA turns negative...
Chart of the Day: CrowdStrike Pulls Back
CrowdStrike has been making new 52-week highs as the broader market languishes. Now after a quick pullback, some traders may look for the cybersecurity stock to continue higher. The first pattern on today’s chart is the bullish gap on August 31 after results and...
Options Alert: Calls Surge After Chinese Travel Stock Reverses Off Lows
Chinese stocks have struggled lately as tension grows between Washington and Beijing. However, at least one trader seems bullish on travel stock Trip.com. Heavy volume was detected in the November 38 calls, with more than 24,000 contracts changing hands for $0.15....
Higher Rates, Geopolitical Risks Keep Stocks Under Pressure
Stocks face continued pressure as interest rates rise and geopolitical risks mount. The S&P 500 fell 2.4 percent between Friday, October 13, and Friday, October 20. The index ended the week at its lowest level since June 1, erasing all its gains since Congress...
Technicals Weaken as Geopolitics Haunt Earnings: Market Trends
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 makes lower weekly high at post-Fed gap Outside days on 10/12 and 10/17 are potential reversal patterns 8-day EMA fails to cross...
Oil’s Fundamentals Could Be Weakening After a Big Surge
Energy stocks and crude oil were among the market's best performers in the third quarter, but fundamentals may be weakening. The sector started climbing in late June as Energy Department data showed crude-oil inventories remaining near long-term lows. The Strategic...
Stocks Try to Bounce as Yields Fall But Global Risks Increase
Stocks are trying to bounce as investors weigh potential positives against rising global risks. The S&P 500 rose 0.4 percent between Friday, October 6, and Friday, October 13. It was the index's second straight positive week as the fourth quarter gets underway....
Fed Worries Ease Before Earnings: Market Trends This Week
Downloads are available here. TradeStation’s ideas on TradingView are available here. Register for Market Trends here. Sizing Up the S&P 500 S&P 500 reclaims August 2022 high following payrolls bullish outside day MACD turns positive More...
Options Alert: Call Spread Targets New Highs in AMD
Advanced Micro Devices has climbed in the last two weeks, and options traders are looking for more gains through mid-November. Heavy volume was detected yesterday in two calls expiring next month. The trades occurred in dozens of blocks between about 1pm and 3pm ET....
Stock Market Faces Big Tests After a String of Positive Earnings
Earnings season has gone better than feared, but traders face new uncertainties this week. Today and the next two sessions bring key news on the impact of bank failures, the U.S. debt ceiling and inflation. It's a big change from recent weeks, when strong quarterly...
Stocks Keep Fighting Higher as Inflation Slows and Earnings Beat Expectations
Stocks kept fighting higher last month as inflation slowed and earnings beat estimates. The S&P 500 rose 1.5 percent in April, its third gain in the first four months of the year. The index has returned to challenge its February high, and is still above falling...
Breakout or Breakdown? Stock Movement Grinds to a Halt as Investors Wait and See
Stocks have stopped moving as investors wait for more news on corporate earnings and interest rates. The S&P 500 slid 0.1 percent between Friday, April 14, and Friday, April 21. If that percentage change sounds small, consider that the index fluctuated less than...
Inflation Fades, Earnings Beat and Stocks Push Higher
Stocks keep pushing higher as inflation fades and earnings beat expectations. The S&P 500 rose 0.8 percent between Friday, April 7, and Friday, April 14. It was the fourth gain in the last five weeks. Several data points suggested further slowing of inflation, the...
Technical Analysis: Merck Could Be Breaking Out
Merck surged in late 2022 and consolidated during the first quarter. Now the drug maker could be breaking out. The first pattern on today’s chart is the rally between mid-October and early January, which included a breakout to new record highs. MRK then pulled back...
Technology Rallied in March as Interest Rates Eased and Outlooks Improved
Technology stocks are rallying again as interest rates fall and fundamentals improve. The S&P 500 rose 3.5 percent in March, while the Nasdaq-100 surged 9.5 percent. That 6 point lead by the Nasdaq was its widest margin of outperformance since early 2009,...
Chart of the Day: Apple Pulls Back After a ‘Golden Cross’
Apple clawed to a six-month high last week. Is it done or will prices continue higher? The first pattern on today’s chart is the price level around $156. AAPL peaked there on March 6 and bounced there yesterday. Some chart watchers could think ... For more,...
Stocks Hold a Potentially Key Level as Fed Takes a Less Hawkish Stance
Stocks could be trying to stabilize as investors look for the Federal Reserve to stop raising interest rates. The S&P 500 rose 1.4 percent between Friday, March 17, and Friday, March 23, its second straight positive week. The index has moved sideways for the past...
Technical Analysis: Will Tesla Shares Drive Higher?
Tesla more than doubled between January and mid-February. It retraced almost half that move last month and is now trying to bounce. Will the move continue? The first pattern on today’s chart is the 50-day moving average, which the electric-car maker tested and held at...
Options Volume Surges in Big Airlines as Bulls Look for American to Take Off This Week
Option traders are piling into American Airlines as travel rebounds from the pandemic, looking for the carrier to hit new 52-week highs this week. Heavy volume was detected in short-term calls expiring this Friday, March 19: More than 60,000 March 26 calls traded...
Technology and the Nasdaq Turn Negative for the Year as Reopening Triggers Broad Rotation in the Stock Market
The Nasdaq-100 just sank into negative territory for the year as investors dump the same technology stocks that boomed during the pandemic. The index is now 1.6 percent below its closing price on December 31. That dragged on two important exchange-traded funds (ETFs)...
Volatility Spikes Again. Here Are Some Key Stock Market Hedging Strategies
Stocks are down again today as investors worry about higher interest rates. It's a good time to review some ways to manage the volatility with options. Remember that calls fix the right to buy a stock and puts convey the right to sell. Investors can use both to guard...
Energy Is Crushing the Market in 2021. Here Are the Top Stocks for Options Traders
Energy stocks are having their best run in years as global economies reopen from the coronavirus pandemic. The SPDR Energy ETF (XLE) is in the midst of its fourth straight positive month, its longest winning streak since June 2014. The fund has appreciated 53 percent...
Rolling Options: Key Things for Traders to Know
"Rolling options" is a common transaction for options traders, but there are several ways to do it. This article will explain the different ways and reasons why traders might roll positions. These are the key points we'll cover: What does it mean to roll options?Why...
What Are the Top Stocks for Options Trading?
It's been a record year for options trading. But not all stocks are equal in the eyes of options traders. Some symbols are incredibly active, with hundreds of thousands of transactions per day. Others barely trade at all, even if they're large or well-known companies....
Trump or Biden? Options Traders Are the Real Winners This Year
Regardless of who wins today's elections, options traders are the winners this year. Some 583.7 million calls and puts traded in the U.S. last month, according to TradeStation data. It was a new record for the options market, inching past the volatility-fueled surge...
Tesla Is Accelerating Higher as Elon Musk Prepares Earnings
After weeks of going nowhere, Tesla is starting to move before its quarterly results. The electric-car maker rallied more than 70 percent in August, followed by a sideway triangle pattern in September. Yesterday, it pushed near the top of its range. Are investors...
Why Apple’s Expected IPhone Release Today Could Be Huge
5G networking, bigger screens, a new upgrade cycle. Those are some reasons Apple's product launch today could be huge. Tim Cook, CEO of the world's most valuable company, is expected to unveil four new versions of the iPhone 12 at 1pm ET today. Prices will reportedly...
Suddenly, Bulls Return to Global Markets
After months of pain, global stocks and assets are trying to rebound. The last two sessions have brought a sudden flow of positive news. So far, it seems to be shifting sentiment away from trade wars and currency crises to optimism and value hunting. We're seeing that...
Bullish Narrative Potentially Returns to Oil
Just as quickly as they appeared, oil bears are on the run. Crude oil futures (@CL) closed at their highest level yesterday since July 10, bolstered by a series of positive headlines: Weekly inventories fell by 2.6 million barrels, more than twice the expected drop....
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...
Swarming the Markets with Hivemind’s Suite of Algorithms
Many clients want to trade swings in the market. They know how to do it and understand, but are too busy to time entries and exits. If that sounds familiar, you might want to learn more about an automated product in our TradingApp Store. Triforce Platinum is a suite...
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:...
As Expected, Volatility Hits Global Markets
Just two days ago, Market Insights said that "traders hankering for volatility may want to keep an eye on currencies and crude oil." Both of those events are now playing out. Oil came first, tumbling to a three-week low hours after the post. This morning,...
Oil and Currencies in Play as China Stumbles
Oil, China and currencies: They’re all in play today as a slew of global events sweep markets. Market Insights recently detailed how President Trump’s trade policies weakened business confidence overseas. Last week we cautioned the slowdown — especially in China —...
Don’t Forget about Iranian Sanctions Early Monday
President Trump's trade spat with China has gained a lot of attention this week, but don't forget U.S. sanctions on Iran take effect on Monday, August 6. The measures will obviously have an impact on energy. The only trouble is no one really seems to know what it will...
Sentiment May Be Shifting in Oil Before Iran Sanctions
For months, the story in crude oil has been bullish. But some recent developments may show sentiment is turning. First, look at inventories. The government says they rose by 3.8 million barrels last week, while forecasters had anticipated a decline of about 2.4...
Is the Glass Half Full in Chip Stocks as Tariff Worries Fade?
Chip stocks are pushing old highs as investors seem to expect better news for one of the market's most traded industries. The Market Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH) closed 2 percent below its all-time high yesterday. It's also up 5.8 percent in the last month, more...
Apple Slips From Top Spot as Volatility Spikes: August at TradeStation
Volatility spiked in August, shifting attention away from individual stocks and toward the indexes. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) was the busiest symbol on TradeStation since the end of July, ending a four-month reign at the top by Apple (AAPL). Other index-linked...
Safe Haven No More? Health Care’s Not Feeling So Great
Everyone's focused on tariffs and the global economy. But another potential risk may be emerging: worsening price action in the health-care sector. Key companies in the SPDR Health Care ETF (XLV) have tried to rally on good news lately, but failed. For example:...
Housing Rallies as Lower Rates Make Investors View the Glass as Half Full
Last week, low interest rates freaked out investors. Now they're helping boost an important part of the U.S. economy: housing. The iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF (ITB) has climbed 4 percent so far this week -- more than triple the gain of the broader S&P 500....
Emerging Market ETF Has Options Traders Feeling Bearish
Some big options traders seem to think the pain may continue in emerging markets. Two large strategies were detected today in the MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM), which is heavily concentrated in China and East Asia. One will profit from the fund dropping further,...
Yesterday Was a Session for the Record Books
Just like that, volatility returned to the stock market yesterday. The S&P was on pace for its best gain in almost two months, and then President Donald Trump began tweeting at 1:26 p.m. ET. "The U.S. will start, on September 1st, putting a small additional Tariff...
Apple Still No. 1 as Traders Shun ETFs: July at TradeStation
Apple (AAPL) was the most popular stock among TradeStation clients in July, holding the top spot for a fourth straight month. The ranking table was little changed from June, with traders still focused on high-profile technology companies. They're also avoiding...
Transportation ETF Going Places as Economic Confidence Returns
Truckers, airlines and railroads have been on the move as confidence recovers in the U.S. economy. The iShares Transportation Average ETF (IYT) rose 4.4 percent in the last week. That's the biggest gain among over 50 major funds tracked by Market Insights for our...
Brazilian ETF Rips Higher on Hopes of Major Pension Fix
Brazil's soccer team isn't the only winner in the country this month. Its pro-business President is also nearing his first big victory, and the stock market's loving it. The iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (EWZ) has risen 7 percent so far this month. That makes it the top...