Market Insights
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S&P 500 E-Minis: The Biggest Show in Town
You've probably heard of about "stock market futures," but do you really know what they are? Today let's start by looking at the most popular item in the market: CME's S&P 500 E-minis. These contracts track the most widely followed stock benchmark in the world....
Stock Bulls Rest Amid Political, Economic Worries
Stocks drifted last week as investors started worrying about politics and the global economy. The S&P 500 rose less than 0.1 percent between Friday, February 1, and Friday, February 8. It was only the sixth and smallest advance in the last seven weeks, following...
Suddenly, People Are Worried About a Slowdown
The U.S. economy has been resilient, but recent events have raised worries about a slowdown. Let's review some of the new forces at work. The first potential concern is that two leading indicators have worsened sharply in the last two weeks: initial jobless claims and...
This Corner of Tech Has Gotten Hammered
Many high profile technology stocks have rebounded this earnings season. Video-game makers aren't so lucky. Check out the three worst performing members of the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 today. No company is even close to these drops in either index: Electronic Arts...
Options Recap: Traders See Maximum Altitude for Key Airline
Someone seems to think a major carrier may have reached its maximum altitude for now. Check out the large options trade yesterday in American Airlines (AAL): A block of 37,778 March 36 puts was bought for $1.37. At the same time, a matching number of March 37 calls...
Stocks Keep Climbing as Negativity Lifts
Stocks keep rising as the fourth quarter's gloom continues to lift. The S&P 500 rose 1.6 percent between Friday, January 25, and Friday, February 1. It was the fifth gain in the last six weeks, with every major sector and index moving higher. Good economic news...
Big Nasdaq Names Lead the Charge: January at TradeStation
TradeStation clients kept their focus on the Nasdaq in January, with stocks on the exchange enjoying their biggest rally in three years. Nine of the 10 busiest symbols on our platform last month were listed on the Nasdaq. Most of the top names were prominent large-cap...
Guess What Chart Just Had a ‘Golden Cross’
A potentially bullish signal has appeared in gold as the market anticipates dovish policy from the Federal Reserve. The 50-day moving average on gold futures (@GC) rose through the 200-day moving average this week. That pattern, ironically known as a "golden cross,"...
Big Hedge Detected in High Flying Sector
Regional banks are one of the strongest groups this year, and now a big investor seems to be hedging a large position. Check out the options activity in the SPDR S&P Regional Bank ETF (KRE) yesterday: A block of 39,265 April 51 puts was bought for $1.16. An equal...
S&P 500 E-Minis: The Biggest Show in Town
You've probably heard of about "stock market futures," but do you really know what they are? Today let's start by looking at the most popular item in the market: CME's S&P 500 E-minis. These contracts track the most widely followed stock benchmark in the world....
Stock Bulls Rest Amid Political, Economic Worries
Stocks drifted last week as investors started worrying about politics and the global economy. The S&P 500 rose less than 0.1 percent between Friday, February 1, and Friday, February 8. It was only the sixth and smallest advance in the last seven weeks, following...
Suddenly, People Are Worried About a Slowdown
The U.S. economy has been resilient, but recent events have raised worries about a slowdown. Let's review some of the new forces at work. The first potential concern is that two leading indicators have worsened sharply in the last two weeks: initial jobless claims and...
This Corner of Tech Has Gotten Hammered
Many high profile technology stocks have rebounded this earnings season. Video-game makers aren't so lucky. Check out the three worst performing members of the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 today. No company is even close to these drops in either index: Electronic Arts...
Options Recap: Traders See Maximum Altitude for Key Airline
Someone seems to think a major carrier may have reached its maximum altitude for now. Check out the large options trade yesterday in American Airlines (AAL): A block of 37,778 March 36 puts was bought for $1.37. At the same time, a matching number of March 37 calls...
Stocks Keep Climbing as Negativity Lifts
Stocks keep rising as the fourth quarter's gloom continues to lift. The S&P 500 rose 1.6 percent between Friday, January 25, and Friday, February 1. It was the fifth gain in the last six weeks, with every major sector and index moving higher. Good economic news...
Big Nasdaq Names Lead the Charge: January at TradeStation
TradeStation clients kept their focus on the Nasdaq in January, with stocks on the exchange enjoying their biggest rally in three years. Nine of the 10 busiest symbols on our platform last month were listed on the Nasdaq. Most of the top names were prominent large-cap...
Guess What Chart Just Had a ‘Golden Cross’
A potentially bullish signal has appeared in gold as the market anticipates dovish policy from the Federal Reserve. The 50-day moving average on gold futures (@GC) rose through the 200-day moving average this week. That pattern, ironically known as a "golden cross,"...
Big Hedge Detected in High Flying Sector
Regional banks are one of the strongest groups this year, and now a big investor seems to be hedging a large position. Check out the options activity in the SPDR S&P Regional Bank ETF (KRE) yesterday: A block of 39,265 April 51 puts was bought for $1.16. An equal...