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Get the Real Story on Volatility
Most clients know the VIX measures the cost of options on the S&P 500. Are you aware that TradeStation's award-winning platform can go miles deeper by analyzing all the stocks in the market? Capitalize on our implied-volatility data to determine whether the...
Looking Back on 2008: Lessons from the Crash
Last week we marked the 10-year anniversary of the financial crisis. Today we'll look at some of the lessons traders can take from the event for their own use in the future. The first lesson is to recognize and respect price trends. The S&P 500, after all, made...
What Just Happened to Airlines?
Delta Air Lines (DAL) got a mention on yesterday's Market Action segment, and today it's hitting turbulence. Sure, management announced that it carried a record 15.2 million passengers in September. It also set new high-water marks in July and August. While that's...
Guess Who’s Shopping in the Retail Space
Bears are shopping for downside in the retail space after a rough start to the month. A block of 40,000 December 47 puts was purchased this morning in SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) for $1.08. It was one of the largest transactions in the entire market. Puts can make...
Nasdaq Gets Slammed as Rates Shoot Higher
Stocks began the fourth quarter in the red as interest rates spiked and money streamed out of the technology sector. The S&P 500 slid 1 percent between Friday, September 28, and Friday, October 5. But that was nothing compared with the Nasdaq-100's 3 percent drop...
Master Options in Chicago This Month!
Are you getting everything you should out of the stock market? If you don't trade options, the answer is probably "no." Everyone has excuses: "Options are too complicated." "They have confusing Greek letters." "They have time decay and may expire worthless." We've...
Bulls Want a Gusher from South American Oil Giant
Brazil's ripping this week, and today's biggest options trade is following the trend. Check out the bullish call spread this morning in oil giant Petrobras (PBR), the country's largest company by market cap: A block of 130,000 October 16 calls was bought for $0.28....
The Message Behind Yesterday’s Volatility Spike
Yesterday was a reminder for traders who forgot what volatility feels like. The S&P 500 had its biggest drop since June 25, and Cboe's Volatility Index ($VIX.X) had its biggest spike over the same period. Even more impressive, TradeStation data showed 23.6 million...
Emerging Markets? More Like Diverging Markets!
A sharp dichotomy has appeared in emerging markets as Asia struggles and oil rallies. The iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA) is down 8 percent in the last two weeks and the iShares China Large-Cap ETF (FXI) has declined 2 percent. Meanwhile, the iShares Brazil MSCI ETF...
Get the Real Story on Volatility
Most clients know the VIX measures the cost of options on the S&P 500. Are you aware that TradeStation's award-winning platform can go miles deeper by analyzing all the stocks in the market? Capitalize on our implied-volatility data to determine whether the...
Looking Back on 2008: Lessons from the Crash
Last week we marked the 10-year anniversary of the financial crisis. Today we'll look at some of the lessons traders can take from the event for their own use in the future. The first lesson is to recognize and respect price trends. The S&P 500, after all, made...
What Just Happened to Airlines?
Delta Air Lines (DAL) got a mention on yesterday's Market Action segment, and today it's hitting turbulence. Sure, management announced that it carried a record 15.2 million passengers in September. It also set new high-water marks in July and August. While that's...
Guess Who’s Shopping in the Retail Space
Bears are shopping for downside in the retail space after a rough start to the month. A block of 40,000 December 47 puts was purchased this morning in SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) for $1.08. It was one of the largest transactions in the entire market. Puts can make...
Nasdaq Gets Slammed as Rates Shoot Higher
Stocks began the fourth quarter in the red as interest rates spiked and money streamed out of the technology sector. The S&P 500 slid 1 percent between Friday, September 28, and Friday, October 5. But that was nothing compared with the Nasdaq-100's 3 percent drop...
Master Options in Chicago This Month!
Are you getting everything you should out of the stock market? If you don't trade options, the answer is probably "no." Everyone has excuses: "Options are too complicated." "They have confusing Greek letters." "They have time decay and may expire worthless." We've...
Bulls Want a Gusher from South American Oil Giant
Brazil's ripping this week, and today's biggest options trade is following the trend. Check out the bullish call spread this morning in oil giant Petrobras (PBR), the country's largest company by market cap: A block of 130,000 October 16 calls was bought for $0.28....
The Message Behind Yesterday’s Volatility Spike
Yesterday was a reminder for traders who forgot what volatility feels like. The S&P 500 had its biggest drop since June 25, and Cboe's Volatility Index ($VIX.X) had its biggest spike over the same period. Even more impressive, TradeStation data showed 23.6 million...
Emerging Markets? More Like Diverging Markets!
A sharp dichotomy has appeared in emerging markets as Asia struggles and oil rallies. The iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA) is down 8 percent in the last two weeks and the iShares China Large-Cap ETF (FXI) has declined 2 percent. Meanwhile, the iShares Brazil MSCI ETF...