Gordon Lewis
Gordon Lewis is the Chief Investment Strategist and editor for the popular daily newsletter – Options Trading Research. He’s also editor of our dynamic theme-based options trading service, Advanced Options Adviser, and one of the key analysts behind the highly successful Options Trading Wire.
Gordon Lewis's Latest Posts
Update: August 14, 2017
Important Announcement It’s with a heavy heart I write this email. After a few great years, the publishers have decided it’s time to retire the AOA. We made a huge impact on people’s lives, making trades, taking in profits… and sharing in the losses. Like life, there were ups and downs. I hope you found […]
Update: August 7, 2017
August 7, 2017 Portfolio Update Wow… The summer is HOT…. it’s supposed to be hot here in Phoenix (110 on Wednesday!). But do you know what’s hotter than Phoenix in August? This market! In just the last two weeks, we’ve surged from 21,600 to over 22,000! This latest surge has been well received by […]
Trade Summary: July 31, 2017
July 31, 2017 Trade Rationale This is going to be a quick trade today. I like the retailers. Wal-Mart has been doing some great things to compete with Amazon… And Target has had its problems, but continues to battle. Options are cheap in both situations… Grab some call options and profit as these stock […]
Update: July 24, 2017
July 24, 2017 Portfolio Update It’s summertime… and market volumes are light. Because of the light volumes, we’ll see rapid moves in the market sometimes… so take profits quickly and cut losses quickly too. Fast approaching is the September and October time of year (we’re about six weeks away). If we get a […]
Trade Summary: July 17, 2017
July 17, 2017 Trade Rationale Alright, the summer is in full swing. Just last week I took a few days off and spent some time at the cabin to disconnect, and think. Right now, the summer is hot… but the economy is getting hotter. The amount of construction, building, and growth we are seeing […]
Update: July 10, 2017
July 10, 2017 Portfolio Update We’re holding tight right now in the overall market. After a steady climb in early June, we’ve flatlined. I think the market is trying to figure out its next move… but over the next 8 weeks, it’s going to be interesting, as summer vacations really impact trading volumes. I’m […]
Trade Summary: July 3, 2017
July 3, 2017 Trade Rationale I want to wish everyone a happy 4th of July! Today was a half day in the market… they take a lot of holidays on Wall Street, don’t they! Market are closed now… and are closed tomorrow too, so look to make this trade early Wednesday morning. Right now, […]
Update: June 19, 2017
June 19, 2017 Portfolio Update Since the start of June, the market has been making new high after new high. We’re climbing a wall of worry right now. What I find interesting is the new highs are hitting during the summer slow season… and after the Fed hiking rates. Normally a Fed rate […]
Trade Summary: June 12, 2017
June 12, 2017 Trade Rationale Summer is here! I don’t know if it’s the 110 degree heat in the desert, or the number of people heading to the lake… I’ve just got that summer feeling. And I’ve been looking at a bunch of summer stocks… like cruise lines. Believe it or not, both the […]
Update: June 5, 2017
June 5, 2017 Portfolio Update The market is breaking to new highs. The move isn’t the strongest, so I’m not sure how long it will last. That said, we need to keep a close eye on our open positions. We’ve had a few big moves! Watch for a new trade next week. Let’s look […]
Trade Summary: May 30, 2017
May 30, 2017 Trade Rationale OK… it happened. Last week the Dow trekked above the 21,000 mark… and held its ground. It might be the early stages of a breakout… or it could be a big head fake. I don’t want to wait and miss a move. So, since this is a tiny […]
Update: May 22, 2017
May 22, 2017 Portfolio Update It’s been an ugly few weeks in the market. We’re in a choppy range with the sell in May crowd squashing any rallies we might get. I’m still waiting for the market to break one way or the other. News from the White House is pushing the markets (no […]
Trade Summary: May 15, 2017
May 15, 2017 Trade Rationale The markets are doing much of the same… We were up… we were down… and now for the month of May, we are up again. Start of a rally? I’ve got no idea… I think we might be in a holding pattern for a few weeks here as the […]
Update: May 8, 2017
May 8, 2017 Portfolio Update As I write this, the market is hovering around the 20,900 mark. Could we flirt with new highs soon? Sure. Could the entire market crumble and fall? Why not? Anything is possible… and to be honest, I don’t think either scenario is likely. I think we’re in a […]
Trade Summary: May 1, 2017
May 1, 2017 Trade Rationale We had a bump in the markets last week. Then after a quick rally, we started sliding again. If you look at a chart over the last two months, the market has been down as much as 3.25%… and right now, we’re down just over 0.75%. It’s not a […]
Update: April 25, 2017
April 25, 2017 Portfolio Update Hi everyone, sorry for the delay, I was traveling yesterday and couldn’t get this update out in time. The market hit a low of 20,400 just a few days ago…. then rallied a bit. Yesterday’s move was quite amazing! Is the fall over? Only time will tell. We continue […]
Trade Summary: April 17, 2017
April 17, 2017 Trade Rationale We’re six weeks into the market slide… and I don’t see it stopping. Soon, we’ll be running into the “Sell in May” trade that many market timers live by. We could see market softness well into the summer… As you know, the consumer products will take a hit first, […]
Update: April 10, 2017
April 10, 2017 Portfolio Update The downdraft in the market has continued… though downdraft might be a bit of a harsh word. Over the last two weeks, the market has traded in a tight range between 20,500 and 20,750. What’s interesting is the drop in the market fell to the 50-day moving average… which […]
Trade Summary: April 3, 2017
April 3, 2017 Trade Rationale We mentioned in our last update the Trump rally had stalled. Well, it’s official… it’s over. In March, the markets closed lower, bringing to an end an amazing four month rally that had the markets setting new highs. Is that the end of it? Probably not. Look, the markets […]
Update: March 27, 2017
March 27, 2017 Portfolio Update At our last update, we had a small pullback in the Trump rally. Unfortunately, that downtrend has continued… we’re now at Day 8 of consecutive losses in the market. It’s not a good sign. The recent Fed hike, and the subsequent fail by the President to put together any […]
Trade Summary: March 20, 2017
March 20, 2017 Trade Rationale The markets have taken a pause in their rapid rise to a new level. A few weeks in and we’re holding well above the 20,000 mark on the Dow. I see this stabilization and base forming as a big positive. We’re setting up for another move… This time, I […]
Update: March 13, 2017
March 13, 2017 Portfolio Update We had a tiny pullback in the Trump Rally last week, but it was small. I’m expecting the market to stabilize here… but we need to watch the Fed very closely. The Fed meets this week, and any increase in rates could jeopardize the rally. I’m not expecting a […]
Trade Summary: March 6, 2017
March 6, 2017 Trade Rationale Once again, the markets continue trending higher… I feel like a broken record! Don’t fight this trend. The bank stocks have been very strong. Let’s take a position here, and run with the trend. What stocks do we want? Let’s look for the biggest and strongest stocks out […]
Update: February 27, 2017
February 27, 2017 Portfolio Update Wow… The Trump Rally continues! Just look at this chart… As you can see, the market is continuing to surge. If it’s still up by the end of next week, we’ll probably deploy a few put positions to protect our downside. The S&P is clearly overextended, and the […]
Trade Summary: February 21, 2017
February 21, 2017 Trade Rationale The markets continue trending higher… and the Trump rally continues. We’re holding well over 20,000 on the Dow Jones Industrial Average… and commodities are strong too. Now this is an interesting set up in the market. The US Dollar is showing strength, climbing almost 6% in the last few […]
Update: February 13, 2017
February 13, 2017 Portfolio Update The market stays strong and our retail stocks are starting to shine! Two recent trades are up and in the money… The Trump Rally continues! Hold tight to our positions. Let’s look at the portfolio… Portfolio Highlights Just a quick note: We won’t update every open position every […]
Trade Summary: February 6, 2017
February 6, 2017 Trade Rationale In the last few weeks, we’ve seen a number of big events transpire… we welcomed a new president to the White House… crossed above 20,000 on the Dow… then fell below the 20,000 mark… and now we’re back above 20,000! Economic data continues to look strong… and the recent […]
Update: January 30, 2017
January 30, 2017 Portfolio Update It was a huge week in the markets… we crossed above the 20,000 mark on the DOW which created a huge storm of excitement in the news media. The funny thing is, most professional market participants don’t watch the DOW… they watch other market indices. The Trump rally is […]
Trade Summary: January 23, 2017
January 23, 2017 Trade Rationale This week, all eyes have been on Washington with the inauguration. We still haven’t crossed 20K on the Dow, but the news organizations are keeping a close watch on the markets! Economic data continues to look strong… corporate profits are strong (with more expected over the next few weeks… […]
Update: January 17, 2017
January 17, 2017 Portfolio Update I hope everyone enjoyed the long holiday. With the markets closed Monday, it was a perfect time to take a breather from the mad rush of the new year. The market continues to hold strong, and seems to be gaining power as we get closer and closer to […]
Trade Summary: January 9, 2017
January 9, 2017 Trade Rationale We’re off to the races this new year. The news of the week… Dow 20,000 Watch. Every tick higher makes a new headline. Every dip back makes haters call for the fall. Look, Dow 20K is a big deal. It’s a big psychological point. Once we break through it… […]
Update: January 3, 2017
January 3, 2017 Portfolio Update Happy New Year everyone… and welcome to 2017! Over the last few days, I’ve spent some time looking at the markets and trying to figure out where we’re going from here. What are we seeing right now? We have a strong willed market that is pushing to new […]
Trade Summary: December 12, 2016
December 12, 2016 Trade Rationale This week we’re looking at something new. As I look to the new year, I see a few watershed events… the changing of the calendar, the inauguration of a new president… and the end of the fourth fiscal quarter for businesses. What I did was look at the top […]
Update: December 5, 2016
December 5, 2016 Portfolio Update We’ve only had 4 losing days in the last three weeks since the election. The Trump rally is strong and is helping our portfolio of options trades. How long will this last? It’s anyone’s guess… but we’re heading into the end of year Santa Claus rally. After that we […]
Trade Summary: November 28, 2016
November 28, 2016 Trade Rationale The housing market is taking off… and I expect the number of homebuyers to climb into the new year. Everyone’s going to be setting new year’s resolutions… and many new families and millennials will be looking to buy their first home. It’s a natural time of the year and […]
Update: November 21, 2016
November 21, 2016 Portfolio Update The last two weeks have been very exciting for the markets. The surprise win by Donald Trump for President whipsawed the markets by hundreds of points, then set up a massive rally. We had an almost 1,000 point rally in the Dow… which pushed a number of our options […]
Trade Summary: November 14, 2016
November 14, 2016 Trade Rationale Wow, what a ride it’s been in the markets over the last week. The surprise election results sent us on a huge rollercoaster ride. In this case, I’m thinking about the big winners over the next few months, given Trump’s political leaning… There are a bunch of areas that […]
Update: November 7, 2016
November 7, 2016 Portfolio Update This is a huge week. The election is tomorrow, and finally, after 2 years of double speak, we’ll elect a new president. Here’s the thing, the markets are afraid of Trump. He’s an unknown as a politician… and as the polls have tightened, the winner is no longer a […]
Trade Summary: October 31, 2016
October 31, 2016 Trade Rationale This week I’ve been looking at oil prices and I think this entire market has stabilized and is poised to move higher. After reaching below $30 earlier in the year, we’ve spent the last few months trading between $40 and $50. With increasing global economic activity and stable prices, […]
Update: October 24, 2016
October 24, 2016 Portfolio Update Individual stocks are moving on earnings, but the overall market has been pretty tepid the last couple weeks. Barring anything unforeseen, the next potentially market-moving catalyst will be the FOMC meeting the first week of November. Rates are expected to remain steady, however we could find out more info […]
Trade Summary: October 18, 2016
October 18, 2016 Trade Rationale The search for yield is an ongoing process, or at least it has been since interest rates hit rock bottom. Most fixed income products, such as bonds, just aren’t paying a high enough yield to satisfy the needs of most investors. CDs are even worse. The low yield of […]
Update: October 10, 2016
October 10, 2016 Portfolio Update First, a quick programming note: I’ll be traveling next Monday, so next week’s new trades will come out on Tuesday. Stocks have been quiet so far in October. Once the September FOMC meeting came and went, there hasn’t been a whole lot for investors to focus on. Of course, […]
Trade Summary: October 3, 2016
October 3, 2016 Trade Rationale The US election is a month away, which of course is going to dominate the news for all of October and beyond. Like most major events, there are also trading opportunities that can be found due to the election. Rather than try to pick a winner, which carries risks, […]
Update: September 26, 2016
September 26, 2016 Portfolio Update The markets have been more interesting of late, but overall performance has been pretty stable. For instance, after all the news items over the past couple weeks, the S&P 500 is still holding its year-to-date gains at around 6.5%. We’re still looking at a full year return between 5%-10% […]
Trade Summary: September 19, 2016
September 19, 2016 Trade Rationale The biggest risk for stock investors these days is interest rate risk. Higher interest rates could lead to a selloff in stocks, depending on the magnitude and frequency of the rate hikes. Basically, anything but the most conservative increase in rates could lead to investors quickly heading for the […]
Update: September 12, 2016
September 12, 2016 Portfolio Update We finally had some action at the end of last week, with the major stock indexes dropping around 2% in a day. At the same time, volatility jumped over 30% – although it was very low to begin with. Some may have thought this was the beginning of a […]
Trade Summary: September 6, 2016
September 6, 2016 Trade Rationale With September finally here, we can start to expect a little more action in the markets. While there’s never any guarantees when it comes to stocks, September has always been the most volatile month from a historical perspective. As such, picking the right trades becomes even more crucial. This […]
Update: August 29, 2016
August 29, 2016 Portfolio Update The last couple weeks have brought a tad bit more action, but the overall theme has still been wait-and-see. Stocks have generally moved up or sideways, with no real big days recently. Investors have become increasingly complacent with volatility levels at very low levels (considering what could be on […]
Trade Summary: August 22, 2016
August 22, 2016 Trade Rationale Stocks are hitting new highs, but the overall market action has been pretty tepid. Investors are stuck in wait and see mode while they wait for vacations to end and typical Fall activity to pick up. Still, there are always stock picking opportunities in this environment if you look […]
Update: August 15, 2016
August 15, 2016 Portfolio Update Well, August tends to be a slow month for stocks – but it’s been even slower than I would have imagined. Typically, August is a huge vacation month as families get ready to send their kids back to school. But this time around, it really does feel like half […]
Weekly Update: August 11, 2016
Weekly Update: August 11, 2016 What To Watch It’s been two weeks since our last update but it sure seems like we didn’t miss anything. It’s been about as low a volatility environment as you’ll ever see. At least part of it is August, which is the last big month of vacations until the […]
Trade Summary: August 8, 2016
August 8, 2016 Trade Rationale August has been very quiet so far, which isn’t unusual for this time of year. Stocks are sitting at all-time highs, which is good news for bulls, but day to day action is definitely on the slow side. There isn’t much in the way of momentum plays right now. […]
Trade Summary: July 25, 2016
July 25, 2016 Trade Rationale Major equity indexes are hitting new highs, but that doesn’t mean all sectors or industries are overbought. In fact, basic materials are still trailing behind the overall market (with the exception of precious metals). There is an opportunity to scoop up some undervalued names in this sector. Our strategy […]
Update: July 18, 2016
July 18, 2016 Portfolio Update Not only have investors moved on from Brexit, they basically have forgotten all about it. Major US stock indexes are reaching new highs, and nothing seems to be able to derail the current enthusiasm towards equities. In fact, the S&P 500 is up over 7% for the year. Granted, […]
Trade Summary: July 11, 2016
July 11, 2016 Trade Rationale So the turmoil from Brexit left the markets about as quickly as it showed up… at least in stocks. US stocks are basically acting like nothing has happened, with the S&P 500 just reaching new highs. On the other hand, interest rates were definitely impacted by the uncertainty in […]
Update: July 5, 2016
July 5, 2016 Portfolio Update It’s been an eventful couple weeks since our last update, although you may not know it looking at current index levels. That’s because the market plunged during the Brexit turmoil but has already recovered since investors figured out it’s not that big of deal in the US. That’s not […]
Trade Summary: June 27, 2016
June 27, 2016 Trade Rationale Well unless you’ve been living in a cave this past week, then you know the big news these days is Brexit and its impact on the financial markets. Not only did the UK vote to leave the EU come as a pretty huge surprise, but the markets also have […]
Weekly Update: June 16, 2016
Weekly Update: June 16, 2016 What To Watch Before we get to the update, I have a quick administrative announcement. Next week our office is closed for summer vacation. As such, we won’t have any updates or trades until the following week. We’ll do a trade early in the week when we reopen, just […]
Update: June 13, 2016
June 13, 2016 Portfolio Update Hello volatility! It had been a very calm – you may even it call it bullish – June so far. At least until today. Investors decided today was the day to get spooked about Brexit and what it may mean for global stocks. The VIX jumped over 20% and […]
Trade Summary: June 6, 2016
June 6, 2016 Trade Rationale The overall market still appears to be somewhat directionless, but at least there’s been a bullish undertone lately. It’s always easier to trade (and make money) in a bull market. It’s not that you can’t make money in a bear market, but it’s harder to compete with fear than […]
Update: May 31, 2016
May 31, 2016 Portfolio Update Summer is pretty much in full force, but investors haven’t walked away from the market just yet. The stock market has performed well lately on stronger economic news, and has also gotten a boost from oil. All eyes will be on the Fed as an important June FOMC meeting […]
Trade Summary: May 23, 2016
May 23, 2016 Trade Rationale Earnings season is pretty much done and the market is looking like it’s ready to take the summer off. Now, we’re more than likely to get some action over the summer at some point. But right now, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a whole lot of sideways action. […]
Update: May 16, 2016
May 16, 2016 Portfolio Update We had a pretty decent up day today for the first time in awhile. It’s mostly been back and forth action for the last couple weeks. The big news today was the Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) $1 billion stake in Apple (AAPL). That’s an investment the world’s largest company surely […]
Trade Summary: May 9, 2016
May 9, 2016 Trade Rationale The general direction of the stock market has been more sideways than up this year, but I guess we can still call this a bull market. I mean, we’re not in a bear market, right? Anyhow, stocks aren’t just going up in unison. It’s definitely taking a more hands […]
Update: May 2, 2016
May 2, 2016 Portfolio Update It’s been an interesting year for trading, with some out of the ordinary situations (on a macro level). Individually, you never know what may happen with a stock, but overall correlations tend to follow patterns. This year, that’s not necessarily the case. For instance, most of the major stock […]
Trade Summary: April 25, 2016
April 25, 2016 Trade Rationale The market has stabilized and we’ve been experiencing neutral to slightly bullish action for the past several days/weeks. However, technology has been lagging behind the rest of the market somewhat, especially if you remove some of the biggest names from the equation. I believe we’re going to see some […]
Update: April 18, 2016
April 18, 2016 Portfolio Update The stock market is finally acting like it’s a bull market – or at least a bullish to neutral market. Stocks may be a bit overbought (based on valuations) but it’s nothing too egregious. More importantly, the major indices are finally positive on the year (for the most part). […]
Trade Summary: April 11, 2016
April 11, 2016 Trade Rationale It’s earnings season starting today, so time for the action to pick up in the stock market. At least we hope… it’s been pretty boring lately, which also means less opportunity when you’re buying options. However, quarterly earnings releases tend to help alleviate the lack of movement. Right out […]
Update: April 4, 2016
April 4, 2016 Portfolio Update The financial markets have certainly stabilized over the last several weeks, especially the equities markets. Overall volatility is way down, and we’re seeing a definite turn towards complacency. This trend is likely to continue until some kind of market moving news comes out. That being said, earnings start next […]
Weekly Update: March 31, 2016
March 31, 2016 What To Watch Another quiet week just passed us by with the market reaching complacency levels very similar to the first half of last year. There’s simply not a lot of action in the broad market right now. Investors are essentially in wait-and-see mode until bigger news hits the wire. The […]
Trade Summary: March 28, 2016
March 28, 2016 Trade Rationale The financial markets have definitely quieted down over the past few weeks, which isn’t a bad thing considering how volatile the first month and a half of the year was. It’s been more of a stock picker’s market lately, and good themes can make all the difference in your […]
Update: March 21, 2016
March 21, 2016 Portfolio Update The bulls seem to be in control, at least for now. The market has certainly stabilized over the last several weeks, especially in terms of volatility. Today, the spot VIX price was at 14 – the lowest it’s been all year. The S&P 500 and DJIA are positive for […]
Trade Summary: March 14, 2016
March 14, 2016 Trade Rationale We’re kind of at an interesting spot here with no obvious signal on market direction. We’ve made up almost all the lost ground from earlier this year. And, we’re back to the point where the market was mostly moving sideways for much of last year. Can we expect more […]
Update: March 7, 2016
March 7, 2016 Portfolio Update The last couple weeks have been quite a bit more enjoyable if you’re bullish. Stocks have settled in after reversing higher off the lows of the year. The days of big moves and high volatility seem to be over with for now. We’re not entirely out of the woods, […]
Trade Summary: February 29, 2016
February 29, 2016 Trade Rationale With the market calming down, we can start focusing on themes other than safety and value. We can turn our attention from directional strategies and delve into more specific, market independent themes. This week, I want to look at the energy sector. More specifically, I want to take a […]
Buying A Call Option On United States Oil $USO
Buying A Call Option On United States Oil $USO Crude oil is once again making headlines as it struggles to hold onto the $30 per barrel mark. The world’s most popular commodity has dropped 17% year-to-date and has everyone trying to pick a bottom. Is a drop in the price of oil good for the […]
Update: February 22, 2016
February 22, 2016 Portfolio Update It took almost a month and half from the start of the year, but investors are finally starting to calm down and buy stocks. That’s not to say we’re out of the woods just yet. But, at least volatility is back down to more reasonable levels. In fact, VIX […]
Trade Summary: February 16, 2016
February 16, 2016 Trade Rationale Friday put a halt to the slide in the equities markets, but there’s still plenty of damage that’s been done. The S&P 500 is down 7% on the year which is bad enough, but the Nasdaq 100 is even worse off, down 11%. Crude oil still takes the cake […]
Update: February 8, 2016
February 8, 2016 Portfolio Update We can’t seem to break the bear market environment we’ve been in for most of this year. Investors don’t seem at all ready to get back into stocks (or most other asset classes for that matter). And, volatility has either been increasing or holding steady for the past several […]
Trade Summary: February 1, 2016
February 1, 2016 Trade Rationale The equity markets have stabilized to some extent, but the energy markets are still in flux. Crude oil is down 17% for the year despite already sitting at multi-year lows. Natural gas is also down 9% year-to-date, further muddying the picture for fossil fuels. You may think cheap oil […]
Update: January 25, 2016
January 25, 2016 Portfolio Update Well, it hasn’t exactly been a promising start to the year for bullish stock investors. On the other hand, at least things have stabilized somewhat after a period of fairly extreme volatility. Investors have settled down to some extent, although there’s still a fair amount of risk on the […]
Trade Summary: January 19, 2016
January 19, 2016 Trade Rationale Well, suffice it to say that things haven’t improved since our first trades of the year two weeks ago. In fact, the S&P 500 is down 8% already on the year. And, it’s the worst opening to a year in history. Pretty ominous, right? Believe it or not, I’m […]
Update: January 11, 2016
January 11, 2016 Portfolio Update Ouch. That’s not the way we wanted to see 2016 start, at least if you’re a stock investor. The year has opened with the worst start in history (in terms of a 5-trading day period). The S&P 500 is down 6.5%, the Dow is also down 6%, and oil […]
Trade Summary: January 4, 2016
January 4, 2016 Trade Rationale Happy New Year! Hope you all had a nice, relaxing holiday, because we’re getting 2016 started off with a bang. As I write this, the S&P 500 is down over 2% to start the year. The selling is coming after a huge drop in Chinese stocks overnight. Basically, it’s […]
Options Trading Strategies After The Fed Meeting
Options Trading Strategies After The Fed Meeting Well, we can pretty much shut down for the year now, right? Arguably the biggest event of the year has come and gone, and it’s time for holiday vacation. No, I’m not talking about the release of the new Star Wars movie, although that’s certainly a huge deal […]
Unusual Options Activity In Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF $GDXJ
Unusual Options Activity Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF $GDXJ As many of you know, unusual options activity can be a valuable indicator as to what traders are thinking, and more importantly, where these stocks are heading in the short-term. This is something professional options traders pay a lot of attention to, and for good reason… Unusual […]
Update: December 14, 2015
December 14, 2015 Portfolio Update Editor’s Note: Our offices will be closed for the holidays for the final two weeks of December. There will be nothing published during that time. We’ll get things restarted in January with a new trade theme. Hope you all have a happy holiday season! It’s been a fairly rocky […]
Options Trading Strategies For Oil
Options Trading Strategies For Oil If you’ve been following the financial news lately, you’ve likely seen a lot of talk about oil. This time however, it’s not because the price of crude is skyrocketing. Instead, it’s because oil’s price per barrel has hit multi-year lows. In fact, West Texas Crude Oil is at the lowest […]
Unusual Options Activity In Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF $XLK
Unusual Options Activity In Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF $XLK As many of you know, unusual options activity can be a valuable indicator as to what traders are thinking, and more importantly, where these stocks are heading in the short-term. This is something professional options traders pay a lot of attention to, and for good reason… Unusual […]
Trade Summary: December 7, 2015
December 7, 2015 Trade Rationale It’s December already! Yes, it came as a surprise to me as well. I’m really not sure where most of this year went. Nevertheless, 2016 is almost upon us. So, it’s time to look to next year for our next trade theme. Actually, this should be plenty straightforward. I’m […]
Options Trading Strategies To Avoid For 2016
Options Trading Strategies To Avoid For 2016 Hard to believe but 2016 is right around the corner. While the financial markets don’t really care what calendar year it is, we as investors tend to like to group market conditions by the year. For instance, 2015 will most likely be the year of tepid growth and […]
Unusual Options Activity In Best Buy $BBY
Unusual Options Activity In Best Buy $BBY As many of you know, unusual options activity can be a valuable indicator as to what traders are thinking, and more importantly, where these stocks are heading in the short-term. This is something professional options traders pay a lot of attention to, and for good reason… Unusual options activity can […]
Update: November 30, 2015
November 30, 2015 Portfolio Update Since our last update, we’ve already had Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and now Cyber Monday come and go (well mostly). It sure seems like this year is going by quickly! We’re already in the heart of holiday shopping season and there are just a few more weeks of work/school before […]
Options Trading And The New Normal
Options Trading And The New Normal As we approach the end of the year, we can start to piece together what kind of year it’s been for US stocks. There are basically two different stories to tell in 2015. There was the August correction and subsequent rebound. And, there’s been a whole bunch of range-bound […]
Unusual Options Activity In Disney $DIS
Unusual Options Activity In Disney $DIS As many of you know, unusual options activity can be a valuable indicator as to what traders are thinking, and more importantly, where these stocks are heading in the short-term. This is something professional options traders pay a lot of attention to, and for good reason… Unusual options activity can “tip […]
Trade Summary: November 23, 2015
November 23, 2015 Trade Rationale One of the interesting things about this year has been the lack of breadth in stock gains. That is, gains in US stocks are not wide ranged, but rather concentrated in a few big names. In some cases, certain sectors have missed the gains entirely (such as energy). I […]
Options Trading For The Holiday Season
Options Trading For The Holiday Season It’s just a week away from Thanksgiving… hard to believe. The unseasonably warm weather could be making us forget just how close the holidays are. We’re that much closer to prime shopping season. The holiday shopping season is closely monitored by the investment world as well. Many companies make […]
Unusual Options Activity In JP Morgan $JPM
Unusual Options Activity In JP Morgan $JPM As many of you know, unusual options activity can be a valuable indicator as to what traders are thinking, and more importantly, where these stocks are heading in the short-term. This is something professional options traders pay a lot of attention to, and for good reason… Unusual options activity can […]
Update: November 16, 2015
November 16, 2015 Portfolio Update After making a strong comeback from October into early November, US equities pulled back last week on interest rate and economic concerns. In fact, the S&P 500 fell through the 200-day moving average and nearly hit the 50-day moving average. However, stocks reversed today to finish 1.5% higher, possibly […]
Finding Value With Options Trading
Finding Value With Options Trading There are many different reasons to invest in stocks. For example, some buyers are looking for growth, others income. Ultimately everyone is looking to make money… but how we get there is clearly open to interpretation. One popular method of investing is value investing. That is, when investors look for […]
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