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Day Trading For Beginners: Strategies For Starting Out
Day trading is defined as the act of buying the same security multiple times over the course of a single day. Taking advantage of these small price moves can be very lucrative, provided you know what you are doing, otherwise you could be in for a quick demise. Newbies who are unfamiliar with day trading are 90% […]
3 Stocks To Buy As They Bottom
The bottom in AAPL, AMD, and WHR is in Head waiter, Jerome Powell, just served investors some profits on a silver platter yesterday. The Federal Reserve’s struck the perfect dovish tone for those who wanted to hear it — and everyone wanted to hear it. With risk assets now boasting the Fed’s backing, it’s time […]
Stock News: Digital Platform Presents A Great Buying Opportunity
Paypal (PYPL), a digital mobile payment company, just delivered blow out earnings and its stock jumped some 10%. Is it still a buy? Yes! Thanks to the recent broad market selloff shares of Paypal, which hit a $75 low, or some 20% from the September high. Even with earnings-induced pop, it remained some 15% below the recent […]
Investing Advice: How To Safely Short A Stock
Over the years, Tesla (TSLA) has been a bit of a widow maker to short sellers. The stock has gained over 300 percent since 2013. But even as the price rose, or probably because it rose, the short position continued to increase. It is now one of most heavily shorted stocks out there, with over 25% of the float […]
Trade War: 4 Potential Market Outcomes
With the U.S. set to initiate some $34 billion in tariffs on China tomorrow and the Chinese expected to respond in kind 24 hours later, the opening skirmish in what could spiral into a trade war is upon us. So far, except for a few down days that have been more hiccup than correction, the stock market […]
Is Binary Options Always A Scam?
Binary Options Industry From the outside, it seems as though the binary options industry is going through a torrid time; platforms closing, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) warnings, publicly traded companies being forced to delist and a plethora of consumer complaints has caused havoc for the industry in recent months. Is binary options a legitimate industry being […]
Fighting Binary Options Trading Scams, The Stephen Young Story
How the Binary Options Trading Scam Works We’ve all been subject to the online clickbait adverts promoting get rich quick schemes, and we’re all familiar with the “Nigerian Prince” who just needs someone like you with an international bank account to deposit his millions. The model may change, but the medium rarely does. The sophistication […]
5 Cheap Stocks With Strong Insider Buying
Finding value with drivers for growth while the market sits near all-time highs has become a challenge, but Bret Jensen has identified five stocks he thinks trade for too cheap and could rally higher on the back of strong insider buying. The market has greeted the unexpected election outcome with one of the biggest post-election […]
Market Impact Of A Trump Presidency
Donald Trump emerged as the winner last night of a hotly contested presidential campaign and will be inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States on Friday, January 20, 2017. The transition to a Republican presidency and Trump’s rejection of politics as usual, which drew so many voters, naturally lead to questions about his […]
Here’s What To Expect From The Market To Finish 2016
Find out what Investors Alley’s lead equities analyst Bret Jensen predicts for the market as we close out an unexpected and volatile year. Will the market tread water, bounce higher, or fall lower, see what Bret has to say. “Good judgment comes from experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.” – Will Rogers […]
3 Retail Turnaround Stocks To Buy Before Black Friday
Watch these retail stocks rebound after putting plans in place to fire up growth and put their businesses back on track. Buy these three stocks before the retail extravaganza of Black Friday and put some extra pop in your brokerage account. Higher wages mean higher costs, but what if higher paid employees is a long-term […]
Google Might Have Guaranteed The End Of The iPhone
Apple’s 10 years of smartphone dominance might have just come to an end. Google’s largest product launch in company history unveiled multiple products that target the biggest money-maker for the Cupertino tech behemoth. See why it might be time to start selling your Apple stock. Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) has taken the battle for tech dominance […]
3 Dividend Stocks To Buy And 3 To Sell As Volatility Increases
We’re just about a month away from the election, so expect volatility to ramp up as the S&P 500 has fallen an average of 1.5% in this time frame over the last five elections. With even more volatile candidates this year, it might be safe to say the market could drop even further than average. […]
Asset Based Analysis: Does It Work?
Asset based analysis is one of the oldest and most fundamental ways to determine the intrinsic value of a stock. Benjamin Graham strongly advocated for this approach in his 1934 book, Security Analysis. Furthermore, Graham consistently invested in stocks using asset-based analysis throughout his six decade career. The question is, does it still work? Relevant […]
Will The U.S. Election Really Matter For Markets?
Russ argues that the election may have less of an impact on markets than many are expecting. With the summer over and the presidential debates just around the corner, investor attention is increasingly turning to the U.S. election. In my travels and meetings, I frequently encounter two strongly held views about the election’s investment implications: […]
2 Stocks To Profit From Apple’s iPhone 7
Apple is shaking up the tech scene with a new round of iPhones, but will it be enough to turn the tables for the faltering tech stock? Find out which two stocks will profit most from the newest release of the iPhone. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has done it again, shaking up the technology field with […]
What, Me Worry?
As we contemplate the upcoming U.S. presidential election one of our chief investment related concerns is the potential for the election results to roil markets. Strangely, the equity markets trade as if the election results, be it a Clinton or Trump victory, are inconsequential for share prices. That stance is greatly at odds with what […]
Be A Contrarian Investor: 3 Ways To Think Differently In The Stock Market
In a previous post, I discussed five steps investors must take in order to buy low and sell high in the stock market. Those five steps boiled down to this simple fact: You must be a contrarian investor in order to profit in the stock market. So what is a contrarian investor and how do […]
The Death Of Alternatives Has Been Greatly Exaggerated
Is the bell tolling for alternatives? Investors seem to think so. But despite recent poor performance, alternatives have a long life ahead and will be vitally important in the years to come, in our view. It’s clear from our conversations with clients that many people are losing faith in alternative investments. “I tried alternatives,” they […]
Stock Market Melt-Up Leading To A Crash In 2016?
Melt-ups precede a major stock market crash, and by all appearances we may be in a melt-up right now that could cause a stock market crash in 2016. First, a small bit of euphoria kicked up permabull adrenaline in the US market when Brexit didn’t make the American sky fall overnight. At the same time, […]
Earnings Report Card: Stocks To Buy & Sell
Stocks look like they will extend their profit recession for a fifth quarter in a row, but not all stocks reported lower earnings. Bret Jensen shares which stocks and sectors that he is bullish on and those that he wants to avoid for the time being. The markets keep grinding up and hitting all-time highs […]
Stocks Are Cheap… Compared To Bonds
Despite the recent S&P 500 rally, stocks are still cheap relative to bonds, that’s the key takeaway from a research note out today from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, which looks at the Fed Model of equity valuation. In Year of “Improbable” Events, Stock Rally Is A Valuation Fairy Tale The Fed Model is based on […]
These 4 Stocks Can Save You From The Next Market Crash
Is the next market brushfire right around the corner? And are investors in denial about it? If recent moves in the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) are any indication, the answer to both questions could be yes. The market’s so-called “fear indicator” plunged 40% in the week following the Brexit vote—its largest-ever drop—as options traders bet […]
10 Recession-Proof Stocks That Tripled The S&P 500
Find out the names of ten little-known stocks with aggressive income streams, stable growth, and recession armor that tripled the returns from the S&P 500 over the last twenty years. The US stock market began the year at a decline, which statistically predisposes the market to ending the year in the red. This correction, coupled […]
How To Brexit-Proof Your Portfolio
Britain’s out – should you care? It depends on what’s in your portfolio today. Here’s a five-point checklist to help you Brexit-proof your nest egg. There’s no shortage of noise floating around about the potential ramifications. Let’s separate the “first-level” headline worries from the second-level realities – and make sure your portfolio is set to […]
Brexit Shocker: Sell These 3 Stocks Now
In an unprecedented move, Britain is leaving the European Union. This could lead to a domino effect across Europe that will undoubtedly impact your portfolio. Most notably, some big U.S. stocks investors own. In somewhat of a shocking move, Great Britain has voted to leave the European Union. The Brexit is officially real. This will […]
When To Sell Stocks
Selling stocks is not easy. In fact it’s quite difficult if you ask me. While most of the investing world focuses on finding the right stock and buying at the right price, very few articles or strategies discuss selling stocks. Probably because most people, including me, have a very hard time with it. Greed, pride, […]
3 Must Own High Growth Low Volatility Stocks
Low volatility continues to outperform high volatility. And at the same time, growth has been outperforming value. Is it possible to get low volatility and high growth from a single stock? We have a conundrum on our hands. Low volatility investing has gone mainstream. Low volatility funds are expected to see record inflows in 2016 […]
10 Stocks That Will Beat The Market In 2016
Ever think you could build a portfolio that can outperform the market? Many analysts point to the fact that the majority of hedge funds underperform the S&P 500 SPDR ETF (NYSE:SPY), stating that you’re better off just holding the SPY than you are attempting to build a portfolio that beats the market. However, the fact […]
Will The Buck Stop Here?
The recent decline in the U.S. Dollar has people wondering where it might stop; its chart suggests right here is as good a spot as any. Increasingly, the talk surrounding financial markets lately has centered around the U.S. Dollar (USD). Specifically, the focus is on the 5-month decline in the USD. Obviously, as much as […]
7 Undervalued Stocks To Buy And 3 To Sell
The market is once again approaching fairly valued, however, some stocks still trade at compelling levels while others are overvalued and should be sold. Where you invest your funds and, even more importantly, where you do not will be critical to beating the market in 2016. The S&P 500 is approaching 52-week highs again and […]
22 Trading Lessons From Jesse Livermore
Jesse Livermore is famous for making (and losing) two fortunes in the stock market. Firstly in 1907, he famously sold the market short and profited to the tune of $3 million. Then in 1929 after noticing similar conditions to 1929, he again sold the market short and continued adding to his position as stocks plummeted which […]
These 3 Major Events Will Trigger A 20% Market Rally
While most of the market remains hyper-focused on anything bearish, there have been three major events brewing on the sideline that could cause a dramatic and fast 20% rise in the markets. Investors have had few places to hide in the first five weeks of the year, and all the major averages are down significantly […]
5 Stocks Unlocking Value On Breakup Pressure
Spinoffs have historically been great investments, and right now a number of companies are feeling the pressure to break apart to unlock more value. These are the stories you should be buying and selling. With the S&P 500 now down nearly 5% over the last year, companies are looking to unlock value any way they […]
3 Dividend Stocks To Buy Now And Hold Forever
Editor’s Note: Investing in dividend stocks can be used in conjunction with options trading, so it’s important to be aware of good dividend buying opportunities. With the S&P 500 down nearly 7% in the last three weeks alone, you can’t be blamed for wanting to throw up your hands and sell all your stocks. But […]
Sell These 4 Beaten-Down Oil Stocks
Editor’s Note: Option traders should be able to take advantage of the valuable insight contained in this article. Many people may have already bought into these cheap stocks trading at ultra-low valuations hoping to catch a bounce, but these four stocks are not done falling yet. If you own any of these stocks you must […]
What Can We Learn From Options Action In Altera $ALTR?
What Can We Learn From Options Action in $ALTR? As regular readers know, I spend a lot of time discussing large and unusual options trades. Generally speaking, you can gain quite a bit of insight based on what the smart money is doing in options. But what about options activity in general? Can overall options […]
Big TLT Options Trade Suggests Rates Are Going To Stay Low
Big TLT Options Trade Suggests Rates Are Going To Stay Low Large and unusual options trades don’t just give us clues on the possible direction of individual equities. The same theory can be applied on a macro level. For instance, a big options trade in a sector or country ETF may give us valuable information […]
The Best Way To Trade The Energy Sector
Crude oil has crashed and it’s taken the entire energy sector with it. The price of a barrel of crude has gone from $105 to $55 in about six months, a 48% decline. That’s officially a crash. Meanwhile, the energy sector has dropped roughly 20% overall during that period. However, the collateral damage has been […]
The Price Of Oil Keeps Plunging… Now What?
A few weeks ago, I talked about possible oil trading strategies. At the time, oil was down to $75 a barrel, and it seemed cheap. Since then, oil has plummeted all the way to $65 a barrel, and it may even fall to $60 before all is said and done. Back then, my advice was […]
Trading Options Outside The Box
Part of the challenge in making money trading options (or just in the financial markets in general) is the zero-sum game factor. That is, for every winning trade, there’s someone on the other side losing money. The problem is retail traders have to go up against huge trading firms and banks with endless resources. The […]
How The Heck Do You Trade Oil?
One of the biggest surprises in the financial markets in 2014 has been the collapse of crude oil prices. In mid-June, West Texas Crude was trading at over $105 a barrel. Barely five months later, the price has dropped below $75. Oil hasn’t been this cheap since 2010. The mind-boggling plunge has caught many investors […]
Two Years Of Gridlock?
The big news to kick off November is neither economic nor international for a change, it’s political. The Republicans had an impressive showing at the polls, with the GOP taking control of Congress starting in 2015. Although the outcome was basically expected, it’s the first time in eight years Republicans will have the majority in […]
How To Profit Off Of Bad Earnings
It’s earning season, so you know what that means… lots of big moves in individual equities. And this time around, there’s added volatility in the market due to the recent selloff. It seems like earnings misses are causing larger than normal downward gaps. As options traders, we know big moves can be very good if […]
Are Interest Rates Going Higher Sooner Than Expected?
After closely watching geopolitical events play out, the focus of many investors has shifted to the Fed and interest rates. Between the most recent Fed Meeting notes being released and the conference in Jackson Hole, there’s been ample opportunity for Fed watchers to (attempt to) glean information about the future of interest rates. However, Yellen’s […]
Is Now A Good Time To Invest In Gold?
In 2011, the price of gold spiked above $1,800 an ounce, the highest it’s ever been. It was all anyone would talk about. Around that time, gold buyers popped up on every corner, a sure signal of a fad. Three years later, gold is still trading well above historical levels. At $1,300 an ounce, the […]
Should You Trade Commodity Options?
The vast majority of my articles focus on trading equities options and equity index options. Of course, those are the most popular options, so it makes sense. However, let’s not forget about commodity options. First off, when trading commodity options, I recommend only trading options on commodity ETFs. Yes, options do trade on commodity futures. […]
Is This The Start Of A Market Correction?
US equities are finally experiencing a legitimate selloff after what’s been a very mundane summer. In fact, the major indices dropped yesterday the most since the market sold off in April. The VIX also jumped above 17 for the first time since April’s volatile period. However, it’s hard to classify any VIX level below 20 […]
What Was The Fed Thinking?
Ever since interest rates hit zero, we’ve come to expect consistent, mostly boring talk out of the Fed. The central bank has pledged to keep rates low for the foreseeable future. And, quantitative easing is slowly winding down. There’s not a whole Yellen and the Fed could say or do at this point that hasn’t […]
Is The Latest Hot IPO Worth Investing In?
It’s been awhile since we’ve had a buzz-worthy IPO to discuss. Lately, IPO hype has been pretty sparse. After a big year for initial public offerings in 2013, the somewhat less bullish environment this year seems to have discouraged big name IPOs from moving forward. However, IPOs may be back en vogue after GoPro’s (GPRO) […]
Will Amazon’s (AMZN) Entry Into The Smartphone Market Pay Off?
While most investors were focused on the FOMC meeting this week, perhaps the bigger news came from the corporate world. More specifically, online retail giant Amazon.com (AMZN) made quite the statement with its entry into the smartphone market. In case you missed, AMZN and CEO Jeff Bezos unveiled the company’s brand new Fire Phone. Essentially, […]
Is Intel’s (INTC) Resurgence The Real Deal?
PC chip powerhouse, Intel (INTC), is making waves today with the shares spiking 7% higher. It’s the first time in a while the chipmaker has been in the news for positive reasons. Basically, INTC is getting lots of investor love after raising forecasts. The company raised its revenue guidance for the second quarter. It estimates […]
Watch Out For September
Recently, I wrote an article discussing an interesting trade in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets (EEM) options. The trade was meaningful because it was a significant bet or hedge on the entire emerging markets asset class. This week, there’s once again been an intriguing trade worth discussing. This massive trade could have broader implications on the […]
Are Emerging Markets In Trouble?
Typically, once a week (usually on Mondays), I write about unusual options trades for the week. There’s much that can be gained by seeing what the smart money is doing in the options markets. Sometimes, however, there are big trades which I believe are so meaningful, they deserve their own column. One of those game-changing […]
Does Apple (AAPL) Get The Beat?
For some time, investors and analysts have been speculating on what Apple (AAPL) is going to do with its over $150 billion in cash. Make no mistake, that’s as massive a cash hoard as you’ll ever see for a private company. In fact, Apple’s cash holdings alone would make it the 33rd largest public company […]
Show Me The Jobs!
While the economy has definitely shown signs of life this year, no one expected the April jobs report to be such a shock. In fact, when I first saw the jobs number, I actually thought it was a misprint! Here’s the deal… Last months’ jobs report showed a 288,000 gain in employment. That’s a huge […]
Apple (AAPL) Is Still The King Of Equities
Of all the surprises from this earnings season, none was as impressive as Apple (AAPL). The company flat out blew away all the analysts’ estimates, and then some. Here are some of the details… Apple’s first quarter profits came in at $11.62 per share on revenues of $45.6 billion. Analysts had predicted earnings per share […]
The Death Of The Nasdaq?
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last couple weeks, you probably noticed the substantial pullback in the Nasdaq. Well, the pullback has impacted all the major indices, but Nasdaq stocks have been hit significantly harder than the others. Over the last week, the Nasdaq-100 index is down over 4%. The index is […]
Should We Expect The Sideways Market Action To Continue?
The economy continues to chug along at a moderate pace. There’s not a whole lot to get excited about in the economic data. However, there’s absolutely no reason to believe a recession is in our future either. The recent slew of economic reports has been mostly positive, and mostly in line with expectations. Basically, any […]
Is King Digital Entertainment (KING) The Worst IPO Of The Year?
If you’ve been waiting anxiously for the IPO of King Digital Entertainment (KING), you were in for a big disappointment this week. In fact, in percentage terms, the KING IPO was the worst of the year so far. King’s IPO was priced at $22.50, right in the middle of the expected range. However, the stock […]
What In The World Is Facebook Doing?
Facebook (FB) is on a buying spree! After making waves with its $19 billion purchase of messaging company WhatsApp, the social media giant is once again making headlines with a new acquisition. But if you thought the WhatsApp purchase made little sense, then this week’s transaction will be a real head scratcher. FB is spending […]
What’s This Massive VIX Options Trade Telling Us?
If you’ve been reading my articles for any length of time, you know I often like to point out unusual options trades. Typically, once a week I’ll cover a couple trades which are either much bigger than normal or on stocks with historically low activity. However, sometimes I’ll come across a really interesting trade worth […]
Is This Company The Next Big Tech IPO?
Over the last year or so, tech IPOs appear to have regained their allure. Investors are once again lining up to buy shares in the latest hot tech companies as they go public. However, there does seem to be a more conservative level of IPO pricing this time around. After the initial failures of companies […]
Why Does A Ukraine Crisis Impact US Equities?
Lately, the financial headlines are focusing on the crisis in Ukraine. What started as a government takeover has turned into a semi-occupation by Russia. The events initially spooked the equity markets – although they’ve since mostly recovered. So why do investors care about Ukraine? First off, we tend to hear a lot about issues in […]
Invest In The Game Changers
There are many different strategies when it comes to investing. Some people like growth, others like value. Some like income stocks, others like small caps. Some like technology, others like energy. And the list goes on. However, there’s one strategy you can always count on paying off in a big way. That strategy is investing […]
So How Do We Trade The Markets Now?
In an amazingly short amount of time, the financial markets appear to have stabilized. It was shaping up to be a very tense month of February, with several catalysts capable of roiling the market. Somehow though, the past week or so has gone more smoothly than many could have imagined. First off, the biggest (potential) […]
Here’s How You Trade Twitter (TWTR)
Very few stocks tend to be as divisive as Twitter (TWTR). People either seem to love or hate the ultra-popular microblogging service. On one hand, the fundamentals don’t come anywhere close to justifying the current valuation. On the other hand, well, people said the same thing about Facebook (FB)… and it continues to prove everyone […]
Facebook (FB) Wins Again
The market may be under pressure these days, but that hasn’t stopped Facebook (FB) from soaring to new highs. In fact, at over $61 a share, FB stock is now over 200% higher than its 2012 lows. Not to mention, it’s well above the IPO price (which drew so much criticism). So how did Facebook […]
Now’s A Great Time To Use Weekly Options
Well, it was only a matter of time before volatility returned to the market. After all, equities weren’t going to go up forever without at least a little selling now and then. Fortunately, I don’t believe the fundamentals support a sustained selloff. Yes, China’s economy isn’t as strong as expected. And, that’s not a great […]
How To Use Options To Trade Earnings Season
Believe it or not, it’s that time of the year again… earnings season. Fourth quarter earnings season always seems to hit us by surprise because it happens so soon after the holidays. But here we are again. Earnings season has just begun. So how can we use options to trade earnings? Here’s the thing… Earnings […]
2013 Was A Good Year For Options Traders
For option traders, 2013 was a very good year. Whatever your strategy of preference, there’s a good chance it was successful last year. Many of the most popular strategies perform the best during strong bull markets like we saw in 2013. For instance, the strategy I employ in my flagship service, the Option Trading Wire, […]
A New Year Brings New Opportunities In Options Trading
2014 is underway, and that means you can expect many more articles from me about options, stocks, and the financial markets in general. However, I’m going to take a break from my usual variety of topics to briefly cover my subscription service, the Options Trading Wire. The purpose of the Options Trading Wire is really […]
A Taper For The New Year
Leave it to the Fed to do the unexpected. Just when we thought the central bank would leave its bond purchase program alone until next year, the FOMC threw us for a loop. Indeed, the taper is in. In a nutshell, the Fed will reduce its Treasuries purchases by $5 billion a month and its […]
Investors Should Be Ready For Action This Week
The year may be coming to a close, but investors have a busy week ahead. So far, December hasn’t been kind to stocks. Although, let’s put it in perspective. The S&P 500 is still up roughly 25% for the year. Nevertheless, investors are surely hoping for a better second half of December. And this week […]
The Economy Is Doing Better – So What Does That Mean?
Last week was loaded with important economic data, most of it very positive. There’s good reason to believe economic growth is finally gaining steam. Now investors have to decide if that’s a good thing. First off, let’s review some of the key data from the previous week. The biggest news came from the November jobs […]
Amazon Continues To Rewrite The Rules Of Retail
Of all the movers and shakers in today’s business world, Amazon (AMZN) may have the highest upside potential. It seems the sky’s the limit with what the giant online retailer can accomplish. Already the world’s largest online seller of goods, AMZN continues to rewrite the rules and delve into new, groundbreaking strategies. For instance, just […]
What Has The Fed Done For Us?
We’ve all heard and read plenty about the Fed’s unconventional policies over the last several years. Specifically, the term “quantitative easing” has been tossed about quite a bit by the financial media (and the Fed itself) in regard to the central bank’s bond buying programs. Basically, quantitative easing describes the Fed’s massive Treasury and MBS […]
How Important Are Holiday Sales To The US?
Believe it or not, it’s already that time of year again. Thanksgiving is next week… which means Black Friday is almost here. Yep, the holiday season is upon us and it’s time for America to go shopping. But, the holidays aren’t just about presents, family time, and cheesy music (which is always playing no matter […]
Is The Fed’s QE Actually Helping Us?
There’s always a hefty amount of discussion going on regarding the merits of the Fed’s various QE programs. The so-called unconventional monetary policies are quite the divisive topics in Washington, on Wall Street, and on Main Street. And it’s no wonder no one can agree on the value of QE – the impact of the […]
Has The US Moved On From Oil?
Of all the interesting developments in the commodities world this year, perhaps nothing is more surprising than the slow but steady selloff in crude oil. However, it’s not the selloff itself that’s so surprising – it’s the reasons why. After all, the price of crude was sitting around $110 per barrel for several weeks. Hotspots […]
How To Profit From Big Moves In Equities
We’ve seen our share of market volatility over the past few weeks. Political posturing led to the government shutdown in October and a close encounter with the US debt ceiling. However, market volatility isn’t the only kind of volatility out there. Individual equities can also be volatile for very different reasons than the overall market. […]
Is It Time To Buy Gold?
It’s been an interesting, unpredictable year for gold. The widely held and closely followed precious metal has taken on a different role lately – after being in the spotlight for much of the post-financial crisis period. You see, the yellow metal’s massive popularity was due to the political and economic landscape at the time. Circumstances […]
Default Averted: So What’s Next?
With the government shenanigans finally over (for the time being), it’s time to consider what the next big market moving catalysts could be. For at least two months, we should be able to safely assume the government won’t shut down and the US won’t default on its debt. Still, there’s plenty going on. Let’s take […]
How Bad Would A Debt Default Really Be?
The financial markets are waiting with bated breath as US politicians try to resolve the debt ceiling crisis with just a day to go before the limit is hit. There’s basically no reason for me to talk about anything else right now because just about everything market related hinges on Washington. It’s a sad state […]
One Way To Take Advantage Of Rising Volatility
One of the consequences of the political deadlock in Washington has been higher volatility in the markets. After all, when your government is flirting with financial catastrophe, investors are bound to be nervous. However, volatility hasn’t been running nearly as high as you might expect given the real danger of a US default. In fact, […]
Avoid This Trade If You Want To Hold On To Your Money
Because of Washington, the financial markets are on the brink of spiraling into chaos. The government shutdown is already long past due for a resolution. But now, the possibility of a US debt default grows by the day. Make no mistake, a default of this magnitude would have catastrophic consequences. So how do we trade […]
New Volatility Products Mean Even More Ways For You To Make Money
With the way exchanges and investments companies are consistently rolling out new products, you could argue that this is the golden age of investing. For investors and traders, there are more choices than ever before when it comes to different types of investments. Back in the day, the average investor was fortunate to have access […]
A Government Shutdown Would Be Terrible For The Economy
The financial markets will be squarely focusing on Washington this week as investors (and everyone else) will be paying close attention to the looming government shutdown. A substantial, temporary closure of many federal services could occur as early as Tuesday. Here’s the deal… The Republican controlled House voted to attach an addendum to a bill […]
A Tale Of Two Smartphone Companies
This past weekend was a very meaningful couple days for the smartphone industry. In fact, two smartphone companies were squarely in the limelight… but for very different reasons. One company still has a lot to offer the world of smartphones and mobile devices. The other may have just seen its final days as a recognizable […]
Finally – It’s Time For The Twitter IPO
After months of speculation, micro blogging site Twitter finally filed for an IPO. The ultra-popular site has been the subject of IPO and acquisition rumors since the reemergence of big name internet IPOs. So, it’s big news now that the much anticipated IPO has finally been announced. Twitter is probably the biggest name internet stock […]
Why Is Oil So Bleeping Expensive?
One of the more interesting and popular investments out there is crude oil. The price of oil is still an important barometer of economic growth. And, it continues to confound and frustrate consumers (and traders) across the world. The key question surrounding the oil market is why is the price of crude so high? After […]
What Does The Fed Have To Do With Options Trading?
If you’re a regular reader of this site, you may be wondering why I often write about the Fed. After all, this is an options research site, not an economics policy blog. However, understanding the Fed is in fact, a very important tool for options trader to have. Here’s the thing… What the Fed does […]
When Will They Learn?
The Fed makes mistakes. Let’s get that out of the way first off. Even the most powerful financial institution in the world can and does screw up on occasion. Just look at how Bernanke spooked the market a few weeks ago with his tapering comments. Even now, mortgage rates are still nearly 1% higher than […]
Has Gold Finally Lost Its Appeal?
Because of the recent market volatility, gold hasn’t quite been grabbing the financial headlines as much as we’ve seen in the past. The precious metal was once all the rage as it was setting historic highs. But now, the yellow metal is plunging. And while most investors are aware of the precipitous drop, they may […]
Forget Stocks, Discover Where The Real Action Is
So far, it’s been another harsh day for stocks. As of this writing, the Dow Industrials are down another 230 points (-1.6%) while the S&P 500 is down nearly 30 points (-1.9%). The selloff is a continuation of the “correction” the markets are experiencing after Bernanke’s comments last week regarding the slowing/stopping of the Fed’s […]
Market Volatility And The Fed: What Are People Thinking?
Until recently, 2013 has been a relatively low volatility year for the stock market. For instance, for much of the first five months of the year, the S&P 500 Volatility Index (VIX) was sitting in the $12-$13 range. As the market’s most prominent investor fear gauge, the VIX was showing very little investor concern for […]
Will The Resurgence In Gold Hold Up?
I mentioned in an article a couple weeks ago that is was likely too soon to give up on gold. The article was written after the price of gold has fallen off a cliff. I felt that gold was too important of a safe-haven investment to stay depressed this time around. And, it looks like […]
Concerned About The Economy? Use Options To Find Peace Of Mind
Last week was a tougher week for stocks than what we’ve been used to the last few months. And, volatility appears to be headed higher – at least in the short-term. So what’s causing the recent downtrend? Basically, the strong run of positive economic data seems to have come to an end. In particular, the […]
You Can Finally Buy Bank Stocks!
It’s taken longer than many had hoped, but I think banks are finally a buy. This sector has punished some highly successful investors who tried to bargain-hunt too soon after the 2008 crash. In my view, their mistake was ignoring business momentum in concepts such as “capital levels” and “valuations.” Simply put, my bullishness isn’t […]
Breaking News: JP Morgan Trading Loss Rocks Financials
Last week Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase (JPM), revealed the bank had suffered a massive $2 billion loss on a bad trade. The stunning revelation has shaken investor confidence in JPM and the financial industry as a whole. No doubt about it, this is a major blunder for JPM and their previously untarnished […]
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