Insider Activity Report: CME Group (CME)

William Shepard, a director at CME Group (CME), recently bought 292 shares. The buy increased his position by less than 1 percent, and came to a total price of $58,326. The director has made two other buys earlier this year, one for 322 shares, and one for 506 shares. In total, he’s bought over $200,000 in shares this year. A few company executives and directors were sellers of shares over the summer. Overall, company insiders own 0.5 percent of the company. The ...
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Unusual Options Activity: Coterra Energy (CTRA)

Oil and gas exploration company Coterra Energy (CTRA) is down about 5 percent over the past year. One trader is betting on shares to rally in the months ahead. That’s based on the April 2024 $31 calls. With 191 days until expiration, 4,955 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 194, for a 25-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $1.55 to make the bullish bet. Shares recently traded for about $28, so ...
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Invest With the Middleman for the Best Profits in the Service Industry

In many transactions between a buyer and a seller, there’s a middleman. For a customer, that may mean shopping at a store, with the store making a small profit for stocking goods from dozens of various providers. While that business model has low profit margins, the margins can improve when it involves a service. A middleman can find an optimal deal, and still make a great return overall. One such middleman is Booking Holdings (BKNG), the parent company of travel services company ...
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Insider Activity Report: Biohaven (BHVN)

Matthew Buten, CFO at Biohaven (BHVN) recently bought 22,727 shares. The buy came to a total purchase price just under $500,000. The buy came a day after a company director bought 17,817 shares, paying just over $402,000. All told, company insiders have bought about 150,000 shares so far this year, with no insider sales. Last year also saw no sales as well, in addition to some large buys of over 500,000 shares from the company CEO. Overall, insiders own 14.5 percent ...
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Unusual Options Activity: Vale (VALE)

Brazilian iron ore producer Vale (VALE) is down nearly 12 percent over the past year, far underperforming global markets. One trader sees the potential for a big move higher in the coming months. That’s based on the March 2024 $15 calls. With 157 days until expiration, 50,444 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 2,009, for a 25-fold rise in volume on the option. The buyer of the calls paid $0.44 to make the bullish bet. Shares recently traded for ...
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In Rough Markets, Put Safe Dividend Payers First

The market has dropped over 5 percent in just the past few weeks. Bond yields have soared, which have made bonds more attractive compared to dividend-paying stocks in general. But while bond yields fluctuate over time, the price paid out doesn’t change. For dividend stocks, being able to grow the payout over time tends to lead to great returns. That’s because higher payouts tend to lead to higher share prices. RPM International (RPM) isn’t a household name. It’s a specialty chemical manufacturer ...
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Insider Activity Report: Overstock.Com (OSTK)

Marcus Lemonis, a director at Overstock.Com (OSTK), recently bought 33,000 shares. The buy is an initial stake for the director. The purchase came to a total cost just over $493,000. That’s the second buy since August, when another director bought 2,052 shares, paying just over $50,600. And late last year, the company CEO and a third director were also buyers of shares. A few directors sold shares earlier this year, following the exercise of stock options. Overall, company insiders own about ...
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Unusual Options Activity: The Coca-Cola Company (KO)

Beverage giant The Coca-Cola Company (KO) is now flat over the past year, following a steep drop in shares in the past few trading days. One trader sees a small rebound for shares in the days ahead. That’s based on the October 20 $54 calls. With 11 days left until expiration, 6,269 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 245, for a 26-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $0.42. Shares recently traded ...
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