Trading Tips Blog

Money center bank
U.S. Bancorp (USB) has seen shares drop about 25 percent in the past year. One trader sees a further drop for shares in the coming months. That’s based on the June 16 $30 puts. With 94 days until expiration, 5,377 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 100, for a 54-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $0.53 to make the bearish bet. The bank recently traded for just over $37, so ...
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There are many things that companies can control. But they can’t control how the market will react to one of their quarterly earnings reports. A company may have great earnings, but see shares sell off on a lower outlook, or because revenues are off. However, a company isn’t just one quarterly report. And a company that can continue to improve its earnings over time will see its share prices rise, even if that process takes time to play out. Database software company
Oracle ...
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Norman Wright, a director at
First Solar (FSLR), recently bought 465 shares. The buy increased his holdings by 40 percent, and came to a total cost just over $99,900. The buy marks the first insider purchase since last August, when two officers picked up just over $1 million in shares. Otherwise, company insiders have generally been selling shares of stock, including both directors and officers. Overall, insiders own 5.2 percent of shares. The manufacturer of solar panels has seen share soar 180 percent ...
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Industrial and manufacturing conglomerate
3M Company (MMM), has seen shares lose nearly a quarter of their value over the past year. One trader sees a further decline in the weeks ahead. That’s based on the March 31 $30 puts. With 18 days until expiration, 7,134 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 112, for a 64-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $2.60 to make the bearish bet. Shares recently traded for about $105.50, making ...
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Tech layoffs have dominated headlines since the start of the year. However, many of these companies vastly increased their hiring during the pandemic, and may have overshot to the upside. So while layoffs and workforce reductions now sound painful, it may allow companies to lower their spending and lead to bigger profits. That could be a boon to investors now, especially given how much share prices have declined for big-name tech stocks. That advantage could be even further compounded by companies buying ...
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Joshua Wilson, general counsel at
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (RRBG), recently added 10,000 shares. The buy increased his holdings by 22 percent, and came to a total cost of $112,250. He was joined by the company’s Chief People Officer, who bought 1,751 shares for just under $20,000 a few days before, increasing his holdings by 11 percent. Overall, company insiders have been steady buyers of shares over the past 18 months, with the last insider sale occurring in May 2021. Overall, insiders ...
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Oil and gas operator
Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) has seen shares rise 7 precent in the past year. More importantly,
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) has been buying up shares as they drop to the low $60 range. One trader sees a bullish move ahead for the stock following the latest drop. That’s based on the March 31 $63 calls. With 21 days until expiration, 4,625 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 229, for a 20-fold rise in volume. The buyer of the ...
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Dividend-paying companies have a few ways of delivering cash to shareholders. They can borrow the money, which increases debt and debt payments. They can issue shares, which dilutes shareholders. Neither of those strategies can be done for long. The best way is to grow their earnings and cash flow. This allows for companies to pay out a growing amount of that cash flow to the owners of the company – the shareholders. It’s why investors should look for dividend-growing companies. One company ...
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