Trading Tips Blog

Video game design studio Electronic Arts (EA) dropped about 10 percent over the past year. One trader sees shares rebounding in the months ahead. That’s based on the September $125 calls. With 178 days until expiration, 1,307 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 106, for a 12-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $4.65 to make the bullish bet. Shares recently traded for about $113, so the stock would need to rise $12, ...
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Many industries consolidate over time into just a handful of players. These oligopolies can jockey for market share. Chances are one of the players will move towards higher-end consumers to differentiate, and others may shift to the lower end. Either way, the company that can sport the highest profit margin will typically be the best performer for shareholders over time. Higher profit margins provide more capital for reinvestment in the business, or for dividends or share buybacks for investors. In the credit ...
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Pershing Square Capital Management, a major owner of Howard Hughes Corp (HHC) has been adding shares in recent days. The fund bought 62,474 more shares, shelling out over $4.6 million, a buy that increased the fund’s holdings by just under 1 percent. This marks the first insider buy of the year. Last year, Pershing Square bought shares on 4 separate occasions, at prices close to where the stock trades today. There was only one insider sale from a company division president. Overall, ...
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Brazilian iron ore producer Vale (VALE) is down 17 percent in the past year, with most of that decline occurring in just the past few weeks. One trader sees a potential rebound in the coming weeks. That’s based on the April $15 calls. With 32 days until expiration, 62,023 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 1,004, for a 62-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $1.12 to make the bullish bet. Vale shares ...
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Investors are more than willing to place trades outside their comfort zone in a bull market. But in a slowing economy, they tend to gravitate towards the tried and true. That explains the relative outperformance of value stocks in a flat or sideways market. Investors do the same thing as consumers. They cut back on new products and services, and stick with what’s tried and true. That’s why there are so many brands out there – including those at a reasonable ...
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Walter Bettinger, CEO at Charles Schwab (SCHW), recently bought 50,000 shares. The buy increased his holdings by 8 percent, and came to a total cost of $2.965 million. He was joined by a number of other company officers and directors. The company’s CFO bought 5,000 shares, at a cost of just under $297,000. One director bought 10,000 shares, paying just under $568,000. The buys come just a few weeks after the last insider sales at the company. Overall, company insiders own ...
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Airliner United Airlines Holdings (UAL) has held up well over the past year, with a 12 percent gain amid the market’s overall 10 percent drop. One trader sees that outperformance continuing in the months ahead. That’s based on the January 2025 $45 calls. With 672 days until expiration, 5,497 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 143, for a 38-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $11.13 to make the bullish bet. United shares ...
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Market volatility is back. That means that companies can expect their share price to see sizeable swings by the day. As markets get turbulent, investors should look for companies that can continue to grow no matter what the economy does. Many gravitate towards income stocks. But a high payout along isn’t enough. Stability, rather than the potential for big growth, may win out in the market in the months ahead. That’s where a company like Honeywell International (HON) comes into play. As ...
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