15458

Unusual Option Activity: Starbucks (SBUX)

Beverage chain giant
Starbucks (SBUX) has been a market laggard with an 11 percent decline over the past year. However, shares have been prone to popping during earnings season. One trader is betting that will happen when the company reports next week. That’s based on the February 2 $99 calls. With 9 days until expiration, 19,216 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 235, for an 82-fold rise in volume. The buyer of the calls paid $0.95. Starbucks shares recently traded ...
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15447

This Sector’s Rally Has More Room to Run this Year

Homebuilder stocks have had a strong winning streak lately. The housing market as a whole has been frozen over the last year. Rising mortgage rates have kept existing homeowners from looking to change houses. That’s resulted in most home sales coming from new, rather than existing, homes. And it’s allowed homebuilder stocks to soar. Now, with interest rates potentially coming down, they could continue that winning streak in the months ahead. That could be a boon for a higher-end homebuilder like
Toll Brothers ...
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15448

Insider Activity Report: FB Financial Corporation (FBK)

James Ayers, a major holder of
FB Financial Corporation (FBK), recently added 2,000 shares. The buy increased his holdings by less than 1 percent, and came to a total cost of $70,580. Ayers was the last insider buyer with a 6,500 share pickup last August, totaling just under $199,000. Ayers made a dozen buys last year. Two company directors have also bought shares in the past year, with one of them spending just over $401,000 in total. Overall, FB Financial insiders own ...
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15450

Unusual Option Activity: Transocean (RIG)

Offshore drilling service provider
Transocean (RIG) is down 10 percent over the past year, amid a decline in energy prices. One trader sees a rebound in the months ahead. That’s based on the August $6 calls. With 205 days until expiration, 11,794 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 205, for a 58-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $0.64 to make the bullish bet. Transocean recently traded for about $5.30, so shares would need ...
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15442

This Multi-Year Trend Is Just Getting Started

While the AI trend will likely keep some tech stocks jumping at times, other tech trends are also pushing one key part of the market. That’s the semiconductor space. Given the rise of technologies that require increasingly complex chips, it’s set to be a strong few years for the space. That includes hardware for AI programming. But it can also include hardware for ongoing smartphone sales and other, less exciting technology. One company is looking to grow faster than the rest of ...
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15443

Insider Activity Report: Liberty SiriusXM Group (LSXMA)


Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A), a major holder of
Liberty SiriusXM Group (LSXMA) recently added over 2.7 million shares in two transactions. The buy increased the company’s position by 10 percent, and came to a total cost near $85 million. That’s the first insider buy since August, when the company’s Chairman bought 140,000 shares for just under $5 million. Otherwise, there have been a few insider sales, including multiple company directors and the CEO. Overall, Liberty insiders own over 10.2 percent of shares, and Read More About This
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15445

Unusual Option Activity: Pfizer (PFE)

Drug manufacturer
Pfizer (PFE) has been in a steady downtrend for the past year. One trader is betting that downtrend will continue in the coming weeks. That’s based on the February 23 $26 puts. With 31 days until expiration, 14,207 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 154, for a 92-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $0.28 to make the bearish bet. Pfizer shares recently traded for about $28, so they would need to ...
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15438

Bad News May Prove Good News for This Company

Wall Street is active with plenty of mergers and acquisitions. Even during economic downturns, some companies look to combine forces. However, history isn’t kind to most mergers. That’s because the acquiring company has to either issue a lot of stock or go into debt. Issuing too much stock dilutes shareholders. And adding on debt can reduce a company’s ability to deal with unforeseen circumstances. That’s why the end of a potential merger may actually be the best outcome for a company.. ...
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