Trading Tips Blog

Shares of oil and gas exploration company Ring Energy (REI) have lagged its peers, with just a 30 percent gain in the past year. One trader sees the company narrowing that gap with a move higher. That’s based on the December $5.50 calls. With 113 days until expiration, 10,126 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 225, for a 45-fold surge in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $0.13 to make the trade. Shares recently traded ...
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Investors don’t need to get caught in a trap between a growth stock or a value stock. In a bear market, many fast-growing companies can have their valuation knocked down until they’re a potential bargain. That gives investors the best of both worlds – a reasonable value, with some upside when the market recovers. Right now, a number of mid-sized companies fit the bill. The trick is to finding firms that are leading their industry while also still offering upside potential. One ...
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Bill Gates, a major owner at Ecolab (ECL), has recently added to his holdings with three buys. The most recent was for 112,325 shares, coming to a cost of $19.6 million. The second was for 143,879 shares, valued at $25.4 million. The last was for 185,129 shares, valued at $31.8 million. Overall, the recent buys increased his stake by just under 1.5 percent. Other company insiders have been sellers, with insiders mostly being sellers over the past three years. Overall, company Read More

Shares of cannabis producer Tilray Brands (TLRY) are down 72 percent in the past year as investors have lost interest in the growing cannabis market. One trader sees the potential for a strong bounce in the months ahead. That’s based on the November $7.00 calls. With 86 days until expiration, 7,536 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 121, for a 62-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $0.24. Shares recently traded around $3.50, ...
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Every quarter, hedge funds, investment firms, and other notable individuals have to update their stock holdings with the SEC, via a 13F filing. The data can show what moves investors have made in the past few months. With the market still coming off a correction, looking at the data as a whole, investors can see where the broadest number of major investors were the most bullish. Following this smart money can tend to outperform the market over time. While 13F data may ...
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IAC Inc., a major owner of MGM Resorts International (MGM) has been picking up shares with multiple buys in the past week. That includes a 279,800 share buy, for just under $10 million, and another buy for 283,700 shares, also for just under $10 million. Both buys increased the company’s holdings by nearly 1 percent. That’s the first insider buy at the company since June, when a director picked up 38,000 shares, paying just over $1.1 million. There have been some smaller ...
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Shares of oil and gas major Conoco Phillips (COP) have nearly doubled over the last year thanks to strong oil and gas prices. One trader sees further upside ahead for the company. That’s based on the September $120 calls. With 24 days until expiration, 12,135 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 218, for a 56-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $0.61 to make the bet. Shares recently traded around $105, so they ...
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When times get tough, some types of companies have some big problems. Others tend to fare well. Those that do well succeed in part because they’re in a recession-resistant industry. One type of company fitting that bill is one that offers pick and shovel plays. While that can mean those specific tools, the broader concept is the infrastructure and tools needed to keep an economy or sector going. These stocks tend to hold up well, even in fearful markets. One such play ...
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