Unusual Options Activity: Vornado Realty Trust (VNO)

Shares of office real estate investment trust Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) are down over 50 percent from their peak price in 2015. While recovering from last year’s work-from-home trends, one trader sees a decline in shares in the coming months. That’s based on the September $40 puts. With 127 days until expiration, over 10,535 contracts traded against a prior open interest of 175, for a 60-fold rise in volume. With shares around $46, the option would move in-the-money on a 15 percent ...
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Pipeline Shutdown Puts Cybersecurity in the Spotlight

Colonial Pipeline shut down on Friday following a ransomware attack. The pipeline moves about 45% of the fuel used in the Northeast from facilities in Texas. The company has a tentative date to restore operations by Friday, leaving the pipeline off for a whole week. The impact is raising gasoline prices and the possibility of shortages in some areas, but also bringing an eye once again towards cybersecurity companies. As the first cyberattack in the energy sector specifically, it’s clear that ...
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Unusual Options Activity: Micron Technology (MU)

Shares of semiconductor company Micron Technology (MU) have been caught up in the recent tech selloff. One trader sees the potential for a bounce higher in the near future. That’s based on the August $82.50 calls. Over 12,730 contracts traded, a 35-fold rise in volume from the prior open interest of 360 contracts. The buyer of the option paid $6.25 to make the trade, which expires in 100 days. With shares of Micron selling off to around $80, the option will move ...
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Insider Trading Report: Lumber Liquidators (LL)

Joseph Nowicki, a director at Lumber Liquidators (LL), recently bought 6,274 shares. The buy increased his holdings by 258 percent, and came to a total purchase price of $150,000. This is the first insider buy since last August. Since 2019, company insiders have been exclusively buyers. This is the first purchase from a director since 2014. Overall, company insiders own nearly 5 percent of the company. Shares of the home improvement retail chain are up 217 percent in the past year, ...
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Don’t Ignore the Power of 5G Amid the Tech Slump

While tech stocks have been out of favor the past few months, companies continue to innovate and roll out new products. Some are mere ideas, others are on the cusp of massive profitability. The 5G network is in the second category. It’s been discussed for years, and started slowly rolling out shortly before the pandemic started. With an end to the pandemic, it’s likely to speed up, and one company stands to dominate no matter how the sector unfolds. That company is ...
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Insider Trading Report: Weyerhaeuser Co (WY)

Nancy Lowe, CFO of Weyerhaeuser (WY) recently bought 10,000 more shares. The buy increased her stake by over 46 percent, and came to a purchase price of just over $385,000. Insiders have been active buyers and sellers in the past few years, with large insider buys at the pandemic low last year giving buyers an edge. Overall, insiders own just 0.2 percent of company shares. Shares are still below highs set back in 2007, although they are up nearly 97 percent ...
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Unusual Options Activity: Palantir Technologies (PLTR)

Big data firm Palantir Technologies (PLTR) has lost half its value from a speculative peak earlier in the year. One trader sees a rebound in the coming weeks. That’s based on the June 11 $24.50 calls. Expiring in 31 days, over 3,900 contracts traded against an open interest of 201, for a 19-fold rise in volume. With shares trading around $20 in recent sessions, the option would move in-the-money on a 20 percent move higher in shares. The buyer of the call ...
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This FinTech Giant Crushes Earnings and Revenue

Fintech payment company Square (SQ) has been a big pandemic winner. Cashless transactions are on the rise, and the company’s touchless technology has done a lot to avoid the physical exchange of cash, on top of its other features. So it’s no surprise that the company smashed its latest earnings report, bringing in $5.06 billion in revenue against expectations of $3.3 billion. The company even reported making $3.5 billion in Bitcoin transactions, up 10-fold from a year ago when it ...
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