Trading Tips Blog

Shares of social media company Snap Inc. (SNAP) have had a strong rally year-to-date. At least one trader sees a pullback in shares by year-end. That’s based on the December 31st $48 puts. With shares trading near $53, they’d need to decline nearly 10 percent for this option to move in-the-money. The buyer paid about $0.45 for the puts. Over 19,970 contracts traded, a 130-fold rise from the prior open interest of 154. This massive rise in volume suggests that shares, Read More

James Kilts, a director at Viatris (VTRS), recently added 27,736 shares. The buy increased his holdings by nearly 75 percent, and came to a total cost of just under $500,000. This is the second insider buy of the year following another purchase from a director in August. There’s also been one sale this year. Insiders have been sellers at higher prices back in 2018 and 2019. The prior insider sales were likely from either Mylan or Pfizer, as those two companies ...
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After Netflix (NFLX) was allowed to dominate the streaming world for nearly a decade, a number of media companies have belatedly created their own services to play on this growing space. The streaming wars have created a multitude of players. Unlike Netflix, most have operations in other areas outside streaming as well, which can create new opportunities in the post-Covid era. That’s particularly true for companies that have highly-profitable operations that can compliment their streaming activities. One such player is Comcast (CMCSA) ...
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Shares of cybersecurity firm FireEye (FEYE) dropped on news of a massive hack before turning around on Friday. At least one trader sees shares moving even higher. That’s based on the January 2021 $19 calls. With 25 days until expiration, over 21,100 contracts traded, a 121-fold rise in volume from the prior open interest of 174. The trader paid about $0.33 for the contracts. With shares jumping to $19 on Friday, the option has become the at-the-money trade. A 30 percent jump in ...
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Dennis Zember, President and CEO of Southern National Bank of Virginia (SONA), just increased his holdings by 200 percent. That came as a result of a 100,000 share buy, which cost the CEO just over $1.1 million. Insider data shows that company directors and C-suite executives alike have been buyers over the past three years. There have only been two sales from a major holder, a capital fund and not a director or executive. The Virginia-based bank provides regional banking services ...
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Tech stocks have been a clear winner in the market, as they tend to be in most years. Looking to 2021, one major company in the semiconductor space looks poised to move higher. That’s because shares have sat out the most recent rally, instead trading in a tight range the past few months. Like a coiling spring, when a move happens, it could be huge. That’s why at least one trader sees a big move higher. The stock? Nvidia (NVDA). The semiconductor ...
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Shares of megabank Citigroup (C) have done well in the past few weeks during the last stock market surge. At least one trader sees that uptrend continuing in the next few weeks. That’s based on the January 2021 $63 call options. With 35 days until expiration, and with shares at $60, a 5 percent rally in shares would send the trade in-the-money. The trader paid about $1.54 for the options. The options saw over 2,100 contracts trade against a prior open interest ...
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For all the unexpected changes in 2020, a few sectors merely advanced goals that they thought would take years to complete. Major software companies shifted heavily towards work-from-home and other remote-work trends, allowing them to be top winners. That trend may not be over yet. The shift this year looks set to solidify next year. And many of the top-performing stocks in the space this year are likely to be big winners next year as well. Bank of America recently resumed coverage ...
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