Unusual Options Activity: Vale (VALE)

Brazilian iron ore producer Vale (VALE) is down nearly 12 percent over the past year, far underperforming global markets. One trader sees the potential for a big move higher in the coming months. That’s based on the March 2024 $15 calls. With 157 days until expiration, 50,444 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 2,009, for a 25-fold rise in volume on the option. The buyer of the calls paid $0.44 to make the bullish bet. Shares recently traded for ...
Read More
|

In Rough Markets, Put Safe Dividend Payers First

The market has dropped over 5 percent in just the past few weeks. Bond yields have soared, which have made bonds more attractive compared to dividend-paying stocks in general. But while bond yields fluctuate over time, the price paid out doesn’t change. For dividend stocks, being able to grow the payout over time tends to lead to great returns. That’s because higher payouts tend to lead to higher share prices. RPM International (RPM) isn’t a household name. It’s a specialty chemical manufacturer ...
Read More
|

Insider Activity Report: Overstock.Com (OSTK)

Marcus Lemonis, a director at Overstock.Com (OSTK), recently bought 33,000 shares. The buy is an initial stake for the director. The purchase came to a total cost just over $493,000. That’s the second buy since August, when another director bought 2,052 shares, paying just over $50,600. And late last year, the company CEO and a third director were also buyers of shares. A few directors sold shares earlier this year, following the exercise of stock options. Overall, company insiders own about ...
Read More
|

Unusual Options Activity: The Coca-Cola Company (KO)

Beverage giant The Coca-Cola Company (KO) is now flat over the past year, following a steep drop in shares in the past few trading days. One trader sees a small rebound for shares in the days ahead. That’s based on the October 20 $54 calls. With 11 days left until expiration, 6,269 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 245, for a 26-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $0.42. Shares recently traded ...
Read More
|

This Cash Flow Giant Is Set to Expand Its Lead

The past 20 years have seen a major shift in how consumers view advertising. With fewer eyeballs looking at physical newspapers and going online, investors have been able to profit from the shift to online advertising. Today, there’s the prospect of even bigger profits for many of these industry leaders. That’s due to the ability to better tailor tools for online advertisers using artificial intelligence software. Social media giant Meta Platforms (META) is adding in new AI tools that will give ...
Read More
|

Insider Activity Report: Nike (NKE)

Robert Swan, a director at Nike (NKE), recently bought 13,072 shares. The buy increased his stake by 201 percent, and came to a total cost of $1,256,600. This marks the first insider buy since February, when another director bought 557 shares, paying just under $70,000. The share price is down over 25 percent since that buy. Several company executives have been sellers of shares in the ensuing months. Overall, Nike insiders own 1.4 percent of shares. Despite the big drop from its ...
Read More
|

Unusual Options Activity: Kohl’s Corporation (KSS)

Department store chain Kohl’s Corporation (KSS) is down nearly 30 percent over the past year. One trader sees shares declining further in the weeks ahead. That’s based on the November $17.50 puts. With 44 days until expiration, 10,126 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 138, for a 73-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $0.45 to make the bearish bet. Kohl’s shares recently traded for about $20, so they would need to drop ...
Read More
|

Invest In Companies Increasing Their Efficiency

The economy can grow in several ways. One of the key ways of growth is productivity growth. The rise of the internet in the 1990s led to a boom in productivity, as many office tasks moved onto computers and away from less efficient means. A new boom is underway today with the rise of AI technology and automation. These new tools can make a process more efficient, and reward companies with higher profit margins and better operational results. One form of automation ...
Read More
|