Trading Tips Blog

One trader is betting that shares of
Applied Materials (AMAT) will soar in the next two days. That’s because over 6,100 contracts traded on Friday’s $63.50 calls, a 42-fold surge in volume. With shares currently trading around $61.50, the option is about 3.3 percent out-of-the-money. The option buyer paid about $0.30, or $30 per contract. While inexpensive, the option stands a good chance of expiring at zero come Friday. Shares of the chipmaker have traded as high as $70 twice this year, ...
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At least one trader is betting on a bounce higher in airline manufacturer
Boeing (BA) this month. The October 23rd $187.50 calls just saw 1,188 contracts trade. That’s a nine-fold rise in volume over the prior open interest. Shares trade around $171, so would need to rally about 10 percent in the next 17 days for the trade to move in-the-money. That’s no small feat, but shares of the company have been volatile enough that it could happen. The option trader paid $3.70, ...
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Interest rates are back to zero again, and the Federal Reserve has indicated that it will likely remain that way for years to come. That means investors looking for an income need to move to riskier assets such as stocks. However, in any space, there are winners and losers. In today’s stock market, there are a number of companies still paying strong dividends that aren’t near all-time highs like the big tech names. That’s why Cressent Capital just listed nine dividend ...
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Mark O’Neil, a director at
CarMax (KMX), recently picked up 2,700 shares. That buy increased his holdings by 90 percent, and came at a cost of just over $252,000. This marks the first insider buy since back in March. Insiders at the company have generally been sellers of shares, including at prices close to the current price. Shares have just recently come off a 52-week high. The seller of used vehicles has seen a flat performance in the past year, with a ...
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While affluent households may have cut back spending this year, chances are their income levels have still held up well. And with many public venues closed or at reduced capacity, some of the income that would have been spent there may get invested into the home. That’s the thesis that Cowen has for its decision to upgrade shares of high-end home décor retailer
Restoration Hardware (RH). With their expansion into Europe, the company could be on the cusp of a multi-year ...
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The energy space continues to remain out of favor as demand remains low. Traders remain bearish, as indicated by the surge in buying in the January 2021 $17.50 puts on
Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A). Over 1,780 contracts traded on Friday, a 15-fold rise in volume. The oil giant’s shares are near $24, so the put buyer needs shares to drop over 25 percent in the next 102 days before the option expires for the trade to move in-the-money. The Anglo-Dutch oil giant has ...
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Brett Icahn, a director at
Icahn Enterprises (IEP) recently added 202,758 shares to his holdings. The buy increased his holdings by nearly 85 percent and came at a total price tag of $10 million. The buy matches a sale made at the same time by company Chairman Carl Icahn. However, insider trends for the past few years show that insider buys far outnumber sales over the past five years. Icahn Enterprises is the investment vehicle for Carl Icahn, and often invests in ...
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Traders are betting on a rally in tech giant
Microsoft (MSFT). The November 6th $230 calls, expiring in just over a month, saw a huge uptick in volume. Over 7,000 contracts traded, a 30-fold rise in volume from the prior open interest. With shares around $212, the $230 calls represent just under a 10 percent rally in shares from here in the next month, at least if the option trade is to move in-the-money. The buyer paid $3.33 per contract. With a ...
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