Trading Tips Blog

Medical device manufacturer Baxter International (BAX) is down nearly 25% over the past year, amid ongoing losses and a collapse in growth. One trader sees shares continuing lower into 2025. That’s based on the February 2025 $27.50 puts. With 59 days until expiration, 11,202 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 138, for an 81-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $0.76 to make the bearish bet. Baxter shares recently traded for about $29.50, ...
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Overall, sticky inflation and a rising unemployment rate suggests that consumers may be getting burned out. Traders are keeping a close eye on consumer trends to avoid a danger from any slowdown in their spending, which makes up a majority of the economy. Consumer spending comes in all shapes and sizes, from cruises and vacations to pricey home goods and automobiles. For lower-income Americans, dining out is a key indicator. The good news? That trend looks strong. Restaurant operator Darden (DRI) Read More About This

Craig Knocke, a director at HF Sinclair (DINO), recently bought 5,000 shares. The buy increased his stake by 20%, and came to a total cost of $180,746. This buy came just a few days after the company CFO bought 9,000 shares, paying $340,624 for the stake. And last month, the company President and CEO bought 2,500 shares. Going further back, insiders were sellers in the $50-60 range, far above the current price under $40. Overall, Sinclair insiders own 9% of shares. The ...
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Chipmaker Lam Research (LRCX) has been in a downtrend since July, and shares are now down over 7% in the past year. One trader sees a rebound in the first half of 2025. That’s based on the June 2025 $94 calls. With 179 days until expiration, 11,644 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 116, for a 56-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $2.65 to make the bullish bet. Lam Research recently traded ...
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Stocks can rise or fall for any number of reasons. Over time, a company’s fundamentals, such as rising earnings and profit margins, should drive shares higher. In the short-term, any item of news could detail shares. That includes a potential government investigation, the departure of an old CEO, or even just poor guidance even after a strong earnings report. Investors who can look beyond short-term fears can often get a reasonable opportunity to buy an oversold trade. That could be the case ...
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Robin Buchanan, a director at
LyondellBasell Industries (LYB), recently bought 5,000 shares. The buy increased her stake by 38%, and came to a total cost of $380,300. This marks the first insider buy at the company since December 2021, when another director bought 38 shares. Otherwise, company insiders have been sellers of shares, including a major holder who sold off over $20 million of stock back in February. The company CFO was also a seller of over $1.7 million back in March. Overall, ...
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Entertainment venue operator
Sphere Entertainment Co. (SPHR) is up just 10% over the past year, far underperforming the overall stock market. One trader sees a rally in the next two months. That’s based on the February 2025 $40 calls. With 63 days until expiration, 5,945 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 191, for a 31-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $3.70 to make the bullish bet. Sphere recently traded for about $38, meaning ...
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Investors are taking profits and positioning themselves for the start of 2025. It’s likely that, even after a strong run, there’s still some more upside in the markets. That’s especially true for companies that can grow their sales, revenues, and earnings. 2024 was a strong year for tech companies that were able to deliver on growth. Even if the market is more volatile next year, that trend shouldn’t change. Investors may want to use any market pause right now to invest in ...
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