Traders bet on 35 percent jump in shares by midsummer. A large bet is being made that shares ofQualcomm (QCOM) will rally to $95 per share by the middle of August. On Wednesday, over 4,600 of the August 16th call options contracts had been traded, against an open interest of 278. This bet, with shares currently at $71, implies that shares will move higher by around 33 percent in the next two months. The unusual move in options contracts started ahead of the Fed meeting, and is a possible bet on a more favorable environment for global trade in the coming weeks. Shares of Qualc...

Insiders buy after shares already triple. Multiple insiders have been buying shares atProvention Bio (PRVB), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company with a focus on preventing immune-mediated diseases. On June 18th, President and CEO Ashleigh Palmer bought 4,000 shares, paying over $43,000. And director Anthony Digiandomenico picked up 10,000 shares, paying over $118,000. This buy comes at an interesting time. The company had previously announced a public stock offering, but terminated the plan, while citing market conditions. The company also recently tripled after reporting p...

CEO, director continue to buy shares as oil languishes. Insiders have already been buying at oil and gas exploration firmEncana (ECA), but continue to pick up shares near current prices. On June 14th, CEO Douglas Suttles picked up 5,000 more shares of the company. And on Monday, June 17th, director Suzanne Nimocks picked up 10,000 shares. This ongoing type of buy is a pro move. Most individual investors can buy a stake in a company with one buy order. But making repeated buys, particularly at this size, ensures that the market price for shares stays stable. The timing looks sol...

Traders bet on Chinese e-commerce giant ahead of G20 meeting. A large bet is being made that shares ofAlibaba Group (BABA) will jump about 5 percent higher in the next month. On Tuesday, over 5,300 of the July $175 call options options had been traded, against an open interest of 133 options. This bet, with shares currently at $168, implies that shares will move higher by around 5 percent within the next month. The trade is most likely a way for traders to bet on a favorable outcome (or at least favorable comments now) regarding trade between China and the United States. With...

CEO a repeat buyer of shares near current prices.On June 14th, CEO Sean Downes picked up 3,000 shares of his company, Universal Insurance (UVE). But this isn’t his first buy in recent weeks. On June 11th, he picked up 2,500 shares. And on May 28th, he picked up 10,000 shares, all right around current prices. Overall, he has increased his stake slightly to 1.43 million shares. Universal Insurance is an integrated holding company that offers residential homeowner’s insurance, renter’s fire, as well as other policies as well. With a focus on high return on equity and solid underwritin...

Traders make big bet on continued decline in natural gas. A large bet is being made that shares ofCNX Resources (CNX) will fall at least 30 percent between now and January. On Monday, over 44,000 $5 January 2020 put options had been traded, against an open interest of 100 options. 0This bet, with a $5 strike against a share price of about $7.20, indicates a 31 percent downside in the next six months. The trade could certainly play out profitably for traders. As a natural gas explorer and producer, the current months are the weak season for demand, and recent winters have been m...

Two insiders buy at clothing retailer.On June 13th, two insiders picked up shares atChico’s FAS (CHS). These buyers include SVP & General Counsel Gregory Baker, who picked up 2,000 shares, paying nearly $7,200 to do so. Director Kimberly Tofalli bought 14,000 shares, shelling out just under $51,000. An executive and director buy around the same time is a solid sign that shares are undervalued. It’s as stronger buy signal than just one purchase. Chico’s is a specialty retailer of women’s private branded clothing and accessories. It does business under Chico’s, White House Black Mar...

Insiders buying at hard-hit exploration company. On June 12th, multiple insiders picked up shares atEncana Energy Corp (ECA). These buyers include CEO Douglas Suttles, who bought 5,000 shares, paying over $24,000. CFO Corey Code bought 10,000 shares, paying nearly $50,000. And David Hill, EVP of Exploration, bought 10,000 shares as well. All told, these insider put over $125,000 of their own money to work in shares. Encana is a smaller player in the industry, but it’s doing just well in today’s hectic environment for oil. Last year, Encana bought out competitorNewfield Exploration...

Big option buy suggests huge upside for tech firm.Could shares of data storage companyWestern Digital (WDC) rally 50 percent between now and January 2020? One trader is betting so. On Thursday, over 16,600 options had traded on a January 2020 $55 call for the company. With shares trading around $36.50, that implies a 50 percent upside in shares in the next six months. The option contract previously had around 1,500 open contracts, so this move represents a ten-fold surge in volume. That’s unusual for an option so far out-of-the-money. Western Digital shares trade near 52-week lows, wi...

Two insiders make a multi-million dollar buy in the oil giant. Two corporate insiders have just bought in over $2 million in shares ofOccidental Petroleum (OXY). On June 10, CEO Vicki Hollub bought 37,460 shares, a commitment of over $1.8 million. SVP Marcia Backus bought 10,000 shares, putting down over $480,000. The buys come after shares have slid from $54 in the past month to $47 in recent days. Oil prices have been weak, particularly for this time of year when the summer driving season boosts demand for gasoline. As a result of this seasonal aberration, energy stocks have b...