The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) is a very popular product that tracks the performance of small cap stocks. While it trades over 500,000 contracts on average per day, there are some interesting block trades that hit the tape now and then in IWM options. In this case, a 26,000 block of March covered calls […]
Options
Every Trader Uses This One Indicator Wrong (Very Wrong)
Are moving averages very reliable for your trading? I actually use 3 different moving averages which I’ll share today. For some traders, it’s a ‘go-to’ indicator for selecting when to enter and exit and a position. I believe it’s not as simple as that. In fact, I believe if you only follow moving averages, you’ll […]
Rite Aid Remains a Risky Investment
Shares of Rite Aid (RAD) came into 2021 on a roll after rising from a 52-week low of $8.86 to hit a 52-week peak of $32.48 in late January. Some of the bullishness here was the result of Rite Aid being a so-called “meme stock” that Reddit traders had on their radar. Other meme stocks […]
Get Paid While Owning Gold Exposure
Throughout history, gold has been the asset to which investors flocked in times of economic uncertainty. Although gold’s direct impact on currencies has diminished over the last century, the precious metal is still a very important asset. Undoubtedly, gold remains relevant as a safe-haven asset. Gold has served as a hedge against just about every […]
Trade of the Week: CBOE
Last week, for a brief period, there was some extreme options action in Cboe Global Markets (CBOE). The options traded 12x the normal volume, with 91% of the volume in calls. That many calls trading tends to be a bullish signal. In this case, the action was due to a rumor that CME had made […]
The #1 Trade I’m Watching Once the Infrastructure Bill Passes
Our current analysis says the Infrastructure Bill in Congress will pass very soon. That’s after many backs and forths… but this last draft seems to be ready to run through the legislative and executive branches with a green checkmark. That’s why I’m watching some infrastructure stocks. Of course, some traders may argue we could see […]
Sonos Proving to be a Sound Investment
Sonos (SONO) is a relatively new company that has only been trading on the major exchanges for a few years. In August 2018, the company priced its initial public offering at $15 a share, below the expected range of $17–$19. SONO made a splashy debut on the market, zooming 32% in its first day of […]
An Alternative Way to Use Covered Calls for Higher Returns
Covered calls are popular and powerful trading strategies for many reasons. Above all else, an overwriting system can work in just about any type of market. There aren’t many strategies that offer a benefit in most market environments. As a reminder, investors make covered calls when they buy a stock (in blocks of 100 shares) […]
Trade of the Week: MRNA
Two of the big COVID vaccine producers, Moderna (MRNA) and Pfizer (PFE), saw a significant amount of options activity last week. On one day, with MRNA down nearly 6%, its options traded 4x the normal volume. Most of the activity was still on the call side of things though, which tends to be a bullish […]
Option Premiums and Their Impact on Options Trading
An option premium is the money you earn for selling an option. Read on for a better understanding of premiums and what drives their pricing.