The Banking Crisis That Never Happened

The Banking Crisis That Never Happened

Welcome to the banking crisis that never needed to happen. After the two banks dealing with the cryptocurrency industry and Silicon Valley Bank collapsed due to two horrible decisions made by bank executives, this should have been over. Instead, all the Class of 2020 virologists and epidemiologists who had retired and became Artificial Intelligence experts […]

You Could Be at Risk From the Credit Suisse Implosion

You Could Be at Risk From the Credit Suisse Implosion

The slow, then sudden, collapse of Credit Suisse (CS) put a lot of large asset management company money at risk. But as an individual investor, you may think you’re not affected by the failure of a Swiss bank now being acquired by another Swiss bank. Unfortunately, a handful of popular investment products could go down […]

If You’re Worried About Banks, Invest Here Instead

If You’re Worried About Banks, Invest Here Instead

During the current period of intense market volatility, some investors have grown fearful. For these concerned investors, municipal bonds, aka “munis,” are worth a look. Munis are issued by state and local governments, and generally pay tax-exempt interest at the federal and potentially state levels. Municipal bonds have played a vital role in building the […]

What Does The Smart Money Think About GOLD?

What Does The Smart Money Think About GOLD?

A large options block trade hit the tape last week in one of the biggest gold producers, Barrick Gold (GOLD). The trader placed a 3-legged options spread using 23,000 options contracts per leg. The spread is likely a put spread collar that allows GOLD some upside potential while hedging against a portion of downside risk. […]

This Investment Is Up 66% YTD and Climbing

This Investment Is Up 66% YTD and Climbing

This is a polarizing topic for many… But, right now, Bitcoin is up 66% YTD and still going.  Today, I’m going to look at the long-term Bitcoin chart and determine if this rally has legs or not.  Whether you like cryptocurrencies or not, watching the price of Bitcoin can give you a good clue on […]

Balance Your Portfolio with These Energy Income Stocks

Balance Your Portfolio with These Energy Income Stocks

The semi-meltdown of the banking sector last week has investors, particularly income-focused ones, re-evaluating their holdings. To add stable income to your portfolio, take a look at energy infrastructure stocks. Right now you can get some of my favorites at some very attractive yields. Here they are… The wipeout of Silicon Valley Bank spread contagion […]

Watching Squid game show on TV. Squid game is a South Korean survival drama television series streaming on Netflix

Netflix is Back on Top

2022 was a terrible year for the media industry companies. This was because competition among streaming services has come to an all-time high and consumers are getting pickier about their number of subscriptions. On top of that, companies are contending with lower ad revenue and more cord cutting. When Netflix (NFLX) reported it lost subscribers […]

Trade of the Week: First Republic Bank

Trade of the Week: First Republic Bank

Normally sleepy regional banks have been wildly active in options trading after the SIVB crisis from last week. First Republic Bank (FRC) is a regional bank that investors have been very concerned about, with the stock down over 70% in a week. Despite bankruptcy concerns, some options traders

There Will Be No “Next” Bank Collapse

There Will Be No “Next” Bank Collapse

It got bumpy out there all of a sudden. Although I was surprised that Silicon Valley Bancorp (SIVB) lit the fuse, I am not shocked that something blew up. Every time the Federal Reserve has a rate increase cycle, something blows up. Signature Bank (SBNY) and Silvergate, on the other hand, were not that much […]