With energy markets being highly volatile this year, it’s not a surprise to see large block trades occur in big energy companies. Oil and gas giant, Exxon Mobil (XOM), tends to have plenty of options volume on a regular basis. However, on a busy day last week, it traded nearly twice the amount of average […]
Trade of the Week: Lithia Motors
A very unusual options block trade hit the tape last week in Lithia Motors (LAD). The automobile dealership company typically trades about 200 options a day on average. However, a trader recently executed a 9,500-lot trade of November covered calls in LAD options. The trade could suggest there is both a floor and a ceiling […]
Five Stocks to Benefit from OPEC’s Oil Price Hike
Energy commodity markets have been focused on demand issues lately, but last week, OPEC announced a production cut, putting supply back in the spotlight. This cut in oil production will result in higher energy prices. That’s going to be a change from the past several months, where gasoline prices, for example, have been falling. As […]
The No. 1 Way to Make Money After Stock Downturns
You may have heard the saying, often (mis-)attributed to Mark Twain, that history does not repeat, but sometimes it rhymes. Well, I just saw a table of historical returns that shows how some historical rhyming will benefit our stock portfolios. Let’s take a look… This table comes from Charlie Bilello, founder and CEO of Compound […]
Will Volatility Remain Elevated Into Next Year?
It’s been a high volatility year in the financial markets. The VIX (Cboe S&P Implied Volatility Index) has been historically high for most of 2022. A large put sale in Proshares Ultra VIX Short Term Futures ETF (UVXY) suggests that volatility could remain at least moderately elevated into 2023. UVXY is a popular short-term volatility […]
My projection how low the S&P 500 will go (based on 15 years of data)
I’m looking at a chart of the S&P 500… And it’s showing a clear 15-year trend where the S&P 500 will likely bottom in price. A few weeks ago, I told you we would break below the June lows based on the technical charts… Last week, that came to be. Every Thursday, I share my […]
An Auto Parts Winner in a Greener Future
The global auto industry is in an all-out drive toward a cleaner and greener future.However, for some suppliers to the auto industry, it has not been a pleasurable joyride. Instead, current conditions are more like driving on a icy, treacherous mountain road in the middle of a blizzard. Only the most skilled drivers will make […]
Three High-Yield Net Lease REITs “On Sale”
Net lease REITs own stand-alone properties leased to tenants on long-term, triple net leases—meaning the tenant pays all the expenses for the property, including taxes, insurance, and maintenance, and the property owner does not have to deal with the rising costs associated with these expenses. Typically, net lease contracts are long-term, with built-in rent escalators. […]
Trade of the Week: IWM
Stocks finally halted their selloff at the midpoint of last week, with the major indices all up at least 2% on the day. On that day, the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) was up over 3%, marking an outperformance from small cap stocks. A trader appears to have used the opportunity to place a 10,000-lot […]
Trading High-Yield Stocks Based on Bear Market Data
The U.S. stock market dropped sharply In September, and the major stock indexes re-entered bear market territory. In this type of market, it’s easy for investors to give in to their fears and sell at the worst possible time. A review of the history of bear markets makes it easier to keep to your strategy […]