Trading Tips Blog

Transaction processing services company Marqeta (MQ) has seen shares get cut in half over the past year. One trader sees further downside in the months ahead. That’s based on the June $3.50 puts. With 93 days until expiration, 67,259 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 100, for a staggering 673-fold jump in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $0.23 to make the downside bet. Shares recently went for about $4.25, so the stock would need ...
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Most companies tend to find that they have their best profitability in a narrow niche. But over time, competition or changing consumer tastes can eat away at that niche. Many firms have found that expanding into other roles can be a long-term winner. Big tech companies in particular have been good about expanding beyond just one piece of hardware or software, and into creating a suite of experiences that can bring back customers time and time again. One company could become the ...
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Michael Bless, a director at Piedmont Lithium (PLL), recently bought 1,750 shares. The buy is an initial stake for the director, and came to a total cost of $105,250. This is the first insider buy since last July, when the company CFO bought 2,700 shares, paying just over $101,000, at a price of about $37.50 for the stock. Since then, multiple insiders have been sellers of shares, including the company CEO and CFO. Overall, insiders own about 9 percent of the ...
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Money center bank U.S. Bancorp (USB) has seen shares drop about 25 percent in the past year. One trader sees a further drop for shares in the coming months. That’s based on the June 16 $30 puts. With 94 days until expiration, 5,377 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 100, for a 54-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $0.53 to make the bearish bet. The bank recently traded for just over $37, ...
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There are many things that companies can control. But they can’t control how the market will react to one of their quarterly earnings reports. A company may have great earnings, but see shares sell off on a lower outlook, or because revenues are off. However, a company isn’t just one quarterly report. And a company that can continue to improve its earnings over time will see its share prices rise, even if that process takes time to play out. Database software company ...
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Norman Wright, a director at First Solar (FSLR), recently bought 465 shares. The buy increased his holdings by 40 percent, and came to a total cost just over $99,900. The buy marks the first insider purchase since last August, when two officers picked up just over $1 million in shares. Otherwise, company insiders have generally been selling shares of stock, including both directors and officers. Overall, insiders own 5.2 percent of shares. The manufacturer of solar panels has seen share soar 180 ...
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Industrial and manufacturing conglomerate 3M Company (MMM), has seen shares lose nearly a quarter of their value over the past year. One trader sees a further decline in the weeks ahead. That’s based on the March 31 $30 puts. With 18 days until expiration, 7,134 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 112, for a 64-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $2.60 to make the bearish bet. Shares recently traded for about $105.50, ...
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Tech layoffs have dominated headlines since the start of the year. However, many of these companies vastly increased their hiring during the pandemic, and may have overshot to the upside. So while layoffs and workforce reductions now sound painful, it may allow companies to lower their spending and lead to bigger profits. That could be a boon to investors now, especially given how much share prices have declined for big-name tech stocks. That advantage could be even further compounded by companies buying ...
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