Trading Tips Blog

James Abbott, a Senior Vice President at Zions Bancorp (ZION), recently added 2,500 shares. The buy increased his stake by 3 percent, and came to a total cost of just over $126,000. Abbott was the last company insider to make a buy, with a 10,000 share pickup back in May, at a price about 10 percent higher than where shares now trade. Overall, insiders at the bank have been sellers over the past three years. Insiders at the bank own 1.6 ...
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Shares of electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors (TSLA) hit a 52-week low earlier this week. The automaker has been caught up in CEO Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter. One trader is betting on a rebound ahead. That’s based on the December $173.33 calls. With 22 days until expiration, 15,158 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 511, for a 30-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $9.60 to make the bullish bet. Shares Read More

The tenure of a company CEO can be judged in part by the stock price performance. Those who do a great job will see their shares rise well above that of other players in the industry. And when a great CEO announces their retirement, it’s likely that shares will drop on the concern that the replacement won’t be as good. Likewise, the announcement of a new CEO after a lackluster one can often give a company’s stock an immediate boost. That’s especially ...
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Paula Santilli, a director at The Home Depot (HD), recently bought 1,583 shares. The purchase is an initial stake by the director, and came to a total cost of just over $499,900. This is the first buy at the company since May, when another company director bought 1,500 shares, paying just over $400,000 to do so. Over the past three years, insiders have largely been sellers of shares, particularly those at the Executive Vice President level. Overall, insiders own about 0.1 ...
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Shares of chipmaker Intel Corporation (INTC) have slid 40 percent in the past year. One trader sees a potential rebound in the next 10 months. That’s based on the September 2023 $40 calls. With 295 days until expiration, 5,076 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 204, for a 25-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $0.88 to make the bet. Intel shares recently traded for just under $29, so they’d need to rise ...
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Consumer spending makes up about 70 percent of the US economy. Currently, sales remain strong, but there are some signs that consumers may be increasing their credit card usage to do so. If that continues, it’s likely that spending will start to come down in some parts of the economy. However, some retailers could benefit from that trend. Discount stores tend to hold up well no matter what the economy is doing for groceries or other basic supplies. In the clothing space, ...
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Jacinto Hernandez, a director at Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD), recently picked up 588 shares. The buy increased the director’s stake by over 37 percent, and came to a total cost just over $148,000. This marks the first insider buy at the energy exploration and production company in nearly a year. Otherwise, company insiders, including both executives and directors, have been regular and consistent sellers of the stock over the past three years. Overall, insiders own 0.6 percent of shares. Shares are up ...
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Shares of supplemental insurance company Aflac (AFL) are up 27 percent in the past year, fueled in part by a strong rally in recent weeks. One trader sees a pullback in the coming weeks. That’s based on the December $70 put. With 24 days until expiration, 2,539 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 101, for a 25-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $1.33 to make the bearish bet. Shares recently traded ...
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