17376

This Underperforming Sector Could Hold Up Well in 2025

Behind the overall stock market numbers, many individual sectors move in different ways at different times. Some sectors tend to be runaway winners some years, but are highly cyclical and trend lower in others. Other sectors tend to be steadier, and could hold up well if the overall market has a poor year. Looking to 2025 and the market’s early struggles so far, investors may want to look for safety in an underperforming space. That space is the restaurant industry. While rising ...
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17377

Insider Activity Report: CME Group (CME)

William Shepard, a director at CME Group (CME), recently bought 276 shares. The buy came to a total cost of $64,282, and increased his position by less than 1%. Shepard is a quarterly buyer of shares, and picked up a similar dollar amount of shares in September, June, March, and January of 2024. Otherwise, several company insiders, including the company CIO, were slight sellers of shares over the past three months. Overall, CME Group insiders own 0.5% of shares. The stock exchange ...
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17378

Unusual Options Activity: AstraZeneca (AZN)

Drug manufacturer AstraZeneca (AZN) is down 30% from its peak last summer, and shares are now down on a 12-month basis. One trader sees a potential bounce higher in the weeks ahead. That’s based on the March 21 $72.50 calls. With 73 days until expiration, 5,037 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 116, for a 43-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $0.92 to make the bullish bet. AstraZeneca shares recently traded for ...
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17366

The AI Buildout Bodes Well for Networking Players

AI trades have helped push the market significantly higher since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022. Chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA) has dominated the conversation, but other necessary components for AI hardware and software have been, and will likely remain, winners in 2025. One key hardware component relates to networking. AI programs need multiple pieces of hardware and software to work, and networking is critical for unleashing an AI’s full computational power. That’s why a networking company like Marvell Technologies (MRVL) could ...
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17367

Insider Activity Report: Nike (NKE)

John Rogers, a director at Nike (NKE), recently bought 2,500 shares. The buy increased his stake by 8%, and came to a total cost of $191,625. This marks the first insider buy since last June, when another director bought 2,941 shares, increasing his position by 15%. Otherwise, there have been a handful of insider sales in the second half of 2024, largely from the company’s Chairman of the Board. Going further back, insiders were also likely to be sellers. Overall, Nike ...
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17368

Unusual Options Activity: Las Vegas Sands (LVS)

Casino and resort operator Las Vegas Sands (LVS) gained a scant 4% in 2024, with shares mostly dropping 20% into the summer and then recovering. One trader sees shares breaking higher in the coming weeks. That’s based on the February $57.50 calls. With 49 days until expiration, 20,232 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 366, for a 55-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $0.65 to make the bullish bet. Las Vegas Sands ...
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17351

This Could Be the Top Mag 7 Performer of 2025

Markets have been broadening over the past few months, with other companies taking the lead over AI stocks and big-cap tech companies. While the Mag 7 may yet surprise markets with further gains in 2025, it’s time for investors to get selective. While all Mag 7 companies benefit from AI, many are still garnering significant cash flows from other sources. That’s good news for investors, especially given the high profit margins many big-cap tech stocks have today. For instance, Meta Platforms (META) ...
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17352

Insider Activity Report: Lowe’s Companies (LOW)

Lawrence Simkins, a director at Lowe’s Companies (LOW), recently bought 1,000 shares. The buy came to a total cost of $245,532, and is a new position for the director. This also marks the first buy from company insiders over the past two years. Otherwise, there have been about a dozen insider sales, with a slight majority of them coming following the exercise of stock options. The largest sale came from the company CIO back in October, for about $7.1 million. Overall, Read More About This
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