Trading Tips Blog

In any industry, some consolidation is normal over time. It’s also healthy when the largest players in the industry make notable acquisitions. That’s because acquiring smaller companies can be a good driver for growth down the line, and offer a smaller company the financial strength of a larger one. Over time, industries tend to come down to a few major players, who often pick up promising up-and-coming growth plays. That looks like the case with healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), which ...
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Alexander Merk, COO of ASA Gold & Precious Metals (ASA), recently bought 28,860 shares. The buy increased his stake by 13%, and came to a total cost of $634,720. The buy comes following several other buys in the final weeks of 2024, where the COO paid over $2.1 million for over 100,000 shares. A company director also bought 400 shares in the past few days. There have been zero insider sales at ASA over the past two years. Overall, ASA insiders ...
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Utility provider Sempra (SRE) is up 6% over the past year, far underperforming the overall market, and the utility sector in general. One trader sees shares trending higher into the spring. That’s based on the April $85 calls. With 92 days until expiration, 10,155 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 242, for a 42-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $1.40 to make the bullish bet. Sempra shares recently traded for about $77, ...
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One market strategy is known as the “Dogs of the Dow.” By buying the five worst-performing stocks in the Dow 30 at the start of a year, investors have historically outperformed the market. That’s due to a concept known as “mean reversion.” Simply put, a stock that underperforms in one year is likely to outperform in the next, averaging out to a more typical return. This strategy can work with other beaten-down stocks. That includes Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), which was a ...
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Carl Icahn, a major holder of CVR Energy (CVI), recently bought 878,212 shares. The buy increased his stake by 1%, and came to a total cost just over $16 million. Icahn has previously been a seller of shares last year. The most recent sale was for 4.1 million shares last September, raising over $144.3 million. The sale was made at a price about double where he recently bought. Overall, major holders own nearly all of CVR shares. The petroleum and fertilizer producer ...
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Processed foods company Conagra Brands (CAG) is down 7% over the past year, with shares recently breaking to a new 52-week low in 2025. One trader sees a rebound in the months ahead. That’s based on the June 20 $27 calls. With 156 days until expiration, 7,570 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 119, for a 64-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $0.90 to make the bullish bet. Following its recent selloff, ...
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Nothing ever moves in a straight line. Investors who think they’ve missed out on a trend can likely have several opportunities to buy in, especially for a trend with years behind it. The AI trend of the past few years has seen a number of pullbacks, including the market’s 8.5% peak-to-trough decline in 2024, and a 10% pullback in 2023. But a new trend is emerging that’s much more fast-moving. That trend is quantum computing. Companies focusing just on this technology took ...
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Lynn Bamford, CEO of Curtiss Wright (CW) recently bought 34 shares. The buy increased her stake by less than 1%, and came to a total cost of $10,340. She was one of six recent insider buys, including a pickup from the company’s CFO and COO. Going further back insiders have a more mixed track record, with both buys and sellers, mostly from company executives. That includes prior sales by executives at lower prices than where shares trade today. Overall, Curtiss Wright ...
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