Trading Tips Blog

Petroleo Brasileiro (PBR), also known as Petrobras, is flat over the past year as energy prices have been volatile, but well off of 2022’s highs. One trader is betting on a move higher in the coming weeks. That’s based on the October $11 calls. With 58 days until expiration, 6,553 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 114, for a 57-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $2.70 to make the bullish bet. Shares ...
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The stock market is made up of sectors. Some of them are in favor at any given moment. Others are out of favor. Buying out of favor sectors can lead to big gains when the trend shifts. Investors can also sour on a sector that has performed well recently, on the logic that it may be time to change. But some sectors are less susceptible to change than others. One such sector is agriculture. There’s always demand for food. And there are ...
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Matthew De Soto, a director at Mid Penn Bancorp (MPB), recently bought 2,355 shares. The buy increased his holdings by 4 percent, and came to a total cost of $50,001. The director was also a buyer in late June, buying 362 shares for just under $8,000. Another company director was a buyer at the same time. Over the last two years, company directors and the CEO have been regular and steady buyers of shares, with no insider sales. In total, insiders ...
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Tech giant Microsoft (MSFT) has been a strong performer this year, but shares have been hit in recent weeks. One trader sees shares bouncing higher in the months ahead. That’s based on the November $280 calls. With 87 days until expiration, 22,514 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 391, for a 58-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $45.45 to make the bullish bet. Shares recently traded at $316, so the option is ...
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The market’s rally higher this year has been driven largely by tech stocks. While the market has pulled back a bit overall, many companies and sectors have been laggards. There’s still some residual concerns that are now creating a value today. One sector is the media space. Fears of a slowing economy and declining ad spending hit the sector hard last year. So far, it’s been slow to recover. But buying a diversified player here can lead to solid returns. Comcast (CMCSA) ...
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Amy Banse, a director at Lennar (LEN), recently bought 820 shares. The buy increased her stake by 11 percent, and came to a total cost of $100,909. The director was the last insider buyer, with a 790 share pickup in July and a 165 share buy in June. Overall, that adds another $110,000 in purchases to the recent buy. Insiders have otherwise been slight sellers of shares over the past two years. Overall, insiders own about 2.4 percent of the homebuilder’s ...
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American Airlines (AAL) is up 6 percent over the past year, about double the return of the S&P 500. One trader sees shares declining in the months ahead. That’s based on the February 2024 $11 puts. With 178 days until expiration, 7,010 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 167, for a 42-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $0.35 to make the bearish bet. American Airlines shares recently went for about $15, ...
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The latest Fed meeting minutes suggest the central bank may continue to raise interest rates. However, the steady increases of the past year are over. With interest rates likely near, if not at, their cycle peak, some investments look better than others. Fixed income could perform well here, as prices on assets like bonds will rise as interest rates move lower. But it’s also likely that we’ve seen the worst of the selloff in defensive parts of the market, such as ...
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