Trading Tips Blog

One of the truisms about investing is that holding shares of companies with steady, but low growth over time can lead to good results. While it may lack the excitement of getting into a top tech trend, having a few stocks of boring companies can round out a portfolio. These companies can include any good or service, but typically the most boring companies offering great returns will provide a service to businesses rather than having a consumer-facing operation. For instance, most consumers ...
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Michael Volkema, a director at Millerknoll (MLKN) recently added 13,584 shares. The buy increased his position by 7 percent, and came to a total cost of $230,426. He was joined by 3 other directors, who bought on the same day at different prices. The smallest insider buy came to just under $21,000. Company executives have been buyers in the past year as well, with MillerKnoll’s President and CEO picking up shares last October, at a price near that of today’s. Overall, Read More About This

Nevada-based bank Axos Financial (AX) is now up for the year, as shares have recovered following the bank stock selloff in the spring. One trader sees shares trending lower in the weeks ahead. That’s based on the August $40 puts. With 24 days until expiration, 5,056 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 131, for a 39-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $0.75 to make the bearish bet. Axos shares recently went for ...
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The threat of a big lawsuit can cause a company’s valuation to tank. In an extreme case, like the tobacco companies in the 1990s, it can create an exceptional value, even at the risk of a further potential loss. Likewise, even companies that have made positive moves towards resolving big litigation can get a reasonable value. That’s because lawsuits take time to play out, as do the settlements for such lawsuits. Recently, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) came under fire for litigation regarding ...
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Michael Ancius, a director at Fastenal (FAST), recently bought 500 shares. The buy increased his holdings by 1 percent, and came to a total cost of $28,765. This is the first insider buy of the year. Several insiders were buyers last year, including multiple directors, an EVP, and the company CEO. This year has seen a number of sellers, mostly following the exercise of stock options. Overall, company insiders own 0.2 percent of shares. The industrial supply distributor is up slightly more ...
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Oil and gas midstream firm EnLink Midstream (ENLC) have risen over 30 percent since their May lows. One trader sees shares continuing higher in the coming weeks. That’s based on the September $12 calls. With 52 days until expiration, 13,412 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 579, for a 23-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $0.35 to make the bullish bet. Shares recently traded for about $11.50, so they would need to ...
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Some sectors of the market are competitive with a number of companies working hard for market share. More mature industries often have fewer competitors, but can increase their business by improving the experience for customers. That’s especially true when it can do so without significantly raising prices or otherwise having a trade-off. By improving customer experience, a company can build long-term brand loyalty. That’s hard to measure in terms of a dollar valuation, but it does make a great company stand ...
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John Donovan, a director at Lockheed Martin (LMT), recently added 548 shares. The buy increased his holdings by 19 percent, and came to a total cost of $250,476. The director bought 508 shares in April, also valued at about $250,000, and twice more over the prior two quarters before that. Otherwise, company insiders have largely been small sellers of shares, concentrated at the EVP level of the firm. Overall, insiders at the defense contractor own about 0.1 percent of shares. Lockheed shares ...
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