Trading Tips Blog

Investors tend to spend bull markets looking for opportunities in high-growth areas. But the economy isn’t always moving at full blast. For slower times, it may be prudent to focus on businesses that aren’t as cyclical, opting instead for companies more likely to be recession resistant. There are many sectors that fit the bill. Some are heavily regulated like utilities and telecoms. Others are more open, such as consumer goods. One niche of the consumer goods space is pet supplies. There’s a ...
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Albert Behler, President and CEO at Paramount Group (PGRE), recently added 50,000 shares. The buy increased his stake by 38 percent, an came to a total cost just under $288,000. He was joined by a director who bought 20,000 shares on the same day, paying just over $114,000. These two buys constitute the only insider trades since late 2020. The last insider sale at the company occurred back in 2019. Overall, insiders at the office REIT own about 15.5 percent of ...
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Shares of tech giant Microsoft (MSFT) have underperformed the market this year, with a 27 percent drop. One trader sees a rebound in the next month. That’s based on the January $265 calls. With 31 days until expiration, 4,094 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 191, for a 21-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $2.93 to get in. Shares recently went for about $246, so they would need to rise about ...
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The stock market’s love of mergers and acquisitions has slowed in the past year, amid rising interest rates and declining stock prices. But there have been a few deals announced. Mergers can make companies bigger overall by providing an immediate and established source of revenue. Some deals will end up garnering regulatory scrutiny. Regulators want to ensure that a company doesn’t come to dominate the market it’s in via acquisitions. The FTC has come out against Microsoft’s (MSFT) proposed acquisition of ...
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Marshall Lux, a director at New York Community Bank (NYCB), recently added 6,000 shares. The buy increased his holdings by 42 percent, and came to a total cost just under $52,000. The director was also the most recent buyer with the purchase of 6,000 shares in September. Other company directors have been buyers over the past three years. There have been no insider sales at the bank going back over the last five years. Overall, company insiders own about 1.1 percent ...
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Shares of 3D world-building company Roblox (RBLX) are down about 75 percent in the past year. One trader sees a further decline in the coming weeks. That’s based on the January 13th $30 puts. With 32 days until expiration, 5,037 contracts traded compared to a prior interest of 238, for a 21-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $2.19 to make the downside bet. Shares recently traded for about $32, so the stock would need to ...
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A company generating cash flow has a number of ways to put that money to work. They can expand the business, whether through internal growth or acquisitions. When a company gets large enough, it may also make sense to reward shareholders with cash dividends. But a company can also buy back its shares. That also rewards existing shareholders, as it reduces shares outstanding and increases earnings per share without growing the underlying business. In today’s market, beaten down stocks embracing bigger buybacks ...
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Amal Johnson, a director at Essex Property Trust (ESS), recently added 1,000 shares. The buy increased his holdings by 67 percent, and came to a total cost of just over $218,000. This marks the first insider buy at the company in at least four years. Otherwise, company insiders have largely been sellers of shares following the exercise of stock options. That includes both directors and company executives. Overall, insiders own 1.2 percent of the company. Shares of the residential REIT have dropped ...
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