Trading Tips Blog

Shares of oil and gas major Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) are up 112 percent over the past year. One trader sees a pullback coming in the next 18 months. That’s based on the June 2024 $50 puts. With 534 days until expiration, 5,001 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 101, for a 50-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $6.45 to make the bet. Occidental shares recently traded for about $62, so ...
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Any successful company will eventually struggle with slowing demand. Those that are successful are able to turn around a declining situation. But many “turnaround” stories are just that – stories. It’s crucial for investors to be able to separate true turnarounds from talk of improvement. That’s why investors should wait for trends such as improving profit margins or improved earnings before waiting to invest in such a story. One surprising story from 2022 has been that of Netflix (NFLX). The company struggled ...
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Marcy Barth, a director at Enterprise Products Partners (EPD), recently added 5,000 shares. The buy increased her stake by 6 percent, and came to a total cost of just under $120,000. The buy came as the company Co-CEO bought 25,000 shares on two separate days, paying nearly $600,000 to increase his holdings by about 15 percent. Other company insiders have been buyers in recent months, with the last insider sale occurring in March 2021. Overall, company insiders own 27.2 percent of ...
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Shares of analytics software company MicroStrategy (MSTR) are down 75 percent over the past year, largely due to the company’s decision to leverage up its balance sheet to buy Bitcoin. One trader sees a modest rebound in the coming weeks. That’s based on the January $160 calls. With 18 days until expiration, 4,737 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 199, for a 24-fold rise in trading volume. The buyer of the calls paid $3.65 to make the bet. Shares ...
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It’s no surprise that when it comes to investing, larger players can have some advantages. One advantage smaller investors have, however, is the ability to see what the big players are doing and follow along. In a bear market, they may even get a better deal. By following investors with a strong track record, it’s possible to beat the market over time. And to do so with less volatility than other market strategies. One move investors can make now is to follow ...
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Lawrence Hilsheimer, CFO at Greif (GEF), recently added 4,050 shares. The buy increased his holdings by 2 percent, and came to a total cost of just under $320,000. The CFO last bought shares a week ago, picking up 2,180 shares for just over $167,000. Looking further back, a major owner has been a sizeable seller of shares over the past year, and company executives have been overall slight buyers. Overall, company insiders own 3.7 percent of shares. The specialty packaging company has ...
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Shares of consumer tech giant Apple (AAPL) hit a new 52-week low this week. One trader sees shares rebounding in the coming weeks. That’s based on the January 20 $127 calls. With 21 days until expiration, 10,526 contracts traded compared to the prior open interest of 253, for a 42-fold jump in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $4.78 to make the trade. Apple shares recently traded for just over $126, making this an at-the-money trade. A sizeable ...
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In bear markets, investors and traders alike tend to sell first and ask questions later. That can create opportunities, provided you know how to weed through them. One opportunity occurs when there’s  a clear short-term issue that will be resolved in time. When that occurs, investors can profit from the rebound, although it will take patience… especially in a market that isn’t moving along in a bullish manner. Yet these opportunities occur all the time. One opportunity that’s come up just this ...
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