Trading Tips Blog

Capital markets giant Jefferies Financial Group (JEF) is up 49% over the past year, far exceeding the returns on the S&P 500. One trader sees shares pulling back over the coming months. That’s based on the December $50 puts. With 134 days until expiration, 6,000 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 186, for a 32-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $2.40 to make the bearish bet. Jefferies shares recently traded for about ...
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Investors looking for a place to hide in the stock market have limited options. When markets selloff, correlations tend to rise, and great companies get thrown out with the genuinely risky ones. That’s why a market selloff is a great opportunity for buying excellent companies at reasonable prices. Investors can further improve their odds by looking for companies that have a history of even holding up during bear markets. There’s no telling if we’ve seen the furthest back stocks will drop to ...
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Paul Koonce, a director at Spire (SR), recently bought 500 shares. The buy increased his stake by 3%, and came to a total cost of $33,065. This is the first insider activity in two months, since a company EVP bought 4,500 shares back in June, at a cost of $107,235. Other company directors have been buyers over the past two years, as well as the company Treasurer. There have been only a handful of insider sales, far less than the total ...
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Regional bank Zions Bancorporation (ZION) is up 23% over the past year, slightly beating out the overall market. One trader sees shares continuing higher over the coming months. That’s based on the October $45 calls. With 72 days until expiration, 6,069 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 150, for a 40-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $4.10 to make the bullish bet. Zions shares recently traded for about $46, making these calls ...
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When consumers go to any store and see a sale, they get excited to buy. When investors see stocks on sale, however, they’re fearful. This recent market pullback, which has seen the Nasdaq drop over10% from its July highs, has played out quickly. But it also looks like a healthy pullback after a massive run higher this year. Investors can use this selloff to buy shares of great companies that are on sale now. Especially dividend-paying stocks Dividends take some of the ...
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Julie Southern, a board chair at NXP Semiconductors (NXPI), recently bought 146 shares. The buy increased her stake by 1%, and came to a total cost of $27,600. Southern was the last insider to buy shares in August 2023, when she bought 203 shares for $44,268. There have been a dozen insider sales over the past year, including some sales from the company President and CEO totaling nearly $10 million. Overall, NXP insiders own 0.1% of shares. The semiconductor producer is up ...
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Consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (PG) is up 7% over the past year, underperforming the market amid fears of a consumer spending slowdown. One trader is betting on a rally higher in the weeks ahead. That’s based on the August 30 $175 calls. With 24 days until expiration, 15,722 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 143, for a 49-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $0.91 to make the bullish bet Procter ...
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When stocks pull back, the first instinct is to be cautious, if not fearful. With markets down significantly from their July highs and even down over the past month, fear is creeping up. However, the market volatility index sits near 20. That’s a level that typically separates a minor and necessary pullback from a bigger crisis. Seasonally, it’s not yet time for a bigger market decline. That means investors have a chance to buy into this pullback. And they should target great ...
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