Trading Tips Blog

Oil and gas refining giant Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) is up 30% over the past year, slightly beating the S&P 500’s return. One trader sees shares trending higher through the end of the year. That’s based on the December 20 $175 calls. With 156 days until expiration, 10,247 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 423, for a 24-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $4.10 to make the bullish bet. Valero shares recently ...
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Earnings season for the second quarter of 2024 are underway. Earnings season gives individual stocks the most volatility, and for good reason. If traders are wrong about how a company’s performance is playing out, big moves can be made in shares. Earnings season typically kicks off with data from the big Wall Street banks. They’ve seen extra scrutiny recently, thanks to the fact that inflation has remained high, as have interest rates. Both tend to weigh on a bank’s profitability. While a ...
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Liberty 77 Capital LP, a major holder of Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF), continues to add to its stake. The fund recently bought 1,129,609 shares, increasing its holdings by 12%, at a cost of $9.95 million. That follows up on three buys the fund made back in June. Going further back, between late 2022 and March 2024, company directors and insiders also bought shares. There have been no insider sales at Lions Gate over the past two years. Overall, LGF insiders own ...
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Silver producer Pan American Silver (PAAS) is up 51% over the past year, more than double the return of the S&P 500. One trader is betting that shares will continue higher over the coming weeks. That’s based on the August $30 calls. With 31 days until expiration, 12,601 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 100, for a 126-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $0.13 to make the bullish bet. Shares recently traded ...
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Consumer spending has been slowing down for months. One recurring theme is that consumers are reluctant to buy given the rapid price inflation of the past few years. With consumers holding back on spending, companies will have to find ways to lower prices or create new bargains to bring consumers back. Those that can get there first could stand to gain substantial market share, especially in the consumer-goods space. One possible winner is PepsiCo (PEP). While the company’s second-quarter earnings indicated ...
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Abidel Capital Advisors, a major holder of Appian Corporation (APPN), recently bought 610,22 shares. The buy increased the fund’s holdings by 3%, and came to a total cost of $18.94 million. This is the fund’s first buy since April 2023. The fund even had a number of sales in late 2023 and  early 2024, with the last sale occurring in February. A company director also bought shares this year in late May, picking up 11,000 shares for $308,000. Overall, Appian insiders ...
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Brazilian based digital banking platform Nu Holdings (NU) is up 62% over the past year. One trader sees further gains ahead for shares going into 2026. That’s based on the January 2026 $17 calls. With 550 days until expiration, 25,163 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 264, for a 95-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $1.67 to make the bullish bet. Nu Holdings recently traded for about $13.25. Shares would need to ...
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While fears of fatigue in the AI space have grown in recent weeks, the start of earnings season is pushing that idea off, at least for now. That’s because AI-related companies are reporting strong earnings. Even better, companies are reporting strong sales. Since earnings can be cleverly adjusted by accountants, sales indicate raw cash flow before any potential accounting shenanigans. And with sales still soaring in the chip space, the sector isn’t quite ready to trend back down yet. Semiconductor manufacturer Taiwan ...
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