10755

The Best Defense is a Solid Offense, Like a Dividend Growth Play

Earnings season is coming in strong so far, as companies are comparing to the start of the pandemic last year. A reopening economy is also helping. But with stocks already back to all-time highs, investors are starting to worry about possible inflation. That suggests a need to focus on companies that can pass on higher costs to consumers. One such play just reported better-than-expected results. That company? Pepsico (PEP). Besides beating earnings, the company noted that it may not engage in ...
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10753

Unusual Options Activity: Snapchat (SNAP)

Shares of social media firm Snapchat (SNAP) peaked in February before trending down. In the past week, they’ve started moving up again. At least one trader sees a push to new all-time highs. That’s based on the May $62 calls. With shares at $62.01, they’re the at-the-money trade. With 28 days until expiration, over 4,680 contracts traded against a prior open interest of 136, for a 34-fold rise in volume. The buyer of the call paid $5.10 to make the trade. Snapchat next ...
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10751

Bank Earnings Justify Higher Prices for Mega-Firms

A number of big banks reported earnings earlier in the week. All of them beat expectations, although all of the big banks gave Wall Street traders a few cautious items to think about as well. A recovering economy largely helped to reduce reserves, and earnings and revenue were up overall. Of the big banks, Wells Fargo (WFC) looks the most interesting here. The company posted earnings of $1.05 per share, well above estimates of $0.71 per share. The stock has already ...
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10752

Insider Trading Report: PennyMac Financial Services (PFSI)

MFN Partners, a holder with a director stake at PennyMac Financial Services (PFSI), recently bought 94,106 shares. The buy increased the fund’s holding by less than 10 percent, but came to a total purchase price of just over $6 million. The fund made repeat buys back in March, and shares are down high double-digits since then. Overall, insiders tend to be bigger sellers than buyers. Overall, insiders own over 44 percent of shares, so the level of insider selling isn’t ...
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10743

Reopening Delays Bode Well for this On-Sale Sector

A rise in Covid shutdowns internationally, combined with concerns over vaccine safety, may point to a prolonging of a full economic reopening. In any event, the past few weeks have caused a pullback in a number of recently high-flying names. One of those areas is energy. While the sector is still up strongly for the year, the sector as a whole peaked in mid-March and has come back down. It’s starting to look like a solid entry point for long-term investors. For ...
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10744

Insider Trading Report: Super League Gaming Corp (SLGG)

Michael Keller, a director at Super League Gaming Corp (SLGG), recently bought 17,000 shares. The buy increased his stake by over 11 percent, and came to a total cost of just over $103,000. This marks the first insider buy since December 2019. Over the past three years, insiders have all been sellers. That includes director and C-suite executive buys. Overall, insiders own about 12.5 percent of company shares. Super League Gaming is in the video gaming and esports entertainment industry, offering ...
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10745

Unusual Options Activity: Nuance Communications (NUAN)

AI speech company Nuance Communications (NUAN) moved higher on Monday as Microsoft (MSFT) announced it was buying the company. One trader sees the possibility for a bidding war that may lead to a higher price for shares. That’s based on the January 2022 $65 call. Over 5,145 contracts traded after the merger news, a 30-fold rise in the prior open interest of 171 contracts. The buyer of the option paid $0.33 on average to make the trade. The merger news with Nuance ...
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10741

Insider Trading Report: Discovery Inc (DISCA)

Gunnar Wiedenfels, CFO of Discovery Inc (DISCA) bought 40,000 shares of the company last month. The buy increased his holdings by 400 percent, and occurred right before a hedge fund implosion triggered a selloff in shares. Over the past year, company insiders have been net sellers of shares, as the company went from a price in the low $20 range into the $80 range before its selloff. Prior to the surge in the past year, insiders and sellers have generally been ...
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