Trading Tips Blog

A number of companies focus on one product or service. Those concentrating in areas affected by travel bans and small businesses fared poorly in 2020. But with an end in sight, these underperforming names may thrive in the coming year. That’s also true for companies that service these firms. One such name? American Express (AXP). The credit card company caters to a more affluent crowd, like those that travel and own small businesses. It’s one of the few big-name financials to see ...
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Russell Ellett, a director at Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp (AUB), has made multiple buys in the past few weeks. On December 29th, he bought 3,000 shares, paying just over $98,000. That follows on a similar 3,000 share buy on the 23rd that cost just over $96,000. It’s the first insider buy at the bank since mid-2018. A number of directors and C-suite executives have been sellers, largely in 2020 at lower prices. Shares of the regional bank, headquartered in Virginia, dropped ...
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Travel booking company Expedia (EXPE) has been trending higher in recent weeks, as signs point to more opportunities for travel in 2021. One trader sees the potential for shares to rise even further. That’s based on the March 2021 $130 calls. Over 4,300 of the contracts traded recently, a 36-fold rise in volume from the prior open interest of 119. The buyer paid about $12.75 for the options. With shares at $132, the options are already about $2.00 in-the-money. They should rise ...
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Since the first Covid vaccine was announced in early November, airline stocks have beaten the overall stock market. That trend is likely to continue in 2021. Holiday travel trends showed an uptick, even as air travel levels were still 75 percent below 2019 levels. With future gains in passengers likely, and with adequate government support, it’s likely that the sector will continue to surge higher as trends improve. That bodes well for the space as a whole, although some names will ...
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Michael Berry, an Executive Vice President of Finance at NetApp (NTAP), recently bought 15,000 shares. The buy increased his stake by 66 percent. The total cost of the buy came to just over $958,000. This marks the first insider buy at the company in 2020, and the first buy in the last three years. There have been a number of sales, some from directors, with some smaller sells from some C-suite executives. Overall, insiders own just 0.3 percent of outstanding shares of ...
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John Danhakl, a director at IQVIA Holdings (IQV), recently started a stake at the company with 63,451 shares. The total cost of the buy came to just over $11.2 million. This marks the first buy from a company insider since August. Over the past three years, company insiders have largely been sellers. In 2020, those sales have largely been by major owners and directors, rather than C-suite executives. The healthcare life sciences and diagnostics company has seen shares move about in-line ...
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Social media play Snap Inc (SNAP) has seen its shares surge to new all-time highs earlier this week. So it’s no surprise that at least one trader sees the company heading higher. That’s based on the January 8th 2021 $57 call. Expiring in 8 days, the bet is that shares, trading near $52.40, will rally another 8.7 percent. Over 10,200 of the contracts traded against a prior open interest of 111, for a 92-fold rise in volume. The buyer of the option ...
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The stock market’s solid run this year has allowed companies to quickly shake off one of the fastest and steepest bear markets in history. A number of companies rightly remain below their pre-pandemic highs. But outside of airlines, cruise ships, and theater chains, a few other plays have likewise struggled. One of the top blue-chip manufacturing plays, which produces thousands of products has been a laggard here. And that’s in spite of the fact that some of its products have been essential ...
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