Trading Tips Blog

Oil and gas pipeline Plains All American Pipeline (PAA) is up over 40% in the past year, handily beating the overall stock market. One trader sees shares trending higher through 2026. That’s based on the January 2026 $22 calls. With 653 days until expiration, 4,415 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 108, for a 41-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $0.46 to make the bullish bet. Plains shares recently traded for about ...
Read More About This

At its core, every business exists to eliminate a pain point for a consumer. That could mean anything from offering an entirely new product, to offering something faster, cheaper, or otherwise better than competitors. For retail, companies largely compete on price. That’s allowed big-box stores to thrive, particularly as consumers are looking for one-stop shopping. But one retailer has fared even better than competitors thanks to a more unique business model offering great customer service. That company is Costco (COST), which charges ...
Read More About This

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A), a major holder of Liberty SiriusXM (LSXMA), continues to add to its stake. Berkshire recently bought 1,282,569 shares, paying $36.9 million to increase its holdings by 4%. Berkshire has been a steady buyer of shares since the start of the year. Going back to 2023, company insiders were more active, largely as sellers of shares, including Liberty’s President, as well as its Chairman of the Board. Overall, Liberty insiders own 33.4% of shares, and institutions own nearly all ...
Read More About This

Technology giant Amazon (AMZN) has soared in the past year, surging 77% higher. One trader sees shares taking a breather over the coming months and giving back some of their recent gains. That’s based on the August $125 puts. With 137 days until expiration, 8,594 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 212, for a 41-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $0.93 to make the bearish bet. Shares recently traded for about $180, ...
Read More About This

While the world is getting increasingly complex, companies that follow and stick to a simple business model can fare well. Especially if they’ve built up a strong brand over the years. Management who works to ensure that a company’s operations can stay simple will often see great results. And investors who keep their investing simple can also reap the benefits from the compounding power of a simple company not overspending to complicate its operations. One company working on keeping things simple now ...
Read More About This

Marshall Lux, a director at New York Community Bancorp (NYCB), recently bought 27,100 shares. The buy increased his position by 55%, and came to a total cost of $99,891. This is the first insider buy since a cluster of insiders bought shares in early February, including the CEO and CFO. The regional bank has been under pressure this year amid ongoing concerns of a weakness in the regional bank stocks. Overall, NYCB insiders own 1.3% of shares. Even with news of ...
Read More About This

Car and truck producer General Motors (GM) is hitting a new 52-week high. One trader sees shares trending even higher over the next few months. That’s based on the July $50 calls. With 112 days until expiration, 11,169 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 188, for a 59-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the calls paid $1.12 to make the bullish bet. General Motors shares recently traded for about $45, so shares would need to ...
Read More About This

Quality, long-term stock holdings can deliver great returns for years on end. One sign that a company is a good investment is that it can raise prices year after year. As long as customers continue to buy, and earnings continue to grow, shares can rise. Some consumer goods companies have been impacted by the recent bout of inflation. The past few years have separated some of these companies into great holdings, while others haven’t performed as well. Seasoning and spice producer McCormick ...
Read More About This