Trading Tips Blog

Wall Street megabank JPMorgan Chase (JPM) is up 33% over the past year. One trader is betting shares will cool off in the months ahead. That’s based on the May $230 puts. With 70 days until expiration, 5,067 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 179, for a 28-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $4.70 to make the bearish bet. JPMorgan Chase shares recently traded for about $252, so shares would need to ...
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Consumer spending makes up the vast majority of the economy. Over the past few years, consumers have been spending more on travel and vacations, and less on items like home goods. However, even while spending less overall, increased total consumer spending means that there are still opportunities in the retail sector. One sign is the fact that major retailers continue to report strong earnings, even if current conditions mean they also have to report weak guidance. That disconnect may be creating a ...
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Robin Washington, a director at Salesforce (CRM), recently bought 1,695 shares. The purchase increased her stake by 4% and came to a total cost of $499,355. This marks the first insider buy since last June, when another director bought 2,050 shares, also for about $500,000. Otherwise, company insiders, including the company's CFO and COO, have been substantial sellers of shares at higher prices. Most of the sales have occurred following the exercise of stock options. Overall, Salesforce insiders own 3% of ...
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Digital lending platform SoFi Technologies (SOFI) has been on a tear, with shares up over 85% in the past year. One trader sees the stock pulling back over the coming weeks. That’s based on the March $11.50 puts. With 15 days until expiration, 64,248 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 302, for a giant 213-fold jump in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $0.24 to make the bearish bet. SoFi shares recently traded for about ...
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The stock market has hit a pocket of volatility. That’s normal for this time of year. But added economic uncertainty, such as the implementation of tariffs, are creating some wilder swings. Investors looking for steadier returns may find it with a different asset, gold. The metal has been trending higher so far this year. And its pullbacks have been more mild than high-flying tech stocks. Many see the metal continuing higher, and likely breaking $3,000 per ounce in the months ahead. Investors ...
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David Farr, director at International Business Machines (IBM), recently bought 1,200 shares. The buy increased his stake by 17%, and came to total cost of $298,800. This marks the first insider buy since last November, when another company director bought 936 shares at a cost of just over $197,000, representing an initial stake. Going further back, there were two small insider sales from SVPs in 2024. This constitutes all insider activity over the past two years. Overall, IBM insiders own 0.4% ...
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Market intelligence platform ZoomInfo Technologies (ZI) is down 30% over the past year. One trader sees shares sliding lower in the months ahead. That’s based on the May $10 puts. With 72 days until expiration, 11,555 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 105, for a massive 110-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $0.44 to make the bearish bet. ZoomInfo shares recently traded for about $11.50, so the stock would need to decline ...
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As the market reassesses the value of AI and other high-flying tech stocks, a market rotation is underway. It’s going from the digital back to the physical. Defensive stocks such as consumer goods and healthcare companies have been faring well. So too have companies that produce materials for physical infrastructure. That’s in-line with long-term infrastructure spending globally, and a trend that’s likely to continue and benefit companies related to that investment. For instance, Ireland-based materials producer CRH (CRH), recently reported strong ...
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