Shares of Finish Line Inc (NASDAQ:FINL) are up 8.6% to trade at $12.70, after the athletic apparel retailer reported a slimmer-than-expected adjusted third-quarter loss of 26 cents per share on $378.50 million in revenue -- also a beat. FINL also said same-store sales for the three-month period unexpectedly rose 0.8%.Today's pop has FINL shares positioned above their 180-day moving average. This t...Read More
Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) futures are trading above fair value this morning, as stocks try to again build momentum following yesterday's tax bill passage. The attention could stay on Capitol Hill, however, as lawmakers are reportedly struggling to approve a spending bill to avert a government shutdown this weekend. Investors are also digesting economic data. Specifically, weekly jobless...Read More
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) finished lower for the second straight session -- erasing a nearly triple-digit lead in early action. Both the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) joined the Dow in the red, as tech stocks such as Facebook (FB) extended their retreat from yesterday. While anticipation surrounding the Republican tax plan helped drive markets higher, the actu...Read More
Steel stocks have been rallying, boosted earlier this month after the U.S. announced plans to begin imposing tariffs on Chinese steel being exported out of Vietnam. While the VanEck Vectors Steel ETF (SLX) is up 14% from its Nov. 17 bottom, all nine names we track under our "steel iron" umbrella are trading north of their 80-day moving average -- the only other sector besides "gaming" to sport thi...Read More
Call volume hit a 52-week high yesterday on fast food issue Wendy's Company (NASDAQ:WEN), due to heavy buying at the January 2018 17-strike call. Looking back over the past 10 days, this option is home to the largest increase in open interest, with more than 12,000 contracts added. The next closest strike, the January 16 call, saw only 578 options added to open interest. Those buying the WEN Janua...Read More
There's been speculation that the recent bitcoin craze has dulled traders' appetite for commodities. After all, some people are taking out mortgages to buy the volatile cryptocurrency -- which began trading futures last week, and has generated some huge gains in a short time, especially compared to the typically safe, slow crawl of gold and silver. Whatever the motive, the recent cost of "crash pr...Read More
Stocks are searching for direction as traders await the latest on the tax bill, which appears to be headed to President Donald Trump's desk for a signature. Among the names making the biggest moves are mobile payments stock Net Element International Inc (NASDAQ:NETE), China-based financial services provider China Internet Nationwide Financial Services Inc (NASDAQ:CIFS), and tobacco giant Philip M...Read More
Yesterday, electric car company Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) received its largest pre-order to date of electric semi trucks from United Parcel Service (UPS). UPS joins PepsiCo (PEP), Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), and J.B. Hunt(JBHT) on a growing list of companies that have placed orders for Tesla's truck since the mid-November unveiling. Today, we will take a closer look at TSLA stock and see how sentiment...Read More
U.S. stocks are trading mixed at midday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) taking the lead. Another record closing high today would mark the 71st for the Dow in 2017, setting a new calendar-year record. The Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) and S&P 500 Index (SPX) were sticking close to breakeven, at last check, as traders continue to eye the Republican tax bill. The House is expected to re-vo...Read More
It looks all but certain that Congress is set to pass sweeping tax reform this week. According to J.P. Morgan Securities, the new tax rules will greatly benefit companies such as Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), and Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA). Of course, this comes right after the companies scored what was considered a win with the Federal Communications Commissio...Read More
After a volatile 2017, Credit Suisse said it is cautiously optimistic about U.S. biotechs, believing tax reform could be a positive catalyst for big-cap drug companies. Nevertheless, the brokerage firm issued opposing notes for biotech stocks Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) and Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD). Below, we will take a closer look at BIIB and GILD stocks.Credit Suisse Sees BIIB Returnin...Read More
United Airlines parent United Continental Holdings Inc (NYSE:UAL) is moving higher this morning, after Buckingham Research upgraded the shares to "buy" from "neutral." UAL is up 1.9% at $65.63 in early trading, extending a rebound from its Nov. 15 annual low of $56.51. Currently, the airline stock carries 11 "hold" or "strong sell" ratings from analysts, compared to just five "strong buys." Mean...Read More
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday expanded the use of Exelixis, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:EXEL) drug, Cabometyx, to treat those with advanced kidney cancer. The decision comes well ahead of the FDA's mid-February action date, and earned EXEL stock a price-target hike to $38 from $35 at SunTrust Robinson. RBC, meanwhile, projected a $1 billion market opportunity for the biotech.In reaction...Read More
U.S. stock futures are broadly trading above fair value this morning, as tax reform remains the main focus on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is signaling a triple-digit jump, and tech stocks look ready to rebound, illustrated by a sharp rise in Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) futures. The House of Representatives and the Senate bothwere able to pass the GOP's pro-business tax bill, bu...Read More
After this full week of trading, we'll be followed by two shortened weeks for Christmas and New Year's. Below, I show how stocks have performed during these holiday weeks in the past. First, though, I point out how bullish the second half of this month usually is for the S&P 500 Index (SPX).History Says to Buy Stocks NowBelow is a table comparing the first half of December to the second half of De...Read More
The comments above & below is an edited and abridged synopsis of an article by Tyler DurdenOne of the traditional push-backs against attempts to predict black swan events is that they are unpredictable. However, for the second year in a row, Nomura's Bilal Hafeez has found a loophole: the grey swan.Hafeez says that, while he would like to be able to predict black swans, by definition that is impos...Read More
The comments above & below is an edited and abridged synopsis of an article by James Howard KunstlerKunstler thinks that the tax reform bill currently working its way through Congress should be called the Asset-Stripping Assistance Act.The US economy is collapsing, and the stock market expansion is just what you might expect in a system getting ready to blow. Meanwhile, the rise of the crypto-curr...Read More
The comments above & below is an edited and abridged synopsis of an article by Mike GleasonMike interviews Michael Pento, president and founder of Pento Portfolio Strategies and author of The Coming Bond Market Collapse: How to Survive the Demise of the U.S. Debt Market. Michael is a well-known and successful money manager and has been a regular guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox Business News, and als...Read More
The comments above & below is an edited and abridged synopsis of an article by Doug CaseyThis is the text of an interview with Doug Casey on commodities, which he believes are in the early innings of a massive bull market.Doug is not talking about just gold and silver. He thinks commodities, as a group, are about to take off.Doug has so much conviction in this call that he just launched a new comm...Read More
The comments above & below is an edited and abridged synopsis of an article by Birch GoldJP Morgan's outlook for gold in 2018 is positive, especially in the second half of the year. During the first half of 2018 gold should average $1,295 an ounce, with the average climbing to $1,340 in the second half, said the bank in its 2018 Global Commodities Outlook.The pressure of additional interest rate h...Read More