Analysts are weighing in on airline company Southwest Airlines Co (NYSE:LUV), alternative energy concern First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR), and healthcare product provider Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ:HSIC). Here's a quick roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on shares of LUV, FSLR, and HSIC. LUV Struggles to Capitalize on J.P. Morgan UpgradeJ.P. Morgan Securities upgraded Southwest Airlines st...Read More
Analysts are weighing in on airline stocks American Airlines Group Inc (NASDAQ:AAL), United Continental Holdings Inc (NYSE:UAL), and Spirit Airlines Incorporated (NASDAQ:SAVE). J.P. Morgan Securities downgraded all three airline stocksover concerns about domestic airline pricing andfuel prices. Here's a quick roundup of today's bearish brokerage notes on shares of AAL, UAL, and SAVE.Downgrade Gr...Read More
U.S. stock futures are pointing to a negative start, as traders weigh North Korea's latest missile strike against a fresh round of economic data. Among specific stocks in focus today are software firm Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL), cancer treatment specialist Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRTX), and embattled credit reporting agency Equifax Inc. (NSYE:EFX). Here's a closer look at what's m...Read More
After closing higher for a fifth straight session yesterday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is signaling a modestly higher open again today, with futures trading slightly above fair value. However, futures on the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are pointing lower this morning, on news that North Korea fired another missile over Japan for the second time in less than...Read More
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) closed higher for a fifth straight day, hitting fresh record highs in the process. However, the broader stock market struggled for gains, with the Nasdaq Composite (COMP) and S&P 500 Index (SPX) both retreating from yesterday's record closes -- though the latter index did manage another intraday peak early in the day. For the most part, investors consi...Read More
While earnings season is over, it won't be long before it comes around again. During this break in the action, it's a good time to review some basics about how implied volatility (IV) impacts option prices. IV plays a key role in determining the price you pay to buy an option, so it's critical to keep entry costs at a minimum in order to take full advantage of the leverage provided by options. To...Read More
U.S. stocks are mixed this afternoon, with the Dow outperforming its fellow equity indexes after this morning's inflation data.Among the names in the spotlight today are aerospace concern (and Dow stock) Boeing Co (NYSE:BA), Chinese online retailer Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA), and credit bureau TransUnion (NYSE:TRU). Here's a quick look at what is moving shares of BA, BABA, and TRU.Boei...Read More
As the Dow trades near record highs, the Nasdaq is trading lower amid pressure from biotechs. One drug stock in the red is cystic fibrosis specialist Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:VRTX). This retreat could create a compelling opportunity for options traders, though, as VRTX tests a key trendline with historically bullish implications.Volatility Expectations Are Low on VRTX StockVRT...Read More
Economic data continues to dominate the news, with the September Fed meeting kicking off on Tuesday. Policymakers are expected to leave the benchmark interest rate untouched, but market participants will be awaiting details on the Fed's plans to unwind its $4.5 trillion balance sheet. Earnings are relatively light, but traders should watch out for reports from some big names like Adobe Systems (AD...Read More
Biotech stock bluebird bio Inc (NASDAQ:BLUE) continues to be a major winner for shareholders and options traders alike. The equity just hit a two-year high of $136.85, and was last seen 5.3% higher at $133, bringing its one-year gain to more than 111%. Not surprisingly, bullish options traders continue to target BLUE, betting the shares will rise even further in the weeks ahead. Starting with da...Read More
Options activity on GrubHub Inc (NYSE:GRUB) has been on the upswing over the past year. Currently, there are 126,283 options open on GRUB stock -- 100,436 calls and 25,847 puts -- in the 93rd annual percentile, and fewer than 22,100 contracts shy of the 12-month peak of 148,356 contracts hit on Aug. 4. As a point of comparison, total open interest fell to a 52-week low of 19,448 contracts on Sept....Read More
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is slightly higher at midday, bouncing back from early losses -- and even managing to notch a fresh intraday record of 22,189.97 earlier. The market is digesting the latest employment and inflation data, the latter of which has raised expectations for a December rate hike. In that same vein, oil prices continue to climb, with October crude futures up 1.8% at...Read More
Oil prices have been rising this week -- with October-dated futures trading above the $50-per-barrel mark today, after getting a boost yesterday on the International Energy Agency's (IEA) upwardly revised 2017 global oil demand forecast. While oil refiner Marathon Petroleum Corp (NYSE:MPC) is trading down 0.6% at $52.90 this morning, the energy stock recently pulled back to a historically bullish...Read More
Analysts are weighing in on information technology (IT) concern VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW), computer graphics company NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA), and online retailer eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY). Here's a quick roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on shares of VMW, NVDA, and EBAY. VMW Hits New High After Barclays UpgradeVMW received an upgrade to "overweight" from "equal weight" at Barclays, a...Read More
Analysts are weighing in on car rental specialist Hertz Global Holdings, Inc (NYSE:HTZ), credit bureau Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX), and healthcare stock Opko Health Inc. (NASDAQ:OPK). Here's a quick roundup of today's bearish brokerage notes on shares of HTZ, EFX, and OPK.Hertz Stock Pulls Back After Morgan Stanley NoteHertz Global Holdings is reeling, down 9.5% to trade at $21.66, after Morgan Stanl...Read More
It could be another ho-hum day on Wall Street, with stock futures pointing to a slightly lower open. Among specific stocks in focus are hospital operator Tenet Healthcare Corp (NYSE:THC), semiconductor concern Lattice Semiconductor Corp (NASDAQ:LSCC), and cancer treatment specialist Array Biopharma Inc (NASDAQ:ARRY). Here's a quick look at what's boosting shares of THC, LSCC, and ARRY. Sale Re...Read More
Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) futures are pointed slightly lower this morning, after notching a record-high close and fourth straight win yesterday. Futures on the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are also signaling a lower start, despite pumping out record-high closes of their own. Traders are digesting today's inflation data, with the latest consumer price index (CPI) toppin...Read More
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) spent most of the session flirting with breakeven, with upside momentum capped by Apple shares. However, the Dow broke out in late-day trading, notching another record-high close and a fourth straight win. Likewise, the Nasdaq Composite (COMP) eked out a win for a second consecutive record close, while the S&P 500 Index (SPX) managed another all-time h...Read More
It's been a rough 2017 for many retail stocks, with several notable names turning into earnings casualties. However,the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) has been on a tear since touching a four-year low in August, and today is notably higher, with help from Nordstrom's big day. Against this backdrop -- and ahead of Friday's retail sales data -- we decided to take a look at thesector, as well as one r...Read More
The stock chart for JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) is looking quite bullish at the moment. Shares of the banking giant just bounced from the 100-day moving average, and also experienced a series of closes below their lower Bollinger Band. A similar setup occurred back in mid-May and early June, and resulted in a massive upside rally for JPM. Add to this the fact that bank stocks in general have...Read More