It was a bullish day for the stock market, as equities rallied in the face of a stabilizing 10-year Treasury yield. The Dow jumped nearly 400 points, led by another tech-sector surge. It was smooth sailing for the S&P 500 Index and Nasdaq, too, with the latter moving into positive month-to-date territory. While the economic schedule was rather light today -- aside from a fresh round of housing dat...Read More

Mobile payment device concern Square Inc (NYSE:SQ) is set to report fourth-quarter earnings after the close on tomorrow. SQ stock has had a stellar year on the charts, picking up over 160%. At last check, shares of the payment concern were trading up 4% at $46.48 -- a mere stone's throw from a fresh record high. What's more, Square stock has ended higher the day after earnings in five of the past...Read More

U.S. stocks have steadily climbed today, as the Dow heads for another huge gain. Among the equities making noise, biotech MiMedx Group Inc (NASDAQ:MDXG) and laser maker Iridex Corporation (NASDAQ:IRIX) stocks are sinking, while airline name JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU) is higher. Here's a closer look at what shares of MDXG, IRIX, and JBLU are reacting to today.Federal Probe Guts MiM...Read More

Steel stocks have been enjoying tailwinds as the Trump administration mulls placing tariffs on imported steel, with Bloomberg reporting the president is considering the stiffest tax possible. This has meant big gains for Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD) and United States Steel Corporation (NYSE:X), and the price action has not been missed on options traders, as volume has stayed very hot in re...Read More

February has been an unusually volatile month for U.S. stocks, with the major market indexes experiencing both their best and worst weeks in over a year. While the stock market has recouped much of the correction from earlier this month, the indexes are still set to snap a jaw-dropping 10-month winning streak. Looking ahead to March, we decided to dig up some historical stock and sector winners th...Read More

It's been a volatile four weeks for the U.S. stock market. In recent sessions, the S&P 500 Index (SPX) has pared a portion of its February losses, but is comfortably on track to snap its 10-month losing streak. And though the S&P has averaged a March return of 0.6% since its inception, according to data from Schaeffer's Quantitative Analyst Chris Prybal, it's not time to press the buy button on ju...Read More

Car rental concern Hertz Global Holdings, Inc (NYSE:HTZ) is slated to report earnings after the close tomorrow, and auto parts supplier AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) will report before the open. Below, we'll take a look at HTZ and AZO's earnings history, and how the stocks have been faring.Hertz Stock Sees Heavy Call BuyingAt last check, Hertz stock was down 1.8% to trade at $20.29. The shares dipp...Read More

With bond yields stabilizing and a surge in tech and industrial stocks, the major market indexes are trading higher at midday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is up more than 200 points, despite a bad day for General Electric (GE) stock. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) are also in the black, as traders shake off a second straight drop in monthly new home s...Read More

Several pharmaceutical stocks have been making outsized moves in recent weeks. Today, KemPharm Inc (NASDAQ:KMPH) and Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACHN) stocks are in the spotlight, thanks to encouraging regulatory news. At last check, KMPH was trading 3.1% higher at $6.18, after jumping on Friday, and ACHN stock was up 10.5% to trade at $3.27.Analysts React to KMPH FDA ApprovalKemPharm...Read More

Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT) stock is down 6.7% to trade at $15.52 -- on track for its worst day since a late-October bear gap -- after Jefferies downgraded the toy manufacturer to "underperform" from "hold." The brokerage noted that challenging industry conditions and the rising cost to compete would contribute to flattened growth and stock value. But while the firm said Mattel's recovery is alread...Read More

General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) is in the spotlight today, after the company said it has nominated three new candidates to its board of directors and a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing on Friday revealed the industrial conglomerate will restate earnings. Warren Buffett also chimed in on GE in his annual letter to shareholders, and against this busy backdrop, the shares have swung...Read More

The following is a reprint of the market commentary from the March 2018 edition of The Option Advisor, published on February 23. For more information, or to subscribe to The Option Advisor -- featuring 10 new option trades each month -- visit our online store.Ask the average trader to find the culprit behind the recent stomach-churning sell-offs in the stock market, and they're quite likely to...Read More

Stock futures are pointed comfortably higher this morning, after a strong close last Friday from the major indexes translated into weekly wins. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is signaling a triple-digit gain, while S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) futures are also higher as bond yields continue to cool off. The Fed will stay in focus this week, with two central bankers tak...Read More

Semiconductor stocks last week found renewed strength thanks to major M&A buzz. One name in particular that remained hot was Dow component Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), with the shares rallying 4.2% on Friday alone. INTC stock is pointed another 0.9% higher this morning, following a bigprice-target hike. Analysts are hardly alone in their optimism, considering options traders have been upping t...Read More

"... whereas the SPX was coming off long-term support from its 200-day moving average and the VIX was situated just below potential resistance from half its 2018 high and double last year's peak, these two indexes now come into this week nearer potential resistance and support, respectively."For instance, the SPX high last week was around the half-century mark of 2,750, which coincides with its 20...Read More

Despite stocks scoring their best week in over a year last week, active money managers once again reduced their exposure to the stock market. In fact, the National Association of Active Investment Managers (NAAIM) exposure index fell to its lowest reading since the week prior to the November 2016 election, and has dropped roughly 34% since Jan. 24. However, previous such sharp reductions in equity...Read More

The Dow posted strong gains for a second straight day, as stocks rallied into the weekend. An extended slide in Treasury yields helped spark another round of buying in equities, as did easing concerns about accelerated Fed rate hikes. The S&P 500and Nasdaq also posted impressive wins -- with the latter snapping a four-day losing streak -- as tech and healthcare stocks outperformed. Thanks to the b...Read More

Health and fitness device maker Fitbit Inc (NYSE:FIT) is set to report its fourth-quarter earnings after the close on Monday. FIT stock has had a rough go on the charts over the past couple of months, struggling since an analyst-induced bear gap in mid-December. FIT has shed 13% year-to-date, and touched a record low of $4.90 earlier this month. At last check, the stock was up 1% to trade at $5.27...Read More

U.S. stocks have steadily climbed today, as the Dow heads for another triple-digit victory. Among other names making noise, gun stock American Outdoor Brands Corp (NASDAQ:AOBC) and biotech stock Anika Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ANIK) are lower, while Chinese mobile app concern Momo Inc (NASDAQ:MOMO) is soaring. Here's a closer look at what shares of AOBC, ANIK, and MOMO are reacting to today.Gun...Read More

The holiday-shortened trading week saw mixed price action on Wall Street, with a post-earnings slump for big-cap retailer Walmart (WMT) pressuring the Dow and S&P 500 Index (SPX) toward a third weekly loss out of four -- and putting the indexes comfortably on track to snap their 10-month winning streaks. And while the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) appears ready to end the week higher as a Friday surge h...Read More