Technology powerhouse IBM Corp. (NYSE:IBM) is trading lower, as a disappointing full-year forecast overshadows the company's first rise in revenue in 23 quarters. In response, the tech stock has received mixed analyst attention. Of note, brokerage firm Deutsche Bank raised its price target to $160 from $150, while RBC cut its price target to $180 from $183. The Dow stock was trading 2.4% lower at...Read More

The shares of Overstock.com Inc (NASDAQ:OSTK) are pointed 4.2% higher in pre-market trading, amid reports that Kroger Co (NYSE:KR) could be interested in buying the e-commerce concern. However, even without the M&A speculation, OSTK shares -- which have moved in step with blockchain stocks recently -- could be sending up a "buy" signal, if past is prologue.The shares recently pulled back to within...Read More

After staging a sharp reversal from record highs on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is signaling a negative start to the trading session. All odds seem stacked against the blue-chip index today, with Dow stocks American Express (AXP) and IBM (IBM) set for post-earnings slumps. And while the House passed a short-term funding bill last night, the stopgap measure still has to clear t...Read More

After notching a fresh record high out of the gate today, the Dow reversed course -- and was briefly down triple digits -- amid concerns about a possible government shutdown this weekend. Another big loss for General Electric (GE) stock also weighed on the index, overshadowing a solid day for Walmart (WMT) shares. Nevertheless, the Dow managed to maintain a perch atop the 26,000 level. The S&P and...Read More

Threats of a government shutdown have the Dow retreating from the record high set earlier -- and testing its newfound footing atop 26,000. This negative price action is not confined to blue chips, either, with network infrastructure specialist ADTRAN, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADTN), and pharma stocks Lannett Company, Inc. (NYSE:LCI) and Endo International plc (NASDAQ:ENDP) also in the red. Here's a quick look...Read More

Railroad stock Kansas City Southern (NYSE:KSU) has been a steady climber over the past two years, with the shares recently enjoying support from their 20-week moving average. KSU was last seen trading at $111.57, not far from its nearly three-year high of $114.85 from early December. Options activity has picked up in recent weeks, too, ahead of the company's early morning earnings tomorrow, as to...Read More

Subscribers to Schaeffer's Option Advisor service recently doubled their money on our Century Aluminum Co (NASDAQ:CENX) March 16, 2018 16-strike call recommendation. Here's a closer look at why we became bullish on CENX stock, and how the winning options trade unfolded.When we recommended the call option in late December, shares of the aluminum services name had recently pulled back to their 320-d...Read More

The 20 stocks listed in the table below have attracted the highest total weekly options volume during the past 10 days. Stocks highlighted in yellow are new entries to the list. Data is courtesy of Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White. One of the names to note is Snapchat parent Snap Inc. (NYSE:SNAP). Below, we'll break down recent options trading activity on SNAP.Snap stock has b...Read More

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) tapped a record high at the open, but it would appear stocks are now being hit by a round of profit-taking, with the blue-chip index last seen trading back below 26,000. In fact, some of the year's top sectors -- namely, healthcare and finance -- are the primary reasons the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) have joined the Dow in the red. Invest...Read More

Coffee concern Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) is on the radar today, after the Seattle-based beverage chain received positive analyst attention ahead of its fiscal first-quarter earnings report, which is expected to drop a week from today, after the stock market closes. The note came from Credit Suisse, after the brokerage firm raised its price target to $57 from $54 on SBUX -- though this s...Read More

Cybersecurity stocks had a strong start to the year amid news of security flaws in Intel chips. And while Next-Generation Firewall parent Palo Alto Networks Inc (NYSE:PANW) has extended this momentum, Norton antivirus maker Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ:SYMC) has faltered. These trends are continuing today following a fresh round of analyst attention. Here's a closer look at how shares of PANW and...Read More

Health and wellness retailer GNC Holdings Inc (NYSE:GNC) is up 41.8% this morning at $4.89, after the company said it's expecting an increase in same-store sales for the fourth quarter. It also forecast earnings-per-share for the period at 24 cents to 25 cents, compared to the 7 cents per share it posted last year in the same period. This is a much-needed boost for GNC stock, which had been flound...Read More

Waxing optimistic on higher consumer spending and wage growth following the Republican tax bill, Goldman Sachs this morning added Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT) stock to its "Conviction Buy" list. In fact, Walmart just recently announced plans to lift its own minimum wage for hourly employees in the wake of tax reform. In light of the upgrade from "neutral" to "buy," WMT stock is flirting with rec...Read More

After barreling to new record highs on Wednesday, the U.S. stock market looks set for a slow start. Blue chips appear ready to continue this week's outperformance, though, with futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) trading above fair value. And while the S&P 500 Index (SPX) is modestly higher in pre-market trading on a positive earnings reaction for Morgan Stanley (MS), the tech sector...Read More

With U.S. stocks on a historic tear to start 2018, signs of extreme stock market optimism continue to pop up. For instance, a recent American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) survey recently sent up a "huge caution sign" for stocks. Now, the latest Investors Intelligence (II) survey indicates that stock market bears haven't been this AWOL since 1987 -- the year of the "Black Monday" cras...Read More

Stocks made up for yesterday's losses during today's trading, with the Dow touching a fresh record high to mark its first close above 26,000.The blue-chip index skyrocketed more than 300 points by the closing bell, marking its best session since late November. A big day for Boeing (BA) stock helped the Dow higher, overshadowing a negative earnings reaction for Goldman Sachs (GS). A rally in tech...Read More

Earnings season kicks into high gear next week, with several high-profile names set to release fourth-quarter results. While Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) will represent its fellow FAANG stocks, several blue-chip companies will take turns in the limelight -- including embattled General Electric Company (NYSE:GE). Meanwhile, the economic calendar starts heating up mid-week, with all eyes on Friday's...Read More

It's another breakout session for stocks today, with the Dow up around 290 points at last check, and fresh of a new record high. Among individual equities moving higher with the broad market are electric car concern Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) and data storage platform Pure Storage Inc (NYSE:PSTG), though pay-TV operator DISH Network Corp (NASDAQ:DISH) is sitting out the day's rally. Here's a closer l...Read More

Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) has underperformed on the charts in recent months, down 30.3% over the past year. This dismal return comes despite strong showings from a number of sector peers from our Restaurant & Bars sub-sector, including Dow component McDonald's (MCD). Out of this group of roughly two-dozen, PZZA is one of just six that's trading below its 80-day moving average,...Read More

Bank stocks remain in focus today, with a handful of companies reporting earnings. Big-cap financial name Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) will soon be in the spotlight, too, expected to reportfourth-quarter earnings before Thursday'sopen. Below, we take a look at how MS stock has performed on the charts, and how options traders are speculating ahead of tomorrow's report.Morgan Stanley stock has had a res...Read More