Despite notching record highs in intraday trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), S&P 500 Index (SPX), and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) closed in the red today. Poorly received earnings from big banks like JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup pressured financial stocks lower, while AT&T's warning about third-quarter results weighed on telecom stocks. Meanwhile, traders digested President Trump's ex...Read More

Subscribers to Schaeffer's Option Advisor service recently scored a 100% profit from January 2018 82.50-strike Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA) puts. Below, we'll break down why we were bearish on WBA and how the successful options trade unfolded. On Sept. 20, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved Walgreens Boots Alliance's bid to buy roughly 42% of Rite Aid stores. The news sent W...Read More

Health insurance stock UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) is down 0.8% today at $193.61, with healthcare stocks in focus after President Trump signed an executive order aimed at rolling back parts of Obamacare. However, UNH shares are now trading just above their 80-day moving average, a trendline that has had bullish implications in the past. If history repeats, UNH stock could be headed back towa...Read More

U.S. stocks are slightly lower today, despite the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite all touching record highs earlier. Retail stocks Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. (NYSE:ETH), Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM), and Ulta Beauty Inc (NASDAQ:ULTA) are all having days to forget, amid sector headwinds. Here's a quick look at what is moving shares of ETH, WSM, and ULTA.Ethan Allen Stock Slides After Lowere...Read More

Options trading has been red-hot on Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU), with total open interest of 2.59 million contracts at the top of its annual range. Calls have the edge over puts, with 1.53 million of the former and 1.05 million of the latter currently open. Regardless of how options traders are positioning themselves, though, those purchasing short-term premium are able to do so at a relat...Read More

Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) is up 4% at $18.43, putting the shares on pace for their highest close since their late-July bear gap. Interestingly, this puts TWTR stock on pace to close atop its 24-month -- or two-year -- moving average for the first time ever. Meanwhile, options traders continue to bet on more upside from the security. First of all, the equity has a 10-day call/put volume ratio of 4.8...Read More

The shares of credit agency Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) are in the red today, after the company took one of its web pages offline to look into another potential cybersecurity attack. Just over a month ago, Equifax revealed a massive data breach impacting millions of consumers, sparking a round of executive departures and lots of heat from Washington, D.C. At last check, EFX stock is down 1.2% at $109....Read More

A handful of Federal Reserve officials will step up to the podium again this week. Fed Chair Janet Yellen's Friday speech will likely draw the biggest crowd, and Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer will take the mic on Wednesday.Plus, third-quarter earnings season kicks into high gear with several notable names set to report, including Dow components American Express Company (NYSE:AXP), General Electric...Read More

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) has been one of the hottest stocks on Wall Street in recent weeks, with the shares touching a record high of $199.40 on Monday. NFLX stock was more recently seen trading at $196.10, and with the streaming content company scheduled to report earnings after the close next Monday, more analysts -- and, seemingly, options traders -- are expecting additional upside from the...Read More

Third-quarter earning season is officially underway, with big-cap bank stocks JPMorgan (JPM) and Citigroup (C) trading modestly lower in the wake of this morning's quarterly results. Next up are Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC), PNC Financial Services Group Inc (NYSE:PNC), and Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE:WFC), which are all slated to report earnings ahead of tomorrow's open. Here's a closer look at how...Read More

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Nasdaq Composite (IXIC), and S&P 500 Index (SPX) started the session in the red, as traders eyed the first big batch of quarterly earnings, led by big banks. However, the Dow has since peeked higher and touched another record high, and a rally in tech stocks has also helped the Nasdaq to an all-time peak. The S&P remains modestly lower, though, as media...Read More

U.S. stocks are trading slightly lower this morning, as third-quarter earnings season commences. Among the stocks making moves this morning are banking institution and blue-chip powerhouse JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JPM), pizza restaurant chain Domino's Pizza, Inc. (NYSE:DPZ), and drugmaker AcelRx Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:ACRX). Here's a closer look at what's moving shares of JPM, DPZ, and ACR...Read More

Analysts are weighing in on biotech Ardelyx Inc (NASDAQ:ARDX), mobile game maker Glu Mobile Inc. (NASDAQ:GLUU), and retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT). Here's a quick roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on shares of ARDX, GLUU, and WMT.Ardelyx Spikes On Price-Target HikesArdelyx stock is up 41.7% to trade at $7.65, after the company last night announced its constipation drug suc...Read More

Analysts are weighing in on retail stock J.Jill Inc (NYSE:JILL), network equipment specialist Juniper Networks, Inc. (NYSE:JNPR), and prepaid card name Blackhawk Network Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:HAWK). Here's a quick roundup of today's bearish brokerage notes on shares of JILL, JNPR, and HAWK.J. Jill Stock Spirals After Slashed Guidance, DowngradeJILL stock is bracing for a 45% drop out of the gate --...Read More

Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) futures are slightly lower ahead of the bell, following another record close yesterday, as financial stocks kick off third-quarter earnings season. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) stock is waffling in pre-market action, as traders weigh an earnings beat against weak trading results for the firm. Futures on the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are slightl...Read More

Despite a bit of a rocky start, theDow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), S&P 500 Index (SPX), and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) all closed modestly higher today, after minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) September meeting reaffirmed expectations for a December interest rate hike. Although "many participants expressed concern" about low inflation, severalthink another rate hike in 2017...Read More

Google parent Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL), e-commerce giant Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), and TV streaming service Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) all received bullish analyst attention today. Below, we will check in with these FAANG stocks and see how they are faring ahead of earnings season, with Netflix set to report early next week.Alphabet Stock Breaks Back Above $1,000 LevelEarlier today,...Read More

The end of this week will mark the second -- and last -- Friday the 13th of 2017, a day that strikes fear in the heart of the superstitious. This day hasspooked the stock market in recent years, though the S&P 500 Index (SPX) bucked this bearish trend this past January. But, if history is any guide, the SPX could be headed toward end-of-week losses, with retail stocks Kohl's Corporation (NYSE:KSS)...Read More

President Donald Trump earlier today once again took aim at NBC in a tweet, a move that could be having a negative effect on other media stocks. For instance, Twenty-First Century Fox Inc (NASDAQ:FOXA) and CBS Corporation (NYSE:CBS) are both sharply lower today, and data suggests shares of both companies could have further to drop. Let's take a closer look at FOXA and CBS below. Media Sector Looks...Read More

Citigroup Inc (NYSE:C) will join fellow big-cap bank JPMorgan Chase (JPM) in the earnings confessional bright and early tomorrow morning, as third-quarter earnings season gets underway. Despite the stock's history of negative earnings reactions, C options traders have been loading up on long calls ahead of the quarterly event, with 2.66 calls bought to open for each put on the International Securi...Read More