In just two days it will be Friday the 13th -- a day many superstitious people feel has ominous undertones. But how does the stock market typically perform on this notoriously spooky day? Below, we take a look at how the S&P 500 Index (SPX) tends to fare on Friday the 13th, and outline 25 stocks for short-term option bulls, if history is any guide, including oil issue Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX).Before...Read More

U.S. stocks are modestly higher today, as traders cautiously await the Fed meeting minutes. However, not all the action is sluggish, with IT services firm Helios and Matheson Analytics Inc (NASDAQ:HMNY), grocery stock Kroger Co (NYSE:KR), and biotech Aerie Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:AERI) making big moves. Here's a quick look at what is moving shares of HMNY, KR, and AERI.Citron Swipe Can't Sto...Read More

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Nasdaq Composite (IXIC), and S&P 500 Index (SPX) have been sticking close to breakeven today, in anticipation of the soon-to-be released Fed meeting minutes, which could provide clues to a possible December interest rate hike. Against this backdrop, the major equity indexes have wavered between small gains andlosses, with stocks cooling their jets afte...Read More

Third-quarter earnings season kicks off this week, with a number of big-cap financial firms set to take the stage. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) will report quarterly results ahead of tomorrow's open -- and options traders are betting on big things for the bank stock in the wake of earnings.At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX...Read More

U.S. stocks are little changed this morning, with the lack of movement stemming from anticipation ahead of today's Fed meeting minutes release. Among the stocks making moves this morning are airliner Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL), security and data solutions company Barracuda Networks Inc (NYSE:CUDA), and refrigerant services concern Hudson Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:HDSN). Here's a closer look...Read More

Analysts are weighing in on oil-and-gas company Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB), Dow stock General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), and biotech bluebird bio Inc (NASDAQ:BLUE). Here's a quick roundup of today's bearish brokerage notes on shares of SLB, GE, and BLUE.BMO Downgrades Schlumberger StockBMO downgraded Schlumberger stock to "market perform" from "outperform," while reducing its price target by...Read More

Analysts are weighing in on digital payment platform PayPal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:PYPL), social media giant Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), and mobile camera application Snap Inc (NYSE:SNAP). Here's a quick roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on shares of PYPL, FB, and SNAP.Analyst Expects More Record Highs For PayPal StockPayPal stock is up 1.8% to trade at $67.21, earlier hitting a record hig...Read More

Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) futures are trading in positive territory this morning, after the blue-chip index hit a record high on Tuesday. While the Dow's pre-market upside is modest, futures on the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are slightly lower, with traders apparently unwilling to make any big moves ahead of this afternoon's release of the September Fed meeting minute...Read More

The consistency of daily stock increases has been remarkable lately. This is true for the four major indexes -- S&P 500 Index (SPX), Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Russell 2000 Index (RUT), and the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC). It has been great for portfolios, but can it last? This week I'm looking at a couple measures that highlight this consistency to see how sustainable it can be going forwa...Read More

Shares of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) tumbled to $23.25 on Monday -- their lowest level in two years -- following news of a massive executive shake-up. And while GE is up 0.4% today to trade at $23.52, one options trader seems to think this is a "dead-cat bounce," and is betting on even lower lows for the Dow stock through year's end.At last check, more than 89,000 puts have traded on GE so...Read More

TheDow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), S&P 500 Index (SPX), and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) all posted record highs in early trading, but both the S&P and Nasdaq struggled to stay positive during the second half of the session. Retail giant Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) kept the Dow ahead of the pack, with WMT stock closing 4.5% higher after the company announced a $20 million buyback plan. However, with the...Read More

The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) sports a year-to-date lead of less than 5%, easily underperforming the broader stock market. Making matters worse, the exchange-traded fund (ETF) has failed to recover since crossing below its 200-day moving average on Sept. 21, with the shares hitting a nearly seven-month low yesterday. Today, XLP is up 0.7% at $54.07 despite losses from the fun...Read More

Shares of streaming name Roku Inc (NASDAQ:ROKU) began trading on the Nasdaq on Sept. 28, opening at $15.78 after pricing its initial public offering (IPO) at $14. ROKU options, meanwhile, became available one week later on Thursday, Oct. 5, and in that time, speculators have amassed 7,750 open positions on Roku. Here's a closer look at how options traders have been lining up on the streaming name,...Read More

Big banks have been some of the main beneficiaries of the "Trump rally," with investors pricing in expectations for less strict regulations on Wall Street. Further, the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) has moved higher in tandem with expectations for a third rate hike in 2017, with the CME Group's FedWatch tool now predicting an 86.7% chance that the U.S. central bank will lift its benchmar...Read More

U.S. stocks are higher today once again, as the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite all set fresh intraday highs this morning. Biotech stocks MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD) and AnaptysBio Inc (NASDAQ:ANAB), as well as airline stock American Airlines Group Inc (NASDAQ:AAL), are soaring. Here's a quick look at what is moving shares of MNKD, ANAB, and AAL.Analyst Initiates Bullish Coverage On Man...Read More

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Nasdaq Composite (IXIC), and S&P 500 Index (SPX) all hit new record highs this morning, with energy stocks setting a bullish tone as November crude futures add 2.7% to trade at $50.90 per barrel. However, Dow component Procter & Gamble (PG) is sitting out the rally, with PG stock down 1.3% after activist investor Nelson Peltz failed in his bid for a board...Read More

Semiconductor stocks have been ripping higher over the past 12 months, as evidenced by the price action in the VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH). The exchange-traded fund (ETF) is up 37.8% year-over-year, with its trusty 80-day moving average serving as a reliable foothold during rare pullbacks. What's more, the shares hit a record high of $96.47 earlier on NVIDIA stock tailwinds, and were la...Read More

The major U.S. equity benchmarks rallied to new record highs out of the gate this morning, following suit with strength in oil prices. Among the stocks making moves this morning are tech company Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA), biopharmaceutical concern Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE), and biomaterial products developer MiMedx Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDXG). Here's a closer look at what's moving shares of NV...Read More

Shares of consumer products company Newell Brands Inc (NYSE:NWL) have been sliding since an early August earnings report, and a downwardly revised full-year guidance early last month sent the equity to an annual low. NWL is now down more than 16% year-over-year, but sentiment surrounding the stock remains overly bullish. Analysts, for example, are extremely optimistic. By the numbers, nine of 13...Read More

Analysts are weighing in on cybersecurity stock Palo Alto Networks Inc (NYSE:PANW),coal concern Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU), and Dow component Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT). Here's a quick roundup of today's bullish brokerage notes on shares of PANW, BTU, and CAT.Palo Alto Networks Stock Gaps Higher On UpgradePalo Alto Networks stock is up 3.2% to trade at $151.16, after Morgan Stanley...Read More