 | | |  Good morning. Last Friday marked the second-busiest day for options trading in history. Traders were heavily moving into call options last week, as inflation slowed to two-year lows and the Federal Reserve declined to raise interest rates.
That helped the volatility index, or VIX, drop to its lowest levels in two years. Typically, when the VIX is this low, it's prone to a sharp move higher. That could come from a market panic, like March's banking crisis, which may not have ended quite yet.
For now, with things quiet, traders may want to look at inexpensive put options with time to play out. But it may not be time to heavily trade the short-side right now. For long-term investors, the name of the game here is to look for stocks that still trade at a reasonable value – and ideally pay a growing dividend.
Now here's the rest of the news: | | | | | | | | Stop Wasting Time and MONEY | | |  | | Trader, Artificial Intelligence That Predicted The COVID Crash and Bank Implosions Weeks Ahead Is Now Able to Warn Investors About…The Next "Volatility Tornado"
… And The Top 3 Stocks About to Skyrocket
This predictive A.I. forecasts market movements and trends before they happen with incredible accuracy.
Click below To Save Your Seat and learn the top 3 stock trends we're looking at right now for massive bullish potential.
SAVE YOUR SEAT HERE >> | |
| | |  | DOW 34,299.12 | -0.32% | | | | | S&P 4,409.59 | -0.37% | | | | | NASDAQ 13,689.57 | -0.68% | | | | | *As of market close | | | • | Stocks closed lower on Friday, but still had its best week since March. | | | • | Oil rallied 1.5 percent, closing at $71.69 per barrel. | | | • | Gold dipped 0.1 percent, ending the day at $1,969 per ounce. | | | • | Cryptocurrencies generally traded higher, with bitcoin at $26,372 at the market close. | | | | | | | |
| | | This Commodity Is Heading for an Upswing – Buy the Industry Leader | | | | Traders are starting to bet more on a soft landing for the economy, rather than a heavy recession. That's good news. It also means that some sectors should perform better than expected in the months ahead.
One area is construction. From increased infrastructure spending to a housing boom, there are plenty of ways to play the trend. The top way is to invest in commodities that rise in response to a strong economy.
» FULL STORY | | | | |
| | Insider Activity Report: B. Riley Financial (RILY) | | | | Bryant Riley, Co-CEO of B. Riley Financial (RILY), recently bought 6,199 shares. The buy increased his holdings by less than 1 percent, and came to a total cost just under $235,000.
This follows up on several other purchases from the co-CEO, including 3 buys in May for 65,000 shares, valued at over $2.1 million. A company director also bought 10,000 shares back in March, paying nearly $300,000 to do so.
» FULL STORY | | | | |
| | Unusual Options Activity: Microsoft (MSFT) | | | | Tech conglomerate Microsoft (MSFT) has been trending higher in recent sessions, even as it looks like the company's potential merger with Activision Blizzard (ATVI) will face sufficient regulatory scrutiny to be scrapped. One trader sees shares reversing lower.
That's based on the July 21 $345 puts. With 31 days until expiration, 8,788 contracts traded compared to a prior open interest of 311 for a 28-fold rise in volume on the trade. The buyer of the puts paid $7.83.
» FULL STORY | | | | |
| | • | Gas Prices Drop Ahead of Summer Driving Season
Prices at the gas pump are lower compared to last year, going into the summer driving season in North America. Last year, prices were still coming off the initial supply shock from boycotts against oil coming from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. This year, a slowing economy has led to lower prices, even as Saudi Arabia has cut production twice. | | | | • | Retailers Expect Heavy Discounts this Holiday Season
After supply chain shortages driving up prices, retailers expect an abundant supply of goods this holiday season. Many retailers are concerned that consumers will cut back spending this year. As a result, mid-priced items are seeing strong orders, as well as promotional products such as free gifts with purchases, that may entice consumers to spend this holiday season. | | | | • | Lawmakers Work to Address Pilot Shortage
Congress is considering several proposals to reduce the pilot shortage at airlines. Measures include potentially raising pilot retirement ages, allowing more training in simulators versus aircraft. Currently, some flights have been grounded given the shortage of qualified pilots. | | | | • | DraftKings Makes Bid for PointsBet
Sports betting firm DraftKings (DKNG) has made an offer to buy competitor PointsBet (PBH), in a deal valued at $195 million. The bid is higher than a competing one made by privately-held Fanatics Betting and Gaming. Legalized sports betting was just getting underway just before the start of the pandemic, with the rise of a number of players. | | | | • | UK Regulator Approves Amazon Buyout of iRobot
Antitrust regulators in the United Kingdom have approved the proposed $1.7 billion acquisition of robotic vacuum company iRobot (IRBT) by tech giant Amazon (AMZN). The deal was first proposed last August, and EU and US regulators will still need to sign off on the merger before it can go through. | | |
| | | | TOP | | | BALL | 6.882% | | | | GLW | 5.364% | | | | DISH | 3.606% | | | | HSIC | 3.18% | | | | VTRS | 3.135% | | | | BOTTOM | | | ARE | 4.672% | | | | HUM | 4.066% | | | | ADSK | 3.491% | | | | STLD | 3.464% | | | | EPAM | 3.349% | | | | |
| | |  | | Investors look for a variety of reasons to say: 'OK, does this move have legs? Is it sustainable? What they're finding is yes, it is sustainable over the long haul. | | - Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research, on why the market has continued higher, even as the Federal Reserve has hinted that it may further raise interest rates. | |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment