SchaeffersResearch.com Market Observations

Jitters ahead of the Fed's policy meeting weighed on stocks for most of the session

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:12:00 GMT

Stocks wallowed in the red for most of the session today, thanks to escalating concerns about the health of the global economy...(Read More)

Capitalizing on volatility while limiting risk by utilizing options

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:00:00 GMT

One of the benefits to trading options is that they offer a diversity that is nearly unmatched in the investing world...(Read More)

Can the shares of NKE finally defeat the round-number 70 neighborhood?

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:45:00 GMT

While many Street dwellers will be dodging pinches on St. Patrick's Day, Nike, Inc...(Read More)

One speculator is betting on stagnant price action for the motorcycle maker

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:15:00 GMT

Speculation is heating up today on Harley-Davidson, Inc. (HOG), with option volume accelerating to nearly three times the norm...(Read More)

Pharmaceutical concern looks to capitalize on growing goodwill among Wall Street analysts

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:47:00 GMT

Pharmaceutical concern Sequenom Inc. (SQNM) attracted considerable attention on March 3, when analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald and Hapoalim Securities both announced that they'd gained renewed confidence in the company...(Read More)

The stock's March 32.50 call was the center of attention last Friday

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:19:00 GMT

Paychex, Inc. (PAYX) drew a tidal wave of options volume on Friday, with roughly 23,000 calls changing hands during the course of the session...(Read More)

Puts have been the options of choice in recent weeks

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:30:00 GMT

Puts were a popular choice on Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL) last Friday...(Read More)

Goldman Sachs removed the stock from its conviction buy list

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:50:00 GMT

The newest members of RadioShack Corporation's (RSH) bullish fan club may be regretting their recent call purchases today, as the shares of RSH react to a negative analyst note...(Read More)

The defense firm is reportedly in line to score a lucrative contract from the British army

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:24:00 GMT

Today's column includes a rumored contract win for General Dynamics Corporation (GD), a fundamental boost for Baidu, Inc...(Read More)

U.S. stock futures point to weak start ahead of key economic data

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:03:00 GMT

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) cleared another technical hurdle last week, topping 10,600 during a rather lackluster week of trading...(Read More)

Dow Cracks 10,600, While SPX Winks at 1,150

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:25:00 GMT

Ho-hum. But a good ho-hum. Stocks traded in a relatively tight range all week, but by week's end, all three major market indexes had recorded respectable gains...(Read More)

The SPX and Nasdaq Composite touched new highs before retreating toward breakeven

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:14:00 GMT

Stocks kicked off the session on an upbeat note today, as the Street savored an encouraging dose of data from the retail sector...(Read More)

Is sentiment shifting after the company's fourth-quarter earnings report?

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:30:00 GMT

Call traders have descended on Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. (HALO) today, with volume spiking to 11 times the usual level...(Read More)

The equity is poised to close atop two key trendlines for the first time since 2007

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:35:00 GMT

Call speculators have singled out grocery guru Supervalu Inc. (SVU) today, as investors place their bets amid unsubstantiated buyout buzz...(Read More)

The stock is drawing heavy put volume, despite its breakout rally

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:22:00 GMT

Put players set their sights on Veeco Instruments Inc. (VECO) on Thursday, when traders on the International Securities Exchange (ISE) bought to open 1,172 of these bearishly skewed options...(Read More)

A downbeat note from Standard & Poor's may have sparked near-term put activity

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:30:00 GMT

In last week's edition of Trading Tools, we took a look at L-3 Communications (LLL), which was the center of accelerated put activity highlighted by the Schaeffer's Most Active Options filter...(Read More)

One strategist is expecting the stock to stagnate during the near term

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:55:00 GMT

Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB) garnered unusually heavy option volume on Thursday. Roughly 10,000 calls crossed the tape, well outpacing expected volume of fewer than 3,700 contracts...(Read More)

Utilizing options to limit risk and still profit from a sharp move in a stock, regardless of direction

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:41:00 GMT

It really is impressive just how versatile options are as an investment vehicle...(Read More)

The commodity concern topped fourth-quarter revenue expectations

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:29:00 GMT

Today's column includes the latest quarterly results from Goldcorp Inc. (GG), a rare bit of good news for Toyota Motor Corporation (TM), a bullish endorsement for Dendreon Corporation (DNDN), and a wider-than-forecast quarterly loss from Novavax, Inc...(Read More)

U.S. stock futures rally on hopes for solid retail data

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:51:00 GMT

Following a late-session rally yesterday, the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) are hovering within striking distance of their 2010 highs...(Read More)

The SPX and Nasdaq Composite both settled in annual-high territory

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:26:00 GMT

The stock market continued its recent trend of timid price action today, with U.S. equities tentatively testing the waters on either side of the breakeven line...(Read More)

Utilizing options to profit from a sharp move in a stock, regardless of direction

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:00:00 GMT

It really is impressive just how versatile options are as an investment vehicle...(Read More)

Buy-to-open call volume has ramped up in step with the stock's rally

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:35:00 GMT

Call buying has climbed lately on Star Scientific, Inc. (CIGX), with traders showing an overwhelming preference for bullish bets over their bearish counterparts...(Read More)

Shares of this smartphone maker are saddled with poor price action and heavy bearish sentiment

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:00:00 GMT

Struggling smartphone specialist Palm Inc. (PALM) is scheduled to enter the earnings confessional after the close of trading on Thursday next week, with analysts forecasting a loss of 41 cents per share for the quarter...(Read More)

Is it too late to jump on the stock's bearish bandwagon?

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:20:00 GMT

Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ENER) caught our attention this week, when the stock rose to the top of our bearish scorecard...(Read More)