Tag: traders
Fundamental vs. Technical Analysis – What’s Your Style?
In investing and trading, we often hear debates on the merits of fundamental vs. technical analysis. Both aim to improve our probability of a profit. Both methods have their usefulness when correctly applied. They are not the same by any stretch, so it’s not a debate over one “apple” vs. another. It’s a comparison of […]
Market Volatility – Traders Must Adapt Or Risk Losing Their Shirts
Market volatility remains elevated and may be setting the stage for spikes even higher than we have already experienced. Global money is continuing to flow into the US Dollar making it one of the primary safe-haven trades. This may eventually trigger a broader and deeper selloff in U.S. stocks. As the USD continues to strengthen […]
The Put / Call Ratio – A Technique Used To Gauge Market Extremes
Perhaps you’ve heard of the “Put / Call Ratio” (PCR) and been unsure of exactly what it is or when and how to use it. First, a quick review of what Calls and Puts are. Calls are option contracts that increase in value from a RISE in the price of the underlying stock or index. […]
Which Is Better: Covered Calls Or Cash-Secured Puts?
Covered Calls and Cash-Secured puts seem to be the most popular choices among traders in finance and stocks. And for a good reason. The two trades in the same market, just on different terms. That’s right. And it all started with the same idea… Both kinds of trading are pretty much the same, except for […]
Top Five Reasons To Be An Options Trader
NUMBER 5 – ABILITY TO TRADE BOTH SIDES OF THE MARKET You can trade the market up and trade the market down. Most traders who buy stock don’t know how to trade the market to the downside. With Options, it is easy. You just buy a put option, and with the power of leverage, you can get into […]
Leverage: It’s Why Portfolios Blow Up
Last week, the forced unwinding of the Archegos Capital Management hedge fund put fears of a market collapse into investors’ minds. While it appears to have been an isolated case, the fund’s collapse vividly points out the dangers of using leverage to boost investment returns. Let’s discuss how excess leverage can turn declines in security […]
GME: A Lesson In How A Short Squeeze Works
If you watch financial news, you are probably aware of the short squeeze initiated by retail traders that drove share prices of stocks like GameStop Corp. (GME) up more than 800% in a few days. It was the biggest story last week. I do not think the news reporters did a very good job explaining the […]
Five Key Indicators For Landing Top Profits
I make stock and options recommendations based on what the charts—not the talking heads and suit-and-ties on financial TV networks—tell me. I spend many hours every week analyzing stock charts, support and resistance levels, moving averages, and numerous other technical indicators of the major indices and stocks to ensure that I’m bringing you recommendations that […]
Three Of The Most Shorted Stocks Today Paying Dividends
Short selling is a trading strategy to bet that a stock price will fall. However, if many traders all short the same stock and the trade turns against them, they can get caught in a money-losing short squeeze. For high-yield stocks, selling short is often a bet on a dividend cut. When that doesn’t happen, […]
Options Trading: Understanding Put-Call Parity
If I had a nickel for every time someone told me they love covered calls for their conservative income generation, but would never sell a naked put because that’s too risky, I could retire from trading. The fact is a covered call is exactly the same, in terms of both risk and reward, of selling a […]
