Editor

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) For the second week in a row, stocks took a beating with all three indexes dropping…Last weeks CPI (Consumer Price Index) doused investors and traders’ short term outlook with concerns the Fed will react more positively to a rate hike in the short term. Even the University of Michigan sentiment survey report for March showed less optimism, lower than expected from economists. Yields on the 10-year U.S. Treasury edged … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) Stock prices are floating in the atmosphere… It seems stock splits are out of style, as stocks keep ‘climbing the mountain.’ Once upon a time …in the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s when a stock reached near $100.00, serious talk of splitting shares was commonplace on the street, and in the boardroom. Stockholders looked forward to splits and receiving more shares, along with more potential of stock appreciation as shares … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) March Opened With the Bulls Marching On…All sectors contributed to an active upward market. Friday finished with all indexes setting record highs after four months of running hot. It was the “16th weekly gain in 18 weeks for the S&P 500.” Even the Russell 2000 index, (The smaller value stock index) followed suit catching ‘fire’ along with the big guys. “Things don’t go up forever. You need some sort … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) September finished off with the S&P 500 losing 4.9%, dragging the index down for the year, from 20% up to finish the third quarter up 12%. Treasuries have continued their torrid pace, edging upward, pushing the 10-year note up to 4.8%, giving equities ‘a hard road to hold.’ As Treasuries remain strong, attracting serious capital from investors and traders, the stock market interest wanes, unable to sustain upward moves. … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) The S&P 500 just finished its worst three week loss cycle since March 2023, with the Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average following lower. High techs (and high flyers) led the losers, as the sell-off spared no sectors. For the year the Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 have surged ahead 27% and 13% respectively, while in September both have fallen 5.4% and 3.8%, stunning numbers and hopefully … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) Last week finished on a ‘sour note,’ as the high techs lost steam on Friday, jolting the indexes lower. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 289 points while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite declined slightly, 1.2% and 1.6% respectively; (for the week the Dow Jones was positive). As the market opened Monday, the bond market swept stocks aside, as Treasuries were ‘supreme,’ hitting a 16 year high, attracting … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) The Giants Dragged The Market Lower…Last week both Nvidia and Apple suffered heavily. After Nvidia’s skyrocketing performance upon extremely good earnings for the quarter, the stock dropped 6% in two sessions as profit taking took a toll. Apple fell over 6% in two sessions after a dethroning, as China’s government mandated central government’ officials stop using the iPhone, with more levels of government to be curtailed in the future. … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) “Higher oil prices, higher inflation, higher rates for longer. That’s the tightrope that we’re walking right now,” spoken by Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank. The U.S. investor is facing a multitude of negative ‘darts,’ trying to dissect what to invest in, in this troublesome market environment. Oil continues to notch higher, finishing at $86.50 on Tuesday and near $90.00 on Wednesday, up consistently for 9 … Read more…