Market News

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) Friday’s market was all peaks and valleys, with the indexes finishing the week slightly higher. A flood of news; tariff threats, the end of earnings season, and stubborn inflation, all add up to a heavy burden on investors and traders. Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Northlight Asset Management said, “You can really tell we’re in a bull market. All bad news seems to have been overlooked, and really … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) The first week of February was uneventful as investors monitored the ever changing tariff situation, a better than expected jobs report and a parade of good earnings reports, with all boosting the market. The coming week will focus heavily on the CPI (Consumer Price Index report), to be released Wednesday, with more data to come on “wholesale and retail sales,” to track inflation. Many economists and analysts alike don’t … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) Even though bad news seemed to overtake good news, the exchanges finished the month with gains. Stocks were positive for the first half, then slowly backed off with bad news piling up. Fears of President Trump’s institution of massive tariffs, the release of China’s DeepSeek chip innovation have rattled the market. As President Trump has backtracted on tariffs aimed at Mexico and Canada, he is moving forward on Chinese … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) All three indexes finished last week with gains. The Benchmark S&P 500 logged up 1.7% for the week–the first record finish this year, while the heavy-tech Nasdaq Composite added 1.7% also. The Dow Jones Jones Industrial Average led all indexes with a nice weekly gain of 2.2%. Investors and traders are mostly positive and optimistic about President Trump’s second crack at occupying the White House. With an economy that … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) The Dow Jones Industrial Average gave up nearly 700 points Friday, while the S&P 500 saw its 2025 gain evaporate, down 1.5%. The Nasdaq was off an alarming 1.6%. The market was closed Thursday in honor of the passing of President Jimmy Carter. The 10-year Treasury yield hit its highest point since 2023 touching a 14 month peak and finishing at 4.784%. Even the 30-year crested 5%, closing at … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) Friday’s market perked up, maybe Santa stuck around? After five days of roller-coaster indexes, the market came alive, with all three indexes on an upward track. The S&P 500 had the best day in nearly a month, up 1.8%. The lethargic Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 340 points, up 0.8%. The tech-loaded Nasdaq Composite was up 1.8% as the shortened week closed on a positive note. Stockholders, analysts, economists … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) Stocks soared in 2024…with the indexes marching to record yearly highs. The S&P 500 finished up 24% (with “57 record closes”), with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 14%. The heavy-tech Nasdaq Composite soared a dazzling 31%, reflecting its powerful make-up of the Magnificent 7, chip and AI stocks as the exchange, after a few hiccups, continued moving upward. The Russell 2000 (the forgotten index, made up of smaller … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) Stocks begged for a rate cut … and Mr. Powell obliged, and the week closed on a high note. The benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 498 points Friday ending a 10 day stretch of falling. Blue chips and value stocks were the focus Friday, as investors and traders looked for stalwart investments. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite managed to rise above flatline, up 1.1% and 1% … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) Friday’s DowJones fell again…the seventh session in a row, as stocks retreated in every sector, weakening the benchmark index. The tech-driven Nasdaq Composite finished near the flatline, while the S&P 500 was lower. The Bond Market trended upward, picking up a quarter percentage point for the week at 4.398%, edging up since the election.. “We’ve had a big run up but now interest rates are pushing up and people … Read more…

(Justin Vaughn, Editor, Options Trading Report) After a blistering pace in the first 11 months this year the sizzling hot S&P 500 is up a record 28%, beating all expectations of economists and market gurus. Can the markets continue the rest of the year and into 2025 at that rate? Recently released Jobs data sparked the market the past week, while also giving the Fed’s Mr. Powell more reasons for a rate cut this month. … Read more…