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Monday, January 23rd, 2012
9:00am (EST)
Well, Europe didn’t flare up and 4Q earnings came in halfway decent for some, not so good for others. These were the 2 catalysts that we said would move the market higher or lower last week and the results favored the bulls who were able to push another layer of resistance.
It was a shortened week for the market but the indexes moved higher on Tuesday following good news out of China but gave back half the gains after the Financial sector ended mixed. Citigroup (C, $29.64, up $0.31) and Wells Fargo (WFC, $30.54, up $0.39) missed and beat Wall Street’s estimates after announcing earnings to start the week.
There was follow through on Wednesday as the major averages ended the session with 1% pops, on average. eBay (EBAY, $31.93, up $0.42) posted better-than-expected results on the strength of their PayPal business which is going gang-busters globally.
We were expecting a flat to down Thursday as we weren’t sure what kind of numbers the jobs market would post before the bell and a number of Tech’s heavy-hitters were reporting earnings after the close. Thankfully, Initial Claims fell to their lowest level (351,000) in 4 years which put the bulls in a good mood and took some of the pressure off of Tech – which ended up leading the way higher. Bank of America (BAC, $7.07, up $0.11) gave the Financial stocks a lift after beating expectations.
Friday’s action was all about “old” Tech versus “new” Tech as Google (GOOG, $585.99, down $53.58), Intel (INTC, $26.38, up $0.75), International Business Machines (IBM, $188.52, up $0.08) and Microsoft (MSFT, $29.71, up $1.59) weighed-in with their numbers, which were good for the most part. The ugly duckling was Google which dropped 8% after missing Wall Street’s estimates. Intel, IBM and Microsoft accounted for 78 blue-chip points.
As a result, the Dow gained 96 points, or 0.8%, to end at 12,720. The blue-chips dipped to a low of 12,620 at the open but held new short-term support at 12,600 which was prior resistance. We could not have called this much better as we said a break above 12,600 would lead to a test up to 12,750-12,800…(read more)
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If you are not a subscriber but would like to read more please click here. We are one of the fastest growing stock options trading advisors on the internet and we are one of the very few option newsletters which posted a powerful 2011 return. In fact, we have NEVER had a losing year since forming in 2007. We are off to a fast 14-1 start for 2012 and our subscribers have already closed 3 triple digit winning trades for gains of 124%, 100%, and 131% and another call option trade for 82%.
We offer 2-3 powerful call or put option trades each week (depending on market conditions) aimed at triple-digit returns for our Daily newsletter. Our Weekly Wrap Covered Call Portfolio strides for double-digit returns on a monthly basis and went 16-0 for 2011 and is 8-0 so far in 2012 after the trades we closed on Friday. Sign-up now and receive access instantly to our stock options trading recommendations!
If you are missing these juicy profits come give us a try. Get your password to our Members Area instantly when you sign up TODAY! One profitable trade will easily pay for your membership. You can request our 2008-2011 Track Records by sending us an email or filling out the box to the right.
Tags: c, eBay, GOOG, IBM, INTC, MSFT, wfc
Posted in Earnings, Market Analysis, Market Commentary | Comments Off
Friday, January 20th, 2012
9:00am (EST)
The bulls rolled out the red carpet after the bell on Thursday as a number of companies were set to report earnings. Despite the high profile events, the market moved higher as Tech once again led the way.
The Dow gained 46 points, or 0.4%, to finish at 12,625. The blue-chips closed on their highs for the day which opens the door for a test up to 12,800 as the index ended above our near-term 12,600 target.
The S&P added a 6-pack, or 0.5%, to settle at 1,315. The index managed to stay in the green all day after testing the breakeven level shortly after the open. We said there could be fluff up to 1,325-1,350 on the close above 1,300 which would be nice for the bulls to hold going into the weekend.
The Nasdaq jumped 18 points, or 0.7%, and ended at 2,788. Tech made a run at our 2,800 target but fell short after kissing a high of 2,793.
Yesterday’s news is actually today’s headlines as we have a ton of stocks in play ahead of the open. Most noticeably, Google (GOOG, $639.57, up $6.66) shares are down a whopping 10% (like we predicted) after the company missed Wall Street’s estimates. It seems the gains on Thursday ($6.66) were a sign of bad things to come.
Google was down over $60 at one-point last night in extended trading and in pre-market action, shares are down $50 to $590.
Elsewhere in pre-market trading, Intel (INTC, $25.63, up $0.24) is up 2% after they beat estimates and offered in-line guidance for the current quarter. International Business Machines (IBM, $180.52, down $0.55) is trading higher to $185 despite missing analysts’ revenue targets but did up guidance going forward.
And finally, Microsoft (MSFT, $28.12, down $0.11) is pushing $29 after reporting a profit of $6.6 billion, or $0.78 a share, on revenue of $20.9 billion for the quarter. This was slightly below last year’s showing of $0.77 a share on sales of $19.95 billion for the quarter, but slightly ahead of the 76 cents the suit-and-ties had penciled in.
Shares of Microsoft are at $28.77, up $0.65, ahead of the bell. We currently have open trades on this name so look for possible Profit Alerts if we take action. We have a $35 price target on Microsoft by summertime but we want to take advantage of today’s possible pop to lock in profits on our February call options.
Futures are pointing towards a mixed open and look like this: Dow (-16), S&P (-3), Nasdaq (flat).
We also have some other current open trades that we may take action on this morning and we have raised the HARD STOPS for a few of them in case there is a pullback. With the weekend here, we may lock-in some triple-digit profits! Subscribers, check the Members Area for the updates and stay locked-and-loaded.
Tags: GOOG, IBM, INTC earnings, momentum options, MSFT
Posted in Earnings, Google, Market Commentary, Trade Update, Yahoo / Microsoft | Comments Off
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
9:00am (EST)
The bulls got off to a good start on Tuesday following Monday’s holiday as overnight and morning futures were up significantly before the European markets opened for trading. The major averages surged 1% out of the gate but finished the day giving back half the highs and then some after pushing another layer of resistance. Still, the surge higher put the momentum back on the bulls side following Friday’s setback but the close yesterday wasn’t fancy and didn’t excite us.
The Dow added 60 points, or 0.5%, to finish at 12,482. The blue-chips reached a high of 12,573 as they managed to stay in positive territory throughout the session. The move near resistance at 12,600 clears the way for a run up to 12,800-12,875 with a shot at 13,000 but that might be asking a bit much before we get a pullback. Short-term support is at 12,350 followed by 12,200.
The S&P 500 advanced 5 points, or 0.4%, to close at 1,294. The index reached a peak of 1,303 before fading in the second half and dipping to a low of 1,290. We said a close above 1,300 could lead to some fluff up to 1,325-1,350 while support is at 1,275 with 1,250 serving as backup.
The Nasdaq popped 17 points higher, or 0.6%, to settle at 2,728. Tech managed to kiss a high of 2,742 and came within spitting distance of hitting our 2,750 target. We are still looking for a close above this level before we say the bulls have a REAL good shot at the 52-week high of 2,887. We mentioned the Tech names reporting earnings this week on Monday night and said they could play a big role in a break past resistance or a pullback to 2,650-2,600 if the 2,700 level doesn’t hold.
If Google (GOOG, $628.58, up $3.59), Intel (INTC, $25.04, down $0.10), International Business Machines (IBM, $180, up $0.84) and Microsoft (MSFT, $28.25, flat) can wow Wall Street on Thursday then the bears might have to throw in the towel for awhile. If not, we could get our expected February pullback a couple of weeks early.
As we head to press, futures are up and look like this: (Dow -9), S&P (-2), Nasdaq (+4).
Subscribers, check the Members Area for the specific trade instructions for today as we have set some HARD STOPS for a number of our current option trades. If there is a pullback, we want to protect our triple-digits profits on some trades and close out some of our other higher performing double-digit plays.
We will send out Trade Alerts if they are hit or if we take other action this morning so stay on your toes. Otherwise, we will see you back here on Wall Street’s lunch break.
Tags: GOOG, Google's earnings, IBM, INTC, Microsoft's earnings, MSFT
Posted in Earnings, Market Analysis, Market Commentary | Comments Off
Monday, November 14th, 2011
1:15pm (EST)
Trading has been sloppy and choppy this morning as the bears are doing their best to hold the bulls back from advancing the market further following Friday’s nice pop. Futures were pointing towards a higher start for the US markets when the European markets opened but gradually faded as we headed towards the open.
There are a few stocks making some noise today which has kept the Dow from falling further while Tech has shown some strength.
International Business Machines (IBM, $188.07, up $0.69) is fractionally higher after Warren Buffett revealed he has been building a $10 billion stake in the company since March. We’ve liked IBM since $125 a few years ago and have played options on the stock in the past but the premiums have become more expensive because of the higher strike prices. We would but like to see a 4-for-1 split, or at least a 2-for-1 to get shares back under $100 but some companies have been reluctant to split their shares in recent years, or in some cases, a decade or more.
The last time IBM did a split was back in 1999 when they split the shares 2-for-1. In 1997 they did a 2-for-1 and in 1979 IBM split 4-for-1.
Caterpillar (CAT, $96.63, up $0.50) is trading higher after getting an upgrade from Goldman Sachs (GS, $98.75, down $2.91) this morning. Shares were added to Goldman’s Conviction Buy List with a price target of $118. The company seems to be clicking on all cylinders and is gearing up plants here at home which is a good, positive sign.
Caterpillar is still a stock we like to trade options on because shares are under $100. To a stock investor, stock-splits are really meaningless because you still have the same dollar amount invested. However, when stocks trade for $200 or $300 or in some cases $500 a share, the premiums to trade call or put options can be really expensive, especially if the options are “in-the-money” which is why we like to see stock-splits on higher priced shares.
For example, if an option is at $5, you are risking 5 times more money to than playing a $1 option up or down. A 5% move in the stock might not be enough for you to make money. A 10 contract trade would cost you nearly $5,000 for an option priced at $5.
With lower priced options that trade for a $1 or less, a 5% move in the stock usually means a 100% return for the option depending on how fast it comes. A 10 contract trade on a $1 option will cost you $1,000 but you could do 4 more trades instead of risking much more on the $5 option.
So, when you hear us call for a stock-split, this is what it means to us as far as trading options. Caterpillar doesn’t need to do a split any time soon and in fact, we currently have the stock on our Watch List along with some call options we may recommend. Goldman seems to be following our lead. In case you are wondering, Caterpillar did a 2-for-1 split back in July 2005 and before that, a 2-for-1 back in July 1997.
As we head to press, The Dow is down 87 points to 12,066 while the S&P is lower by 13 points to 1,250. The Nasdaq is off by 21 points to 2,657. Subscribers, check the Members Area for the latest updates and we will be back in the morning with a fresh outlook.
Tags: CAT, GS, IBM
Posted in Market Analysis, Market Commentary | Comments Off
Thursday, January 20th, 2011
9:00am (EST)
The bears weren’t too rough on the Dow yesterday but the S&P 500 and Nasdaq suffered 1% drops following weak Financial earnings and some terrible Tech numbers. Economic news didn’t help matters but the good news is that we have planned for a pullback.
The Dow fell 12 points to close at 11,825 but managed to trade to a two-year high of 11,861, thanks in part to IBM (IBM, $155.69, up $5.04) which got rewarded for its earnings report.
The S&P 500 dropped 13 unlucky points and finished at 1,281. The index traded to a low of 1,278 and we are watching for a possible break below 1,275 which could lead to 1,250 which is where we are looking to get back into some Tech plays, possibly.
The Nasdaq got punished for a 40 point loss and settled at 2,725.
Shares of F5 Networks (FFIV, $138.78, down $3.00) are doing their best Tom Petty this morning after the company came up a little short on its quarterly earnings. The stock is down another $29, to $110 in pre-market action. The company beat their earnings per share number but missed on revenue and offered a lower forecast for 2Q.
There could be an opportunity here…
As far as futures, they are pointing towards a slightly lower start: Dow (-11); S&P 500 (-1); Nasdaq 100 (flat). We will be back in the afternoon but stay close to your computer. We may send out a new trade this morning.
Tags: call options, IBM, momentum options, Momentum stocks, NYSE: FFIV, NYSE: IBM, option signals
Posted in Earnings, Hot Stocks | Comments Off
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Bulls Eye April Highs, Bears Banking on Greece
Monday, January 23rd, 2012
9:00am (EST)
Well, Europe didn’t flare up and 4Q earnings came in halfway decent for some, not so good for others. These were the 2 catalysts that we said would move the market higher or lower last week and the results favored the bulls who were able to push another layer of resistance.
It was a shortened week for the market but the indexes moved higher on Tuesday following good news out of China but gave back half the gains after the Financial sector ended mixed. Citigroup (C, $29.64, up $0.31) and Wells Fargo (WFC, $30.54, up $0.39) missed and beat Wall Street’s estimates after announcing earnings to start the week.
There was follow through on Wednesday as the major averages ended the session with 1% pops, on average. eBay (EBAY, $31.93, up $0.42) posted better-than-expected results on the strength of their PayPal business which is going gang-busters globally.
We were expecting a flat to down Thursday as we weren’t sure what kind of numbers the jobs market would post before the bell and a number of Tech’s heavy-hitters were reporting earnings after the close. Thankfully, Initial Claims fell to their lowest level (351,000) in 4 years which put the bulls in a good mood and took some of the pressure off of Tech – which ended up leading the way higher. Bank of America (BAC, $7.07, up $0.11) gave the Financial stocks a lift after beating expectations.
Friday’s action was all about “old” Tech versus “new” Tech as Google (GOOG, $585.99, down $53.58), Intel (INTC, $26.38, up $0.75), International Business Machines (IBM, $188.52, up $0.08) and Microsoft (MSFT, $29.71, up $1.59) weighed-in with their numbers, which were good for the most part. The ugly duckling was Google which dropped 8% after missing Wall Street’s estimates. Intel, IBM and Microsoft accounted for 78 blue-chip points.
As a result, the Dow gained 96 points, or 0.8%, to end at 12,720. The blue-chips dipped to a low of 12,620 at the open but held new short-term support at 12,600 which was prior resistance. We could not have called this much better as we said a break above 12,600 would lead to a test up to 12,750-12,800…(read more)
********************************************
If you are not a subscriber but would like to read more please click here. We are one of the fastest growing stock options trading advisors on the internet and we are one of the very few option newsletters which posted a powerful 2011 return. In fact, we have NEVER had a losing year since forming in 2007. We are off to a fast 14-1 start for 2012 and our subscribers have already closed 3 triple digit winning trades for gains of 124%, 100%, and 131% and another call option trade for 82%.
We offer 2-3 powerful call or put option trades each week (depending on market conditions) aimed at triple-digit returns for our Daily newsletter. Our Weekly Wrap Covered Call Portfolio strides for double-digit returns on a monthly basis and went 16-0 for 2011 and is 8-0 so far in 2012 after the trades we closed on Friday. Sign-up now and receive access instantly to our stock options trading recommendations!
If you are missing these juicy profits come give us a try. Get your password to our Members Area instantly when you sign up TODAY! One profitable trade will easily pay for your membership. You can request our 2008-2011 Track Records by sending us an email or filling out the box to the right.
Tags: c, eBay, GOOG, IBM, INTC, MSFT, wfc
Posted in Earnings, Market Analysis, Market Commentary | Comments Off