http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/stock-options-blog.html This blog includes market outlook conditions, updates of market and options activity, and recommendations results. It provides breaking news and also keeps you updated about what's new on the site. en-us stock options Sun, 13 May 2012 09:35:16 GMT Sun, 13 May 2012 09:35:16 GMT stock-options-made-easy.com http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-051412.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-051412.html Facebook’s giant IPO is tentatively scheduled to price May 17, in the week ahead, pending SEC approval. But Europe may continue to drive the action as markets navigate the politics of Greece and...... Sun, 13 May 2012 09:35:15 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/technical-indicators.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/technical-indicators.html With Wall Street heading into a seasonally weak period, and the conditions of last week fresh in investors’ minds, panic could be a major concern for the market. Even though the technical indicators.. Mon, 07 May 2012 06:04:18 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/VIX-options.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/VIX-options.html Since the CBOE Market Volatility Index (VIX) is "cheap," as well as other various VIX products -- such as VIX options – at this present time, therefore, making ideal instruments for hedging equity.... Mon, 07 May 2012 02:21:14 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/earnings-season-050712.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/earnings-season-050712.html We're now about half way through the April/May earnings season. Looking at optionable, liquid stocks, there were 579 companies that reported earnings in April. This article takes a look at the........ Sun, 06 May 2012 00:44:06 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-050712.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-050712.html More turbulence is expected in the stock market in the week ahead after Wall Street ended its worst week of the year on Friday. U.S. stock investors will look across the Atlantic to take their cue.... Sat, 05 May 2012 12:01:02 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/fear.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/fear.html While any one of the headlines in the past couple of weeks, trying to invoke fear into the investor, might have sparked a selling spree in the not-so-distant past, this article breaks down a few..... Tue, 01 May 2012 12:40:54 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/indicators.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/indicators.html In the week ahead it is interesting to take a look at how individual stocks have performed, depending on certain characteristics. A look at several indicators helps to clarify the situation – ,,,,,,,, Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:51:21 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-043012.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-043012.html Armed with better-than-expected corporate profits, Wall Street’s bulls will do battle with potentially bearish economic and European news in the week ahead as investors await Friday’s April jobs...... Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:05:58 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/bullish-risk.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/bullish-risk.html The bullish risk factor is under-scored by investor anxiety as observed by the current sentiment landscape. There has been rising expectations for a correction of painful proportions therefore a...... Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:20:19 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/expiration-week.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/expiration-week.html At the end of this week, equity options are set to expire. Expiration week has tended to be a bit bearish over the last couple of years -- averaging a slight loss, with 52% of those weeks being....... Mon, 16 Apr 2012 06:47:29 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-041612.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-041612.html After suffering their worst two weeks of the year, stocks will look to quarterly earnings in the week ahead to determine whether the recent pullback has been exhausted or more losses are justified.... Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:38:29 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/good-friday.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/good-friday.html The stock market, including the NYSE, is closed on Good Friday, when many financial institutions and government offices are open. The reasons behind the closing have prompted some great theories...... Thu, 12 Apr 2012 01:33:44 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/market-risk.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/market-risk.html Investors are becoming more market risk aware after the last several years of uncertainty in the stock market! This article discusses this issue as well as explores the round numbers situation for.... Sun, 08 Apr 2012 13:51:17 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/easter-seasonality.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/easter-seasonality.html Easter seasonality is now with us, and according to the table included in this article, the fact that the S&P 500 Index (SPX) is positive on the year should make us quite optimistic for the rest...... Sun, 08 Apr 2012 07:13:41 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-040912.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-040912.html Futures markets signal a steep sell-off Monday, in the week ahead, as the Labor Department says employers added 120,000 nonfarm jobs in March, less than expected. Unemployment falls to 8.2%, as....... Sat, 07 Apr 2012 23:31:45 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/earnings-season.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/earnings-season.html There are a few key reasons why this earnings season will be unique and more volatile than others we have seen in the recent past. This article provides an insight into why some stocks will soar ..... Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:49:44 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/SPX-040212.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/SPX-040212.html Even though a bull market is apparent -- three years and more than 600 SPX points later -- retail investors still aren't buying it! This article looks at three major signs that skepticism is mount.... Mon, 02 Apr 2012 08:14:31 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/first-quarter.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/first-quarter.html This article takes a look at the results of the first quarter -- the winners and losers of the DOW, SPX, COMP and NDX. Also, Apple’s standing and Sears continued profit line are discussed. Mon, 02 Apr 2012 02:11:10 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/second-quarter.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/second-quarter.html This week, seasonality takes center-stage to see how the market has performed in the past during the second quarter. Also, included will be a list of stocks that have performed exceptionally well..... Sun, 01 Apr 2012 08:08:30 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-040212.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-040212.html A big week ahead after a great 1st Quarter! After the best first quarter in 14 years, the market may be poised for the long-awaited pullback, as investors look to a slew of economic data for insight.. Sun, 01 Apr 2012 05:14:32 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/contrarian-trading.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/contrarian-trading.html This article is based on an explanation as to how you can use analysis in contrarian trading to find out which stocks have the muscle to keep climbing in the suddenly wobbly market environment --..... Mon, 26 Mar 2012 02:25:21 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/hedge-fund.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/hedge-fund.html Hedge fund players are losing their incentive for equities according to option-based indicators, as discussed in this article. Also, research on various technical indicators suggests a pause within... Sun, 25 Mar 2012 07:33:15 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-032612.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-032612.html Portfolio Dressing maybe the key to the direction of the market in the week ahead. Stocks enter the final week of what’s shaping up to be the best first quarter in 14 years. The upcoming week could... Sun, 25 Mar 2012 01:53:07 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/growth-or-value.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/growth-or-value.html To buy growth or value stock is a question that has been debated among those that have steadfastly practiced either style of investing for as long as the stock market has been acknowledged! .......... Fri, 23 Mar 2012 07:29:02 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/VIX-031912.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/VIX-031912.html Should traders be alarmed about the VIX taking a trip south of 15? Over the short term, it does seem that there's some valid cause for concern. However, after examining the facts, while the short..... Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:15:06 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/sell-signals.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/sell-signals.html Though some technical indications are being thrown around as sell signals or corrective warnings, yet with deeper research and practical understanding on these same indicators suggests a pause could.. Mon, 19 Mar 2012 03:34:47 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/expiration-cycles-031912.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/expiration-cycles-031912.html The week ahead marks the beginning of another of the five-week expiration cycles, as last week was options expiration. This new cycle ends on April 21 -- five weeks, instead of the typical four....... Sun, 18 Mar 2012 12:06:31 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-031912.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-031912.html The key to the direction of the market in the week ahead will be investor behavior. The week also features earnings reports from Oracle, Nike, Lululemon, FedEx, Tiffany, General Mills and Accenture... Sun, 18 Mar 2012 06:17:18 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/options-031612.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/options-031612.html Why Options Traders Could See BIG GAINS in April…and what could send your profits soaring — doubling or even tripling your money before April 20…? The present situation is outlined as well as future.. Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:30:26 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/vix-031612.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/vix-031612.html Pay attention to the VIX, interpret what it is telling you, if you want to really up your game and obtain master “market feel” status! Understanding the CBOE Market Volatility Index direction at ..... Fri, 16 Mar 2012 07:03:18 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/ETFs.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/ETFs.html Understanding the basic concept of ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds), opens a whole new world to your investment portfolio. They offer investors the ability to diversify over an entire sector or market... Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:14:04 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/bull-market.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/bull-market.html To understand the significance of a three-year bull market and profit from it is to take a look at some similar three-year rallies to see whether or not there is an expectation that this one will..... Sun, 11 Mar 2012 14:28:26 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/SPX.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/SPX.html The SPX closed at a new 12-month high on the first day of March, then had a major pullback last Tuesday. But what is the view of the technical back-drop now?......................................... Sun, 11 Mar 2012 14:17:47 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-031212.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-031212.html Besides the Fed’s Tuesday meeting in the week ahead, market focus will be on a flood of February economic readings, including retail sales, inflation, consumer sentiment and industrial production..... Sun, 11 Mar 2012 13:59:37 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/MACD-030512.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/MACD-030512.html The MACD histogram for the S&P 500 Index (SPX), on a monthly chart, officially moved above the zero line on Thursday, March 01, with very little trader notice! So if you are bullish now is the time... Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:51:21 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/rally-mode.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/rally-mode.html The markets have been in rally-mode for the first two months of the year. The scenario that occurs after this event is quite encouraging! February ended last week with the S&P 500 Index (SPX) up 8.6% Sun, 04 Mar 2012 12:54:30 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/vix-030512.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/vix-030512.html The VIX is indicating a shift of option activity on the CBOE Market Volatility Index which could be a warning of weakness ahead – or does it? Instead, this may be a predictor of more upside on the.... Sun, 04 Mar 2012 07:28:58 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-030512.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-030512.html In the week ahead the February jobs report could be just the catalyst to keep the bulls on the upward path. Stocks have proven the pessimists wrong so far in 2012. Apple will show off its new iPad.... Sun, 04 Mar 2012 00:04:53 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/vix-022712.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/vix-022712.html The VIX Term Structure that is worrying some traders does not have a consistent track record but with traders touting a laundry list of potentially bearish indicators, it is important to check the.... Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:59:28 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/DOW.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/DOW.html The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded above the 13,000 mark for the last time when Lehman Brothers was still a going concern and the financial crisis was not quite yet in full-swing. Crashing...... Mon, 27 Feb 2012 06:24:48 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-022712.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-022712.html In the week ahead stocks the rally on Wall Street will be put to the test with the S&P 500 at its highest level since before the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008. Stocks face the challenge of...... Sun, 26 Feb 2012 06:06:29 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/stock-options.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/stock-options.html Most traders today still use stock options as pure speculation and don't realize the true potential of stock options. Now that we've reached a period that offers a low barrier to entry, it makes...... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:22:41 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/correlation-gauging.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/correlation-gauging.html Correlation gauging has fallen significantly this year, indicating it might be time once again to utilize a stock-picking prowess. In 2011 stock correlation peaked at around 90%, and spent most of.... Mon, 20 Feb 2012 02:25:34 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/stock-pullback.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/stock-pullback.html A stock pullback provides buying opportunities and this is evident so-far in 2012. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite have both rallied their way to new multi-year highs............ Sun, 19 Feb 2012 06:11:30 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-022012.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-022012.html In the week ahead stocks may find it difficult to maintain the 9-month highs as everyone is waiting for a stock pullback! With results in already from 404 S&P 500 companies, investor focus may ....... Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:52:59 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/vix-021312.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/vix-021312.html The VIX is being driven to a substantial premium relative to SPX historical volatility due to the steady demand for index and ETF put options that have accompanied the rally, which means that put .... Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:13:19 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/golden-cross.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/golden-cross.html Many market skeptics take notice when this technical indicator, the golden cross, a holy grail of sorts for many technicians, shows up on the horizon – and now we have all three indexes completing ... Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:46:19 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-021312.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/week-ahead-021312.html In the week ahead despite a mediocre earnings season and signs of an overbought market, Wall Street bulls are likely to remain in control. However, the markets could be facing the choppiest week ..... Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:11:00 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/bullish-2012.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/bullish-2012.html There are many reasons for a bullish 2012 – the golden cross, momentum indicators are strong, internal indicators are showing strength, it is an election year and a better-than-expected January.... Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:59:18 GMT http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/january-barometer.html http://www.stock-options-made-easy.com/january-barometer.html The January Barometer refers to the theory that the market's performance during the month of January sets the stock market's direction for the year! It is possible that the barometer will be ......... Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:11:42 GMT