Some traders say the market is too calm. How to hedge just in case
The market has not seen much volatility from President Donald Trump’s latest policy demands. If anything, traders have reacted with a strange calm. But now Bank of America thinks investors should position for tumultuous times. In recent days, Trump has made numerous calls related to easing costs on Americans, proposing a 10% interest rate cap […]
A technical look at Wall Street’s ‘fear gauge’ and how to hedge against potential volatility
As Fundstrat’s Tom Lee says, this is the most hated bull market of all time, yet it continues to power higher. There are plenty of overhanging uncertainties that could derail this rally that I’ll discuss below, but first let’s talk about technical condition of this rally. This V-shape recovery-turned-rally from April lows has been unrelenting. […]
How to trade the S&P 500’s march to record highs using options as volatility remains elevated
Equity bears are growling, and bulls are sharpening their horns. I see an imminent retest of the S & P 500’s all-time high as a market melt-up seems to be underway. I want to use options to carefully capture another leg up after the SPDR S & P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) has bounced 21% […]
How to play the VIX, Tesla earnings using options
00:00 Speaker A With uncertainty remaining the word on the street volatility has entered a new phase. So how should options traders tackle the shifting rules of the volatility game? Baycrest Managing Director David Bool joins us now for the options playbook sponsored by Tastytrade. David, it’s great to see you. So you say here, […]
Tariff uncertainty has created a buying opportunity. How to use options to capitalize
Investor sentiment has drastically changed in recent weeks as tariffs — or the threat of tariffs — have been introduced to the markets. Last month’s discussion of awakening animal spirits and multiple analysts racing to readjust their 2025 S & P 500 targets served as a warning, as the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) crashed under […]
How to trade the market when volatility spikes
In a sharp, late-day selloff on remarks by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, Wall Street’s fear gauge — the CBOE Volatility Index — spiked to 27.62, the highest level since early August . It’s undoubtedly true that equity investors should “not fight the Fed,” and the Fed is not sending bullish signals, at least not […]
How to buy a little insurance if the 2024 market boom loses some steam into year-end
Record-breaking annual equity inflows of $448 billion, according to Bank of America, continue to push the major indices higher. The S & P 500 has now seen seven consecutive weeks of inflows, keeping the post-election momentum intact. I want to use the S & P 500 SPDR Trust ETF (SPY) to hedge these gains and […]
How to hedge some big tech gains going into the market uncertainty next week
Given the uncertainty surrounding the election next week and some mixed mega-cap technology earnings this week, I want to book some 2024 chip stock profits. I want to hedge my exposure by owning put options in the high-flying VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) . SMH YTD mountain VanEck Semiconductor ETF, YTD Risk can happen fast. The […]
How to keep your portfolio steady in volatile times as the election approaches
The election is just a week away – and markets may be about to enter a rocky period – but investors can take a few steps to ensure their portfolios are ready to handle potential shocks. The S & P 500 is toting a 1.3% gain in October, but it’s up more than 22% in […]
How to buy a put spread on the Nasdaq as a portfolio hedge
The major averages all printed new all-time highs this week, driven by renewed optimism after a slightly cooler-than-expected inflationary report. Despite the continuation of Federal Reserve policy uncertainty, investors remain positive and seemingly still believe that a “soft-landing” is still achievable. I am somewhat in that “believer” camp too. However, I also believe now is […]