Stock and option volume for Silicon Labs (SLAB) and RF Micro Devices (RFMD) spiked yesterday and their stock prices were also down -4% and 14%, respectively. Silicon Labs designs and develops integrated circuits, primarily in the analog and mixed signal space. SLAB has products in RF (Radio Frequency), video, satellite set-top box and modems. Silicon Labs products have a range of applications from radios and video recorders to telephone and networking equipment.
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What’s up with Aetna & Cigna?
Stock and option volume for Aetna (AET) and Cigna (CI) popped up on the radar yesterday. Aetna’s and Cigna’s stocks were both down around 1.5% yesterday, yet with a large amount of option activity. Not any significant news to go along with all of this activity either. Cigna provides health care related products and operates in five segments: Health Care, Disability and Life, International Run-off Reinsurance and Miscellaneous. Aetna provides health care products primarily for the U.S. market. Aetna’s market segments include: Health Care, Group Insurance, and Large Case Pensions.
Tariffs on China’s Tires and Revisiting Smoot-Hawley
Protectionism sells well in a climate of fear, but it’s hardly a base for economic policy. After US President Barack Obama’s announcement on September 11 of a 35% tariff on Chinese tires, he immediately downplayed the possibility that the measure will spark a trade war with America’s second largest trading partner. In an interview with Bloomberg News, the president argued that existing trade rule must be enforced to build support with lawmakers and the American public. The White House enacted the tariff in reaction to a petition by the United Steelworkers Union against China for flooding the US market with “entry level” tires.
What’s Up With Tempur Pedic & Sealy?
Stock and stock option volume for Tempur Pedic (TPX) and Sealy (ZZ) popped up on the radar yesterday. Tempur Pedic’s stock price was up 11% yesterday and Sealy’s was up 6%. After hours, Sealy reported results which were in line with expectations. Sealy said in their conference call that they are beginning to see signs that consumers are beginning to recover from the recession.
MercadoLibre – Free Market – Really?
OK, for those of you who can’t pass up the slot machines at Vegas, MercadoLibre (MELI) popped up on the stock and option volume radar yesterday. MercadoLibre is a company focused on the Latin America Internet e-commerce space. Mercado translated to English is “Market” and Libre translated to English is “Free”, so MercadoLibre’s name translated to English is “Free Market”.
Making Money Even When a Stock Doesn’t – Covered Calls
The real beauty of the covered calls strategy is making money on a stock, even when the price of the stock doesn’t move. Yes, it’s nice to make the extra income for a covered calls position when the underlying stock increases in price and the position is rolled, but what really adds oomph to the covered calls strategy is the positions that make money when a stock goes nowhere or even drops slightly in price.
Disney’s purchase of Marvel: Marvel-ous?
The Walt Disney Company (DIS) announced on August 31, 2009 that it would buy Marvel Entertainment Inc. (MVL) in a deal estimated to be worth $4 billion. The cash and stock deal may not immediately help Disney’s bottom line, but if its 2006 acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios (PIXR) is any indication, Disney will weave its marketing magic around Marvel’s huge library of characters to create a bona fide hit.
Recovery from the recession: An L, U, V or W?
The economic recession, which began in December 2007, ended in July 2009 according to some market analysts. Not all economists agree that the recession is truly over, but the one thing they can all agree on is that recovery won’t be quick. The US economy shrank at a nearly 6% annualized rate from September 2008 to March 2009, so it will be a long time before real progress is felt. The shape of the recovery growth curve is likely to be an L or a wide U, although unexpected negative news could easily turn it into a W.
Make Money Even When the Market is a Turnip
The expression “you can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip” refers to not being able to get something out of someone that they don’t have. Stock option trading can often feel like trying to squeeze blood from a turnip. However, with a little effort and some patience it is possible to squeeze blood from the stock option market.
iPhone, iPod, Kindle and Textbook and Ways to Invest with Stock Options
E-books are here to stay, as evidenced by the proliferation of e-book readers, apps for the iPod and iPhone, and even email subscriptions to books. As more and more books become available in electronic form, it’s only logical that textbooks would follow suit. On June 8, 2009 California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced an ambitious plan to implement digital textbooks in all California schools. Phase one begins this fall, using e-textbooks for high school math and science classes. Northwest Missouri State plans to go completely digital and has been running pilot programs since fall 2008. These early adopters believe e-textbooks are superior to print textbooks.