Category: Online Stock Trading Software

Google Inc. (GOOG) announced today it would expand its services to further compete with Microsoft’s (MSFT) product line with Web-based word-processing, spreadsheet and other applications similar to Microsoft’s Office Suite.

The S&P 500 index was driven higher on Tuesday on news of two international mining companies considering the purchase of the Pittsburgh-based aluminum producer, Alcoa, for over 40 billion.Rising with this tide was fellow mining company, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. ( FCX). The stock price has risen over 5% this week on sustained higher volume.

At Orlando’s voice-recognition software conference last fall, Nuance held an event where a man who had won text messaging competitions was pitted against voice recognition software from Nuance Communications (NUAN).

Jim Cramer, on the set of his Mad Money television program this week, mentioned Life Time Fitness (LTM) as his “No. 1, best-of-breed, health club pick.” He added he is a “huge fan” of the stock. An article appearing on thestreet.com website stated, “The health fitness business is a big industry that’s getting bigger… And as the weight-loss play is about people trying and failing time and time again to lose weight, it is everlasting.”

Shares of MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. (WFR), a silicon wafer manufacturer, reached a 52-week high Friday after fourth-quarter profits more than doubled and vastly exceeded analyst’s expectations.

In the article, “CME Buying CBOT”, we analyzed Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s (CME) purchase of CBOT (BOT), and in article, “CME Bull Put Spreads Strategy – Nice 5.8% in Ten Days”, we illustrated the profit potential of a bull put spreads strategy for CME and we selected positions for options expiration in January of 2007, which returned a very nice +5.8% in 24 days.

In a PowerOptions WeBlog article, “Hurricanes – Insurance – Options Investing”, we outlined a covered calls stock options strategy for the property & casualty segment of the insurance industry. Using PowerOptions SmartSearchXL stock options search tool, we discovered two attractive covered calls positions. The stock price of both positions dropped after entering the covered calls stock options position, but the positions were still profitable at stock options expiration generating a return of +0.5%, illustrating the beauty of covered calls stock options investing.

In an article, “DJIA – Stock Price Resistance”, we outlined a bearish strategy for the Dow Jones Industrial Average when the index is close to its historic high using bear call spreads options. In the article, “DJIA Price Resistance – Another +8.1% Return – Dec. 06”, we noted the continued success of the strategy, and we also selected new positions for January. The January selections were fully profitable returning a very nice +8.1% once again. Since beginning this series on the DJIA at the end of October of 2006, this strategy has returned a very nice +21.1%, in just 3 months!

Netflix (NFLX), a company suffering punishing competition recently from larger rivals such as Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN) and Blockbuster (BBI), will begin showing movies and TV shows over the Internet this week.

Apple (AAPL), in a much-anticipated release, unleashed the iPhone on consumers last Tuesday. The Washington Post reported even the most avid enthusiasts were surprised by the features of the new phone saying it was better than expected.