James Brumley

The S&P 500 SPDR ETF (NYSE:SPY), though not yet even close to falling out of its recent bullish trading range, may have just done something far more alarming. The support line that extends back to July (and arguably to March’s bottom) failed to act as a floor today. The ETF is under it for the first time since then. S&P 500 SPDR (SPY) On the nearby chart, the line in question is the thin black one - the steepest one. Today’s low of $112.98 for SPDR S&P 500 fund is under it, and now that the initial damage is done, it becomes easier for more of the same. For the time being, the bullish range that SPY has found (framed in blue) is still in tact, so there’s still a shot that it could halt a pullback before it developed any significant momentum. That line’s at $110.50 though… about $2.50 under the current price for the ETF. That difference could make for a decent put ... (more)

Oprah Winfrey's Fiscal Impact on Television

Unless you just now got back from a deep space mission, you'll know by now that Oprah Winfrey is turning in her microphone and leaving the 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' behind after a 25 year run. Of course (and understandably so), Wall Street's first questions were (1) what sort of financial impact will this have, and (2) does any stock need to be bought or sold as a result? The answer to the second question is ultimately up to the individual investor. However, there are some answers to the first question that will help you come to a decision regarding the second one. First and forem... (more)

Option Greeks for Beginners

Wealth Management on Ulitzer New option traders often struggle with unpredictable pricing - the mathematical value of an option may or may not be the actual or perceived value at any given time. The reason for the disparity? The 'Greeks'. Fortunately, understanding how the Greeks can impact option pricing is pretty simple to learn. There are four primary option Greeks all option traders should become familiar with. Two of them generally need to be considered before choosing an option to trade. The other two may not be of great value for newcomers in terms of selecting an option... (more)

Technology Stocks Are Turning The Corner

Though their performance could only be described as mediocre (at best) since the market’s recovery in March, consumer and corporate spending on technology may finally be strong enough to spur tech stocks higher again. Not As Bad As Thought: Not entirely surprisingly, revenues and earnings were down last quarter compared to the same quarter a year earlier for many technology stocks, such as Dell (DELL) and Texas Instruments (TXN). The struggling economy was the culprit of course. Yet, the tech group as a whole still topped their expected earnings figures. In other words, the market... (more)

Consumers Still Focused on ‘Needs’ More Than ‘Wants’

Though it’s safe to say grocery stores and gas stations have survived the recession - now that we’re coming out of it - it may be a little soon to expect a crowd clamoring for the newest big-screen TVs down at the local electronics store. As such, consumer discretionary stocks aren’t likely to be an investor’s best bets for the near future… consumers are still a little light on what they view as discretionary income. As evidence of the idea, one doesn’t have to look any further than a comparison of low-priced retailers and higher-end retailers. 99C Only Stores (NDN), Big Lots In... (more)