We’re looking for a “free ride” higher in a media/internet stock that looks set to break out.

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The markets are engaging in some sideways chop thanks to whatever headlines we’re ignoring. Meanwhile, there are some oversold sectors showing signs of some mean-reversion. And within one of those sectors, we’ve got a stock setting up with a pretty straight forward reward-to-risk opportunity.

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We’re tracking a household name that — with the exception of four wild days during the Christmas nadir — has been riding it’s 200-day moving average quietly higher and is setting up for what could be a big move. [Read more…]

When you’re bullish on a name and options prices — in terms of volatility — are the cheapest they’ve been all year, the prudent move is often the simplest move: buy longer-dated calls. And the decision is even simpler when you have a clearly defined level to show you where the trade idea is busted. [Read more…]

In a recent report, the All Star Charts team highlighted some mixed signals and the lack of trend in many areas of the stock market right now. These are often frustrating situations for straight stocks players. Luckily for us options traders, we can craft strategies that best suit any market environment we may be in. For today’s play, we’re going to get a little creative, mixing a credit spread with a calendar spread to establish a unique risk profile in a name that we’re cautiously bullish on. [Read more…]

In a recent blog post, All Star Charts highlighted a stock retesting a breakout from a very large base. This was the money quote:

First off, big bases take time to form because they are caused by steady institutional accumulation. Mom and pop investors aren’t the ones creating this trend, so I know that there’s underlying demand that will support prices if they do move lower.

Because prices have memory and the base has taken a significant period of time to build, there’s likely been more trading at each price level along the way. As a result of this institutional support, the rate of change to the downside is likely to be less severe versus a name that’s advanced quickly to the upside with less trading activity at each level, and thus less memory among market participants to defend these levels on the way down.

Secondly, our risk is extremely well-defined when trading these patterns. In the event that we are buying a base breakout (or pullback), we know exactly where we are wrong and can generally minimize our risk relative to potential reward.

This is precisely the scenario we see unfolding in Tractor Supply Co $TSCO. [Read more…]

Stocks have lost firm footing in recent weeks. And while things may look a little sloppy out there in some corners, it is a constructive exercise to focus our attention on the sectors and stocks that are holding up well in this tape.

An iconic American credit card company is exhibiting a take charge attitude that has me interested in running up my balance. [Read more…]