Issues
Please note, I will be traveling Monday through Wednesday of this week, which means I will not send a Daily morning Option Order Flow email Tuesday through Thursday. And while I will be traveling, as always, I will keep my eye on the market and if we need to act on a position, I will send an update or alert.
The S&P 500’s rally of 1.8% Monday was quickly washed away as the bears once again sold into strength. By week’s end the S&P 500 had lost 1.5%, the Dow had declined by 1% and the Nasdaq had fallen by 2.6%.
The S&P 500’s rally of 1.8% Monday was quickly washed away as the bears once again sold into strength. By week’s end the S&P 500 had lost 1.5%, the Dow had declined by 1% and the Nasdaq had fallen by 2.6%.
Despite some more worrisome price action throughout the week, the three leading indexes were able to eke out gains. For the week the S&P 500 gained 0.5%, the Dow rallied 1.2% and the Nasdaq advanced by 0.2%.
There is no sugar coating it: last week was ugly for the market as the S&P 500 fell 2.3%, the Dow lost 3.1%, and the Nasdaq declined by another 2.4%. And while the market looks terrible, on a positive note stocks had their best day of the year on Friday.
The selling pressures of the past two weeks continued last week as traders grappled with tariff concerns, a possibly slowing economy, and growth stocks again falling dramatically. By week’s end the S&P 500 had lost 3.1%, the Dow had fallen 2.4%, and the Nasdaq had dropped another 3.5%.
For the second straight week growth stocks got hit hard, which weighed on the Nasdaq. Though interestingly as money rotated out of the 2024 leaders, it raced into slow and steady stocks that have been left behind in years past. By week’s end the S&P 500 had lost 1%, the Dow had gained 1%, and the Nasdaq had fallen 3.5%.
After notching an all-time high earlier in the week, the S&P 500 and its index peers came under intense selling pressure to close the week. By week’s end, the S&P 500 fell by 1.7%, while the Dow and Nasdaq both lost 2.5%.
Despite early-week wobbles on inflation worries, the market again held its ground and in fact advanced as the week wore on. By week’s end the S&P 500 had gained 1.5%, the Dow had risen by 0.5%, and the Nasdaq had added 2.6%.
The volatile and sloppy start to 2025 continued last week as the indexes fell hard on Monday, recovered in the middle part of the week, and then lost ground again on Friday. For the week the S&P 500 fell 0.2%, the Dow lost 0.5%, and the Nasdaq declined by 0.5%.
The AI theme came under heavy pressure Monday of last week, which weighed on the markets. However, by week’s end the bulls had bought the dip and impressively the S&P 500 had fallen only marginally, the Dow had eked out a small gain, while the Nasdaq “only” lost 1.5%.
Despite some wobbles early in January the S&P 500 closed at a new all-time high on Thursday. And even though the indexes pulled back marginally on Friday, by week’s end the S&P 500 had gained 1.7%, the Dow had rallied 1.83% and the Nasdaq had added 1.53%.
The market rose nicely last week as the bond market worries eased. By week’s end the S&P 500 and Nasdaq had rallied 2.9%, and the Dow had gained 3.8%.
Interest rate worries continued to weigh on the market last week as the S&P 500 lost 1.6%, the Dow fell 1.5%, and the Nasdaq declined by 2.3%. This week will have plenty of market-moving events, including the start of earnings season, so expect continued volatility.
Recent Alerts
Options Strategy
Options trading has its own vernacular. To know how to do it, you need to know what every options term means. Here are some of the basics.
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A subscriber recently asked me if I keep a journal of my trades. Many traders keep journals so they can look back at their trades and evaluate what they did right and what they did wrong.
Using Options to Hedge a Portfolio
A few Cabot Options Trader subscribers have asked me about ways to protect gains in their portfolios, so I thought I would write to everyone with a couple of strategies using options to hedge your portfolio.
A few Cabot Options Trader subscribers have asked me about ways to protect gains in their portfolios, so I thought I would write to everyone with a couple of strategies using options to hedge your portfolio.
This guide will help you execute the options strategies recommended in Cabot Options Trader.
Options Education
Worried about another market correction? This bit of options education should help you learn how to hedge your portfolio using puts.
Options education is one of my main goals for Cabot Options Trader subscribers. And here are three important lessons I’ve been telling people lately.
Options education is one of my main goals for Cabot Options Trader subscribers. And here are three important lessons I’ve been telling people lately.
In the wake of the second Boeing 737 plane crash Boeing stock, symbol BA, has become extremely volatile and of interest to Cabot Options Traders.
All options are a wasting asset whose time value erodes to zero by expiration. This erosion is known as time decay.
A protective put is used when a trader is bullish on a stock he is buying or already owns, but is wary of the stock’s short-term future. It is used as a means to protect unrealized gains, while giving the trader continued upside potential.
Combining Cabot Options Trader and Cabot Growth Investor
In mid-February I sent an Options Education article highlighting a trade Cabot Options Trader Pro subscribers had just executed. To refresh, this was in the midst of a steep market decline and the VIX was exploding higher.
Below is an article I wrote a couple years ago in response to a subscribers’ question regarding options and option volatility around earnings.
I’ve received a ton of great emails from subscribers over the last couple of days about huge profits this year. I’m thrilled that you are making lots of money. That said, while it’s great that we are making good money, we must remember the risks as well.
The S&P 500 is down 0.5% this morning, though well off the overnight lows (lower by 1.25%) following news that Gary Cohn, President Trump’s top economic advisor, is leaving his position. As the market has heated up, I’ve received many great questions from subscribers.