The markets have been tepid lately as investors watch for signs of an improving US economy, a message telegraphed by Fed Chairman Yellen in her first news conference a couple of weeks ago. If the data come in as Yellen expects – or more importantly as analysts think Yellen will interpret the data – traders may have to...
Over the last 2 days I have had the opportunity to speak at the Options Conference in Toronto and Montreal. The conference brought together the top industry professionals from across North America with a focus on the use of options for Investment Advisors and Portfolio Managers. It was a phenomenal opportunity to hear some the...
From time to time I like to take a look at the “Most Active Options” ranking on the Montreal Exchange home page. It was no surprise to see that 6 out of the 10 were mining companies this morning. Since Richard Croft already posted and interesting article on this sector the other day entitled Gold, Where’s the...
For gold aficionados, it has been a rough eighteen months. Even diehard doomsayers who see gold as crisis insurance have been asking; “where’s the glitter”? From my perspective, I have never been a gold buff and have never believed it was reasonable to view gold as portfolio insurance. So, we are left with short-term...
Fundamental analysis remains the most commonly utilized investment tool available. Through its use, investors seek to filter out the strongest, or best, valued companies in the market. There is no question about the value of utilizing fundamentals, but it does present the investor with an obstacle. There is a distinct...
It’s not often you see a company rally despite declining earnings, especially a company that is in the process of overhauling its business model! Nonetheless, that that is exactly what is happening with Blackberry under the guidance of recently appointed CEO John Chen. Blackberry continues to fall short on earnings no matter...
Many investors seek to enhance cash flow in their portfolios. For the option educated, this can involve the implementation of the Covered Call strategy or selling Naked Calls or Naked Puts. The objective is to collect a credit through the sale of an option contract with the expectation that it will expire worthless. This can...
Something I have discussed at a number of the Montreal Exchange Option Education Days is the theory that markets are efficient, which is to say the stock market is a pricing mechanism where investors come together to evaluate potential return. You buy shares when you believe them to be undervalued and sell them because you...