Volatility

The Fed kept policy unchanged in its meeting that ended today and sees strong job growth moving forward, along with a slowing of current high inflation.

There’s plenty of earnings on today’s calendar, including Boeing and Facebook. But the Fed meeting might interrupt the earnings parade as investors await the latest words from Chairman Jerome Powell, especially regarding inflation.

Amazon is reporting earnings on July 29. Retail revenue is again expected to be strong, but shopping fatigue concerns investors.

The major action today comes after the close as three of the biggest “mega-caps”—Apple, Alphabet, and Microsoft—prepare to open the books on their latest quarters. The Fed also begins its meeting today.

Microsoft prepares to report earnings after the company recently pushed past $2 trillion in market capitalization. Focus remains on cloud growth, gaming, and possible acquisitions.

This is arguably the keystone week of the quarter, featuring 180 S&P 500 companies reporting and a Fed meeting. Some key earnings to watch include Apple, Microsoft, Tesla, and Facebook.

Boeing earnings approach as new issues intrude on airline maker’s recovery.

Analysts are mostly blowing the bullish horn on Apple earnings expectations after blowout fiscal Q2 and expectations of robust product and services sales.

The huge comeback from Monday’s plunge appears ready to continue today, powered by solid earnings from Twitter, Snap, and American Express. The Chinese regulatory crackdown could be worth monitoring.

When social media giant Facebook prepares to release and discuss Q2 earnings, just how much growth can be expected?

Ad revenue remains front and center for Alphabet heading into earnings next week, but the as-yet unprofitable cloud business could be where the future lies.

The market continues to recover from Monday’s losses, as earnings continue to impress and Delta concerns ease. Jobless claims unexpectedly jump, which could weigh.

Tesla reports earnings on July 26. Revenue is again expected to increase on higher car deliveries, but weaker bitcoin could be weighing on the stock price.

A parade of firm earnings results has the market looking slightly stronger this morning after the wild ride earlier this week. More earnings later today expected from Texas Instruments, CSX and Whirlpool.

Want to try your hand at short-term trading? Consider swing trading: holding positions for a few days to try to capture a larger intermediate-term price swing.

The market is getting some strength early today from rising yields and decent earnings following yesterday’s meltdown. Several key companies report this afternoon including Netflix, United, and Chipotle.

Delta variant concerns raised questions about the economic recovery with major indices selling off. Travel related stocks were hit the hardest. Oil prices also saw a big slide, falling 7%.

There’s plenty on the NFLX 2Q earnings plate, including membership numbers, content lineup, and a famous film director.

A big earnings week is on tap, but company reports are getting pushed to the background so far today as the market focuses on rising Covid caseloads. Major travel firms are getting slammed, and so are multinationals. The question is, will “buy the dip” show up.

A surprisingly strong June retail sales report might provide a tailwind for stocks this morning. Before the data, markets had been closely tracking bond yields and Fed policy. Earnings pick up next week with Netflix, airlines.

The market is falling this morning but remains near record highs as focus turns to weak yields and softer than expected Chinese GDP growth. Retail sales are due tomorrow, and the Fed’s Powell testifies again today.

With inflation data coming in higher than expected, investors are likely to focus on Powell’s testimony to Congress. Another area of focus will be earnings from some of the big banks.

Strong results from JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs could get overshadowed by a surprisingly sharp jump in June consumer prices. More banks on the way tomorrow along with June producer prices.

The market may be catching its breath after last week’s records and ahead of major banks kicking earnings season into high gear later this week.

Stocks rebounded early Friday as investors saw bond yields pop back up and crude get a lift. There’s not much in the way of economic data or earnings today, but next week brings a ton of both, including inflation numbers and bank earnings.

The continued deceleration of Treasury yields appears to be hitting the stock market, especially sectors that tend to do best in an accelerating economy like Financials and Energy. The question is whether some “buy the dip” psychology might turn up.

The Fed minutes later today could provide a better sense of the central bank’s thinking as of last month. Right now, the market might be focused on a weakening yield environment that’s raising worries about the economy.

Learn how the Risk Profile tool in the thinkorswim platform can help options traders visualize different scenarios and make trading decisions a little simpler.

With many options trading strategies to choose from, how do you find the right one? Consider a three-step process to help with your decision.

Market volatility and inflation can both be effective at destroying investment value. Here’s how investors can account for both in their long-term portfolio strategy.

In technical analysis, many traders start with trend and momentum indicators. But don’t forget volatility indicators, which track the magnitude of price movements.

Options straddles and strangles are a way for advanced traders to get long or short exposure to volatility (vega), but the volatility needs to be weighted against time decay (theta). Here are the basics.

Protective puts are one way to hedge stocks against a significant price drop. But investors should consider factors such as time decay and volatility.

Do the headwinds of time decay turn you off from buying single options on volatile stocks? Find out how you may be able to turn the headwinds into tailwinds by trading those stock moves.

Successful traders have rules and stick to them, whether those rules are based on volatility, probability, technical analysis, or other factors.

Year-to-date, value stocks have been outpacing growth. Whether that trend continues in April could depend on Treasury yields and the pace of vaccination progress.

Traders can use the beta-weighting tool on the thinkorswim® platform to view the overall risk of all their positions as a whole instead of looking at risks of individual assets.

Return on capital and liquidity mean specific things in finance. But they can mean something different to an option trader. Read this options trading terminology guide to find out.

Trying to select the right options strategies, strikes, and expirations? Learn how to rank volatility using IV percentiles and see if changes are normal or unusual.

Learn about “black swan” events and how you can attempt to protect yourself and your portfolio from adverse shocks.

2020 was a challenging year for investors. But 2021 might be a challenge as well—for different reasons. Here’s a look at the opportunities and risks.

Starting the new year fresh can be a great idea. Despite the drop and pop we saw last year, it may still be a good time to think about resetting your trading strategies and get a fresh start.

During a major economic event, it may be a good time to revisit your portfolio. It could mean rethinking long-term objectives, reexamining your risk tolerance, or taking a moment to self-reflect.

Selling covered calls and cash-secured puts can help investors generate additional income, increase their probability of success, decrease their volatility of returns, and lower their overall risk when compared to buying stock.

When faced with high volatility, many options traders turn to these five strategies designed to capitalize on elevated volatility levels.

Like most financial advisors, robo-advisors recommend portfolios based on investors’ long-term financial goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. Because robo-advisors generally use algorithms to make investment decisions, they avoid emotions and generally charge lower fees.

How can skew offer insight into market sentiment? Implied volatility between out-of-the-money put and call options is almost always skewed depending on whether there’s panic to the downside or upside.

The “financial independence, retire early” (FIRE) movement was all the rage in 2018 and 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we think about a lot of things. Has the upheaval in 2020 changed the desire to FIRE? And how might retirement plans be affected by the current situation?

Special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) have been around awhile, but they’ve gotten some new attention in 2020. Here’s a look at the mechanics and risks for investors involved in blank-check companies.

Trying to figure out your financial planning during a time of market volatility? Learn how to stick to your financial goals.

A good defense is the best offense, right? It’s sometimes true for investing as well. Here’s what investors should know about defensive investing and defensive sectors.

Are you an investor who follows the daily or weekly ebb and flow of your retirement accounts? If so, market downturns might be a bit unsettling at times. But what if instead of focusing on today’s bottom line you focused instead on outcomes—your progress toward your goals? Here’s how.

The escalating coronavirus pandemic that triggered a bear market in U.S. stocks in early 2020 looks to have tipped us into a possible recession. How can you prepare for and invest during a recession and bear market?

Learn about the Bollinger Bands technical indicator and how it can help identify volatility and overbought/oversold conditions in stocks and indices.

The monthly U.S. Employment Situation report—commonly called the jobs report—is perhaps the most closely watched fundamental indicator for traders and investors. Here’s why.

Tariffs have been part of American economic history from the country’s origins. Are tariffs good or bad for investors?

Should you switch from trading long options strategies to short options strategies when volatility levels are high? Sometimes prices are high for a reason.

All investments experience market volatility, which is why retirement portfolio strategies should focus on allocating assets across investments of different risk levels.

When companies report quarterly earnings, the stakes can be high. A single earnings miss can dent an investment portfolio that’s concentrated. Here are a few ideas for managing idiosyncratic risk.

When volatility rears its occasional head, some investors consider cashing out stocks. But are there better ways to ride out market volatility? Cameron May explains.

What is a smart-beta ETF? Explore what qualifies as a smart-beta fund and what systems define this type of ETF.

In these times of stock market volatility, many investors are looking for yield in fixed income and dividend stocks. However, there’s risk in these investments, too, so know what you’re getting into.

As trade war fears heat up between the U.S. and some of its major trading partners, some investors may be looking for tariff protection. Here are some things to consider as you aim for a “trade-war-proof” portfolio.

When volatility falls, many option traders turn to these five strategies designed to capitalize on depressed volatility levels.

Trading with your emotions during times of market volatility? Explore whether a robo-advisor may be able to help.

Looking for volatility exposure? Learn about volatility products including VIX options.

The average true range indicator could be a new arrow in your quiver of technical analysis tools.

Temporarily protect your retirement against volatility risk. Here are some retirement- planning strategies.

Got stock options? Set goals and have a plan. Here are three steps to consider for your equity compensation plan.

CD investing isn’t limited to walking into your local bank branch and opening an account. Learn the potential benefits and risks of brokered CDs and how they differ from bank-issued CDs.

Volatility data is focused on the long term. Traders are focused on the short term. There is a way to convert volatility data so it can be useful for the trader.

Does volatility worry you when it comes to the stock you've received as compensation? Learn tips to help manage this valid concern.

Here’s why you need to keep your retirement money growing even when you’re already using it (hint: inflation and longevity).

New to stock investing? Learn the basics of stocks, earnings, dividends, and how a stock’s value is determined.

The recent wave of volatility might serve as a reminder of the importance of using a diversified investment trading approach. Here are some tips to avoid possible traps in these choppy markets.

Using volatility and market statistics is one of many keys to successful stock market trading. Learn how to incorporate them into your investment strategy.

With the earnings calendar tools available on the TD Ameritrade thinkorswim Platform, you can be in the know when it comes to the earnings season.

Learn about the dynamics of foreign exchange volatility, and where to find currency volatility data.

The U.S. presidential election cycle theory of the stock market says that the market moves based on the year of the president's term. Is there any proof?

Implied volatility tends to be mean reverting. But what does that really mean? Learn how options traders can potentially benefit from monitoring implied volat

ETFs have matured but they’re not done evolving. Morningstar’s Scott Burns urges income-seeking investors to expand their minds and their research.

Volatility’s tendency to level out after a spike can present strategy opportunities, especially selling strategies found with strangles and iron condors.

Use volatility to pick an options strategy to speculate on a given direction, rather than to replace fundamental analysis and charts to determine potential.

Study intermarket analysis, specifically bonds, for potential clues on the next leg for Federal Reserve policy and stock market reaction.

Trying to time the market? Add sentiment analysis to your stock trading approach to help narrow the time horizon around an underlying security’s move.

Check out short-term options pricing to gain a sense of how the underlying stock could move around an earnings release. You can track straddles or use the TD

Out-of-the-money call options may be hard to trade when volatility is low, but there are good opportunities for cheaper options trades during market extremes.