Volatility

It’s the final showdown in Washington on deadline day for a fiscal stimulus. Netflix earnings are up after the closing bell, while tomorrow brings the latest quarterly report from Tesla.

Our chief market strategist breaks down the day's top business stories and offers insight on how they might impact your trading and investing.

There’s a firmer tone on Wall Street early on after impressive retail sales, strength in Europe, and some positive news on the vaccine front. The question is whether momentum can carry through into the weekend.

Jitters from Europe seem to be compounding domestic worries about a federal coronavirus aid package that have helped lead stocks lower for two days in a row and look like they could contribute to a third day of declines.

After stocks slid Tuesday, futures were essentially flat this morning as investors weighed solid bank earnings against disappointing news from the fight against COVID-19.

There’s a lot to look forward to today in the stock markets. Earnings season starts with strong results from Citigroup and JP Morgan, Amazon’s Prime Day starts, and Apple has its iPhone event.

It’s one of the busiest weeks of the year on Wall Street featuring the start of earnings season, an Apple (AAPL) event, and Amazon (AMZN) Prime Day. The week starts with a stronger tone amid continued hopes for a fiscal stimulus.

A market rally enters its third day amid fresh optimism regarding stimulus talks. Meanwhile, a pickup in M&A activity could be a sign of confidence going forward. But earnings season and an election are around the corner.

Our chief market strategist breaks down the day's top business stories and offers insight on how they might impact your trading and investing.

Volatility stepped back and stock futures trended higher this morning on new hopes for the airlines to possibly get some fiscal assistance. Two Fed speakers are scheduled for later, and tomorrow brings the latest weekly new jobless claims data.

Stock markets saw accelerated selling after President Trump said he would halt stimulus talks. This reversed today’s earlier rally with most of the S&P 500 sectors taking a hit, especially airlines, which got hit the hardest.

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

After yesterday’s strong close and with the president back home, focus turns to the economy. Investors are likely to focus on developments in stimulus talks, bond market performance, and Fed Chairman Powell’s comments.

Uncertainty continues to loom with President Trump still hospitalized. Investors are likely to focus on news related to the virus, election, and stimulus hopes. All this could mean lots of ups and downs this week.

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.

Overnight news of the president and first lady having tested positive for COVID-19 rocked the pre-market, and a relatively disappointing payrolls number failed to impress in the early going.

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.

Banks, travel, and leisure stocks could get a lift today as investors sense better chances of another fiscal stimulus package emerging from Washington. Meanwhile, jobless claims remain high ahead of tomorrow’s payrolls report.

The quarter ends with markets pointing downward following last night’s contentious debate that failed to paint a real picture of what candidates see for the future. Disney layoffs add another negative element.

It could be a slow day on Wall Street as trepidation ahead of tonight’s debate forces the market to drift around looking for direction. Fed speakers are lined up, along with Micron earnings.

It’s been a wild year so far with the pandemic, and now a presidential election is just a few weeks away. Between election news, earnings season, and hopes for a vaccine, October seems to promise plenty of action. And volatility.

The market seems to be seeing momentum carry over from Friday’s strong session. Investors appear to be encouraged by Chinese industrial profit data and stimulus bill comments from key leaders.

The volatile trading week winds down with uncertainty still in place. Election jitters, weaker than expected durable goods data, virus fears still seem to be front and center.

After a volatile overnight trading session, caution seems to be the sentiment today. There’s lots to watch—jobless claims, new home sales, Fed testimony, coronavirus concerns, and earnings—all of which could influence the markets.

Investors see volatility rising in September as election approaches, meaning the market might start to feel the impact.

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.

As June begins, focus may increasingly turn toward virus caseloads amid the tentative reopenings of all 50 U.S. states. Any sign of a major new wave of cases might be more market-moving than typical earnings and data.

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.

Learn how option straddles and strangles can give you exposure to implied volatility.

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.

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

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

When trying to select the right option strategies, which do you choose? Looking to IV percentiles for clues to VIX levels may help.

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.