ID Analysts

Our seasoned team of analysts continually monitors investment opportunities around the world, to provide investors with the widest possible array of money-making ideas.

Analyst Articles

The markets remain volatile. Yesterday is was another down day for stocks as fighting in Libya continued, threatening a prolonged shut-in of that country’s oil production. Traders were also worried about unrest spreading to Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing countries. Today, stocks are up and oil prices are backing off again. Read More

This morning we added two new positions. We bought the Suntech Power (STP) June 9 call option, which can still be purchased using a limit order to pay no more than $1.30 per contract. We also added the EMC Corp. July 27 call option with a limit set at $1.75. Note that in our haste to get this trade in your hands we mistakenly identified the option’s expiration month as June.   As with EMC, yesterday Applied Materials (AMAT) – and a number of other leading tech stocks – sold off after a brokerage downgrade. The argument behind the analyst’s call was that after the strong run up the stocks has enjoyed in the last two years it was time to take profits. This was hardly news, and it in no way alters our favorable fundamental view of AMAT. From a technical perspective, the stock appears to have found support and should rebound from here. But while we’re sticking with Applied Materials July 17 call option for now, we are carefully watching the stock and will abandon the trade if AMAT fails to snap back. Hold.   Oil prices have backed off slightly after running to their highest levels since October, 2008. They’ve not yet run to levels (in terms of their rate of change) that in the past have triggered economic contractions. Likewise, other commodities continue to signal the global economy isn’t in danger at this time. As a result, the stocks that comprise the Energy Sector Select SPDR (XLE) should continue to have the wind at their back. The Energy Sector Select SPDR June 78 call option is a buy for clients with a limit order to pay no more than $3.95 per contract.   Read More

Protest movements in the Middle East and North Africa show no signs of running out of steam. Control of Libya is still the most hotly contested, as strongman Muammar Gaddafi remains hunkered down in Tripoli even as greater parts of the country come under opposition control. Read More

We exited our position (a bit too early it would seem) in the Salesforce.com April 130 put option, taking a 29 percent loss. While still steeply valued, we simply didn’t have a good feel for which way the stock would move in the short-term. We may return to this trade is if exhibits clear signs of breaking down.   Softening the blow from the Salesforce trade, we captured a 54 percent gain on the F5 Networks April 120 put option we closed out last Wednesday. The stock has since rebounded so we may return to this trade as well. We’ll keep you posted.   This morning we added the Applied Materials July 17 call option, which you can still buy with a limit set at $1.20.   Suntech Power (STP) was moving faster than we could act this morning and our limit order was never filled. At this point, we’re inclined to raise our limit price on the Suntech June 9 call option to $1.40 and wait for the trade to come to us rather than chase it.   Last week we added the Lexmark (LXK) July 37 put option. New clients can still buy this option with a limit order set to pay no more than $3.70 per contract. A close below $37 would likely quickly result in a retreat below $35.   Read More