Market News

Among the underlying components of the Russell 3000 index, we saw noteworthy options trading volume today in L Brands, Inc (NYSE: LB), where a total of 7,091 contracts have traded so far, representing approximately 709,100 underlying shares. That amounts to about 46% of LB's average daily trading volume over the past month of 1.5 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $85.50 strike put option expiring May 20, 2016, with 3,018 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 301,800 underlying shares of LB. Below is a chart showing LB's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $85.50 strike highlighted in orange:

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This aging bull market in U.S. stocks turned seven last month. It’s a bit expensive and past its prime for my liking. But another “niche bull run” is kicking off right now. And no matter what happens with the broader market, these issues – and their dividends – will roll higher for decades.

There are 77 million Baby Boomers that make up 28% of the U.S. population. Any companies that make products they buy are usually doing great. This massive generation made baby products makers rich in the 1950s, and homebuilders rich in the 1990s and 2000s.

Now, they’re transitioning their spending again. There are 10,000 boomers hitting retirement age every day. Over the past two years, more than 3 million each year have turned 65. This wave of new retirees will continue to grow every day, every year, for the next couple of decades (at least).

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Jeff Bezos annual letter for Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is out, and although it's not as widely read as Buffett's annual letter, it's still a must read for any business-minded person or Amazon investor.

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By Hugh MacArthur, Graham Elton, Dan Haas, Suvir Varma and Carl Evander

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Pacific Sunwear is the latest retailer to hit hard times, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday.

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Among the underlying components of the Russell 3000 index, we saw noteworthy options trading volume today in Meritage Homes Corp (NYSE: MTH), where a total of 1,146 contracts have traded so far, representing approximately 114,600 underlying shares. That amounts to about 43.5% of MTH's average daily trading volume over the past month of 263,510 shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $40 strike call option expiring May 20, 2016, with 319 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 31,900 underlying shares of MTH. Below is a chart showing MTH's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $40 strike highlighted in orange:

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In afternoon trading on Thursday, Utilities stocks are the best performing sector, losing just 0.1%. Within the sector, NRG Energy Inc (NYSE: NRG) and FirstEnergy Corp (NYSE: FE) are two large stocks leading the way, showing a gain of 1.2% and 0.8%, respectively. Among utilities ETFs, one ETF following the sector is the Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (AMEX: XLU), which is down 0.1% on the day, and up 13.11% year-to-date. NRG Energy Inc, meanwhile, is up 4.63% year-to-date, and FirstEnergy Corp is up 11.05% year-to-date. Combined, NRG and FE make up approximately 3.1% of the underlying holdings of XLU.

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Small and mid-sized companies are often overlooked by many or even most investors. That’s unfortunate because there are many excellent investment opportunities that can be found in these equity classes. However, an argument could be made that between the small and mid-cap equity classes, the best and perhaps less risky investment opportunities are found in mid-caps.

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Forbes contributor Chuck Jones details five key factors that make Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook one of the best leaders in business.

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The next generation American Idol will be in a revolutionary digital format, perhaps live in social media.

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