By Lawrence G. McMillan ..read more

By Lawrence G. McMillan With the market currently selling off after a substantial bull run, it may make sense to learn about protecting your stock portfolio. Our archives are filled with valuable articles that delve into various strategies for safeguarding your investments. Here are some highlights ..read more

By Lawrence G. McMillan Join Larry McMillan as he discusses the current state of the stock market on July 22, 2024 ..read more

By Lawrence G. McMillan Small cap stocks joined the "party" about a week and a half ago. They were late to do so, but were able to push $SPX and many other indices sharply higher. They brought with them improved breadth figures and new all-time highs for $SPX. Unfortunately, their inclusion seems to have created such severe overbought conditions that a correction is now underway. Sell signals are beginning to emerge, although it is not clear that the bull market is over ..read more

By Lawrence G. McMillan The market continues to trade higher, and the pace is accelerating. Moreover, the euphoria that has been enjoyed by $SPX now seems to be spilling over into the small-caps such as the Russell 2000 Index ($RUT; IWM). The inclusion of the small-caps has expanded breadth, so that is no longer a negative divergence. In fact, Cumulative Volume Breadth (CVB) has been making new all-time highs right along with $SPX -- almost every day in July. This is no longer just a NVIDIA (NVDA) market ..read more

By Lawrence G. McMillan With the market at high levels and many investors holding significant unrealized gains, it's important to consider portfolio insurance. Derivatives like futures and options can help shield your stock investments from potential losses ..read more

By Lawrence G. McMillan The stock market, as measured by the S&P 500 Index ($SPX), continues to rise, making new all-time highs, both intraday and on a closing basis. This alone makes the $SPX chart bullish and dictates that we continue to hold a "core" bullish position. There are several support levels beneath the market as it has worked its way up in a stair-step fashion: 5450, 5380, and 5260 ..read more

By Lawrence G. McMillan ..read more

By Lawrence G. McMillan Stocks have traded in a tight range for several days. While there's some divergence between $SPX and the broader market, the trend remains upward with $SPX hitting new highs. Support levels are at 5400, 5350, 5260, and possibly 5450. Equity-only put-call ratios are moving sideways near the lows of their charts. This is an overbought condition but not a sell signal. These ratios need to rise sharply to confirm a sell signal ..read more

By Lawrence G. McMillan In this article from our archives, we delve into the intricacies of option decay, focusing on the differences in how in-the-money (ITM), at-the-money (ATM), and out-of-the-money (OTM) options lose value over time. Recognizing these decay rates is crucial for traders to make informed decisions and develop effective strategies. Here are the key highlights: Key Points Decay Rates ..read more