January 14, 2015 Trading Day Recap

The big news pre-market today were the retail sales numbers. With that said, the numbers were a big disappointment. Sales fell o.9% compared to expectations for a decline of 0.1%

Volatility continues to be theme thus far, this year. The S&P 500 closed at 2008.32, down .73% . However, our low of the day was 1988.44.

The VIX closed the day up 4.47%, closing at 21.48.

Crude Oil caught a bid today, February futures were up 5.73%, closing at $48.52. Some attributed the move to February futures options expiring.

Stocks that enjoyed massive spikes higher, included BlackBerry Ltd. (BBRY) and Ziopharm (ZIOP). The spike in Ziopharm was attributed to news that them and their partner, Interexon, agreed to a licensing deal with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. BlackBerry surged after a Reuters report, in which they stated that Samsung approached them about a potential takeover. BlackBerry, hit a 52 week high, closing at $12.60 per share. However, the stock sold off in the after hours, the company made a statement, denying the rumors between them and Samsung.

On the downside, Flamel Technologies (FLML) dropped over 37.74%, closing at 11.50. The move was attributed to comments made by a research analyst from Canaccord Genuity.

In respect to the options market, we saw bullish option flow in ZBRA, OKE and PENN. Large bearish option activity was seen in ORIG, SE and SCCO.

Earnings pre-market tomorrow: PPG, BLK, TSM, BAC, FAST, C and LEN.
Earnings after the close tomorrow: INTC, SLB, OZRK and PBCT

The present market conditions favor those who are nimble. If this volatility is getting the best of you, consider taking our program to sharpen up your skills.