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Biotechs Looking Up – Two Stocks To Take Advantage

The Biotech industry group is making a comeback and the ‘under the hood’ chart displays new strength coming into the group. We have a constructive bottom that price is breaking from and while it does need to overcome resistance at the 200-day EMA, it looks encouraging. What impressed was the increase in participation of stocks above key moving averages which is trending higher. A positive close today would likely see these numbers expand.

The Silver Cross Index measures how many stocks have a 20-day EMA greater than the 50-day EMA, or those stocks holding a “Silver Cross”. The Silver Cross Index is moving swiftly higher right now and should see a Bullish Shift across the signal line soon.

We will say that this is a rather aggressive group so it could turn on us should the market weaken. Stay nimble.

I did a quick scan and found two stocks in this area that you might find interesting.

First we have a stock that I picked yesterday for DP Diamonds subscribers. In DP Diamonds I go through my scan results and find the best candidates to present to subscribers. I give out ten stock and ETF picks per week. PTCT has broken from a declining trend. The RSI is positive and the PMO is rising toward a Crossover BUY Signal. Stochastics are also on the rise. Notice relative strength studies. The group is attempting to outperform again. PTCT is outperforming both the group and the SPY. I’ve opted to set the stop as close to support as possible without making it too deep. There is plenty of upside potential here.

VERV is breaking out from an intermediate-term trading channel. I like this breakout move. It is trying very hard to close above resistance. Given the positive RSI and rising PMO above the zero line on a Crossover BUY Signal, it looks like this breakout will materialize. The OBV broke out with price so the rally is being confirmed. Stochastics are above 80. Relative strength is excellent for VERV against both the group and the SPY. We could see a little profit taking at this resistance level, but that would likely offer a good entry.

Conclusion: Biotechs are rallying and under the hood indicators are confirming the rise. We should see more upside out of this group, but as noted earlier, this is an aggressive group and will likely require the market to continue making its way higher. Should the market turn on us, there won’t be too many areas that will be unscathed, but for now the rally is holding up.

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Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional. Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author, and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.

DecisionPoint is not a registered investment advisor. Investment and trading decisions are solely your responsibility. DecisionPoint newsletters, blogs or website materials should NOT be interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any security or to take any specific action.

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Business

Store closures hit highest level since pandemic — see who’s shutting down the most locations

Store closures in the U.S. last year hit the highest level since the pandemic — and even more locations are expected to shutter this year, as shoppers’ dollars increasingly go to a few industry winners, according to an analysis by Coresight Research.

Major retailers, including Party City and Macy’s, closed 7,325 stores in 2024, according to the retail advisory group’s data. That’s the sharpest jump since retailers in the U.S. shuttered almost 10,000 stores in 2020, the year when the Covid pandemic began.

So far this year, closures continue to climb. Retailers have already announced 1,925 store closures so far in 2025 — and that was only as of Jan. 10. The five retailers that have announced the most closures this year are Party City, Big Lots, Walgreens Boots Alliance, 7-Eleven and Macy’s, respectively.

The retail advisory firm projects that retailers will close about 15,000 stores this year as some legacy brands shrink and file for bankruptcy protection, or liquidating companies shutter locations.

The striking numbers reflect the stark divide between retailers that are gaining market share and those that have lost ground. Amazon, Costco and Walmart have gotten bigger as shoppers seek value and convenience. On the other hand, some smaller chains and specialty retailers have struggled to keep doors open or been forced to downsize.

A spike in bankruptcies contributed to the high number of closures in 2024. According to Coresight’s data, there were 51 retail bankruptcies in 2024, up from 25 in 2023. Some of those, such as Party City, have most of their closures taking place in 2025.

Consumer spending has stayed strong — but a larger share of the dollars has gone to fewer retailers. Holiday sales increased 4% year over year to $994.1 billion for Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, according to the National Retail Federation, the industry’s major trade group. That total excludes auto dealers, gas stations and restaurants.

That’s about in line with pre-pandemic holiday spending, which rose an average of 3.6% from 2010 to 2019.

The number of jobs in the industry also did not appear to fall despite the closures. Employment in the retail trade “changed little” last year, after the industry added about 10,000 jobs per month in 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said earlier this month.

Specialty retailers in particular have struggled: In December, The Container Store filed for bankruptcy protection. Big Lots’ new owner is in the middle of an effort to keep some stores open, after the discount retailer said in December that it would start going-out-of-business sales across all stores. Fabrics and craft retailer Joann filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this month for the second time in a year.

But it wasn’t just specialty stores. Last year, the highest number of closures came from Dollar Tree-owned Family Dollar, CVS Health, Conn’s, rue21 and Big Lots, respectively. Conn’s, a home goods and furniture retailer, and rue21, a teen apparel retailer, closed all stores after the parent company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2024.

John Mercer, Coresight’s head of global research, said competitive threats, not a decline in demand, is to blame.

“Demand may be strong among consumers, but where is some of that increased demand going? Where is it being channeled to?” he said.

Mercer said the retailers that are shuttering stores tend to fall in three categories: They are closing all locations as part of a liquidation, such as Party City; shutting down many of their stores after a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, such as The Container Store; or trimming back their footprint as they adapt to fast-changing consumer preferences, such as drugstores Walgreens and CVS and legacy department store Macy’s.

Macy’s, for example, is in the middle of closing about 150 of its namesake stores across the country by early 2027. The department store operator has been shuttering roughly 50 of those per year, since it made the announcement in early 2024. It is opening a limited number of shops that are smaller, off-mall versions of its namesake stores and new locations of its better-performing brands, Bloomingdale’s and beauty chain Bluemercury.

Some newcomers are chipping away at legacy retailers’ sales, Mercer said. Coresight estimates that Chinese e-commerce companies Shein and Temu pulled in a combined roughly $100 billion in sales last year, with the majority of that coming from outside of the U.S.

For example, more Americans are turning to sites like Temu for party balloons and storage tubs, which may have contributed to the bankruptcy filings of Party City and The Container Store last year, he said.

Even a small percentage drop in sales can be a blow to retailers’ stores, which come with high fixed costs like leases and labor, Mercer said.

Some unique factors have widened the gap between store openings and closures, according to David Silverman, a retail analyst at Fitch Ratings. When a major mall anchor like Macy’s closes, he said that can lead smaller retailers to exit, as well. As some stores in mall or strip shopping centers shutter, they’re also getting replaced by fitness studios, urgent care clinics or apartments instead of another retail store.

He added that population shifts during the Covid pandemic changed retailers’ store traffic patterns and shook up where they may want to be located.

“Most companies are not adding a significant number of square footage and even the ones that until recently were adding a lot, like the dollar stores, are rethinking their footprints,” he said.

Silverman said he expects more stores will continue to close than open in the U.S., as retailers’ growth comes from online sales and as larger companies take a bigger share of the market. Some of those, such as Walmart, add a lot more volume with one store than specialty retailers get from the dozens of locations they close, he added.

Investors will soon get an update on which retailers are outperforming and underperforming. Most major retailers will deliver their holiday-quarter results starting in mid-February.

Some retailers, including Kohl’s and Macy’s, announced their own plans for store closures before they shared full quarterly results. Kohl’s said earlier this month that it will close 27 underperforming stores by April, along with shuttering an e-commerce fulfillment center in San Bernardino, California, in May.

There’s some hopeful news for the retail industry, however: Store openings also accelerated last year in the U.S. to 5,970 — the highest number since Coresight began tracking store openings and closures in 2012. The firm anticipates that will stay about flat in 2025, with an estimated 5,800 stores opening.

Last year, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, 7-Eleven, Mexican convenience store Oxxo and Five Below tallied the most store openings.

So far this year, the top five retailers in terms of announced store openings in the U.S. are Aldi, JD Sports, Burlington Stores, Pandora and Barnes & Noble, respectively.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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UnitedHealthcare taps company veteran Tim Noel as new CEO following Brian Thompson killing

UnitedHealthcare on Thursday tapped company veteran Tim Noel as its new CEO following the targeted killing of its former top executive, Brian Thompson, in Manhattan in December. 

Noel was the head of Medicare and retirement at UnitedHealthcare, the largest private health insurer in the U.S. It is the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group, the nation’s biggest health-care conglomerate based on revenue and its more than $480 billion market cap. 

Noel, who first joined the company in 2007, “brings unparalleled experience to this role with a proven track record and strong commitment to improving how health care works for consumers, physicians, employers, governments and our other partners,” UnitedHealth Group said in a statement.

The company is still reeling from the murder of Thompson, which unleashed a torrent of pent-up anger and resentment toward the insurance industry, renewed calls for reform and reignited a debate over health care in the U.S.

Amid concerns about physical safety, companies across the industry have beefed up security for their executives and removed their photos and much of their personal information from their websites. That includes UnitedHealth Group, which appears to no longer have an executive leadership page.

Luigi Mangione, who was charged in the deadly shooting, is currently being held without bond in Brooklyn, New York. Mangione, 26, faces charges including murder and terrorism, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Noel oversaw a part of UnitedHealthcare’s business that includes Medicare Advantage plans, which have been the source of skyrocketing costs for insurers. 

Medicare Advantage, a privately run health insurance plan contracted by Medicare, has long been a key source of growth and profits for the insurance industry. But medical costs from Medicare Advantage patients have jumped over the last year as more seniors return to hospitals to undergo procedures they had delayed during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare and retirement unit serves one-fifth of Medicare beneficiaries, or nearly 13.7 million patients, according to a fact sheet from the company. 

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty said on an earnings call last week that the profit-driven U.S. healthcare system “needs to function better” and be “less confusing, less complex and less costly.”

Witty said members of the system benefit from high prices, noting that lower prices and improved services can be good for customers and patients but can “threaten revenue streams for organizations that depend on charging more for care.” However, Witty did not address to what extent UnitedHealth Group benefits from that model. 

In its first quarterly results since the killing, UnitedHealth Group reported fourth-quarter revenue that missed Wall Street’s expectations due to weakness in its insurance business.

The company’s 2024 revenue rose 8% to $400.3 billion, and it expects revenue to climb again this year to a range of $450 billion to $455 billion.

— CNBC’s Bertha Coombs contributed to this report

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Sports

Djokovic’s Australian Open injury: ‘I did everything I possibly can’

Ten-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic says he suffered a muscle tear during his four-set quarterfinal triumph over Carlos Alcaraz, which ultimately forced him to retire from his semifinal match Friday.

The muscle tear in his left leg forced Djokovic to retire after one set against Alexander Zverev, who will face top-seeded Jannik Sinner in the men’s final on Sunday. Djokovic was booed off the court, drawing admonishment from Zverev who called for fans to show some respect.

‘I did everything I possibly can to manage the muscle tear that I had,’ Djokovic said after the match. ‘Medications and the strap and the physio work helped to some extent today, [but] towards the end of that first set I just started feeling more and more pain. It was getting worse and worse. It was just too much to handle for me at the moment.

‘I knew even if I won the first set it was going to be a huge uphill battle for me to stay physically fit enough to stay with him in the rallies for another, god knows, two, three, four hours. I don’t think I had that, unfortunately, today in the tank. Unfortunate ending, but I tried.’

Djokovic,37, said he is unsure how long he will be out of competition and declined to say if this will be his last tournament in Australia. The next Grand Slam tournament is the French Open in Paris, which starts May 25.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion is also slated to compete in the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, starting Feb. 17.

‘When I go back home to Europe I will get together with the medical team and my physios and try to understand what we can do and the quickest way to recover and get back on track,’ Djokovic said.

‘I still have Doha tournament in a few weeks’ time that is scheduled. Whether I’m going to play that or not, it really does depend on how quickly I recover. It just depends on the muscle and how it responds to the treatment.’

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Sports

Buccaneers OC tells team he’s taking Jaguars head coaching job

One day after saying he was no longer interested in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coaching position, Liam Coen seemingly had a change of heart.

Coen, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator, told the Buccaneers Thursday night that he’s taking the Jaguars’ head coaching job, a person with knowledge of the move told USA TODAY Sports.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal is not yet official.

Tampa Bay was offering Coen a deal that would’ve made him the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL.

The Jaguars fired coach Doug Pederson earlier this month after three seasons in Jacksonville. The team had originally agreed to keep general manager Trent Baalke on board before firing him Wednesday afternoon.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Coen then met with the Jaguars Thursday, per reports.

“Following several discussions with Trent Baalke this week, we both arrived at the conclusion that it is in our mutual best interests to respectfully separate, effective immediately,’ Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in a statement. ‘Trent leaves us with my deepest appreciation for his efforts over the past five seasons.’

Khan stated that Ethan Waugh will be the interim general manager.

Of the seven head coaching vacancies this offseason, four now have been filled: Jacksonville, Chicago, New England and the New York Jets.

Dallas, Las Vegas and New Orleans still have openings to fill.

This story has been updated with new information.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Politics

Pro-life activist prosecuted by Biden DOJ reacts to Trump pardon: ‘I want to give him a hug’

When Joan Bell, 76, was given the news she was one of the pro-life activists pardoned by President Donald Trump Thursday afternoon, she was in disbelief.

‘I didn’t know if that meant we would get out in a few weeks or a few months, or what. I didn’t really know, but I knew we got pardoned,’ Bell, a grandmother of eight, told Fox News Digital Friday. ‘Well, then I ran upstairs because I had a rosary every evening.’

After finishing her prayers and Bible study with other inmates, Bell, a lifelong pro-life advocate, was told by several other inmates that her husband, Christopher Bell, was on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show saying she was indeed one of the 23 others pardoned.

‘That was overwhelmingly beautiful,’ Bell recalled. ‘Everyone was clapping.’ She was then told by a guard to pack up her things for her release later that evening. 

‘We are so grateful to Trump. And to just feel the fresh air, God’s beautiful air, just wonderful,’ Bell said. ‘Just being out and being with my husband, my son, just glorious. There are no words to describe that kind of freedom.’ 

She added that she and her husband will take a ‘second honeymoon’ soon. 

Bell, who lives in New Jersey, was sentenced to more than two years in prison in November 2023 for participating in a ‘blockade,’ conspiring with other activists at a Washington D.C. abortion clinic in October 2020, according to President Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ). 

Prosecutors from the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Columbia argued the pro-life activists violated the 1994 FACE Act, a federal law that prohibits physical force, threats of force or intentionally damaging property to prevent someone from obtaining or providing abortion services.

The activists were sentenced by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, a Clinton appointee, and immediately detained.

While signing the pardons Thursday, just a day before Friday’s annual March for Life rally, Trump said, ‘They should not have been prosecuted.’ 

‘Many, many of them are elderly people,’ Trump said in the Oval Office. ‘They should not have been prosecuted. This is a great honor to sign this. They’ll be very happy.’

Bell, along with Paula Paulette Harlow, Jean Marshall and John Hinshaw, were all around 70 years old when they were imprisoned.

‘That he personally knew our case is so touching,’ Bell said of Trump. ‘I want to give him a hug.’

Attorneys from the Thomas More Society formally requested pardons from the Trump administration earlier this month for the 21 pro-life advocates the law firm was representing. 

‘The heroic peaceful pro-lifers unjustly imprisoned by Biden’s Justice Department will now be freed and able to return home to their families, eat a family meal and enjoy the freedom that should have never been taken from them in the first place,’ Steve Crampton, senior counsel of the Thomas More Society, said in a statement. 

‘These heroic peaceful pro-lifers were treated shamefully by Biden’s DOJ, with many of them branded felons and losing many rights that we take for granted as American citizens.’

In a previous interview with Fox News Digital, Crampton said it was hard to find a ‘fair jury’ and that most of the jurors were either Planned Parenthood donors or pro-choice advocates in the cases. He called Washington, D.C., the ‘most pro-abortion city in America.’ 

‘She can say her pro-death words, but we weren’t allowed to say pro-life words,’ Bell said of the judge in the trial. Nonetheless, she said it was more ‘heartbreaking’ to be prosecuted for her religious beliefs.

This week, Trump also took action to pardon over 1,000 Jan. 6 rioters who were imprisoned, along with numerous other executive orders related to immigration and cryptocurrency and orders to declassify the MLK and JFK files.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division for comment. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Politics

Patel, Gabbard to appear before Senate committees next week

Some of President Donald Trump’s most controversial executive branch nominees are set to appear before Congressional committees next week. The commander-in-chief promises that they will shake up their respective departments if they are approved by the Senate. 

Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel has been nominated to be the FBI’s next director and will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, while Director of National Intelligence (DNI) pick Tulsi Gabbard has a hearing scheduled on the same day before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Meanwhile, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., tapped to become director of the Department of Health and Human Services, will face questions on Wednesday from members of the Senate Finance Committee, which directly oversees the department. He’ll also appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee on Thursday for a courtesy hearing. 

The Senate’s ‘advice and consent’ role allows the body to review the president’s appointments and provide oversight on key positions. The picks require a majority vote in the Senate with Republicans holding a 53-47 vote advantage over Democrats. 

But all face tough battles to get over the line. The Senate advanced the nomination of Pete Hegseth as Trump’s defense secretary on Thursday with Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, R-Alaska, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, breaking ranks.

Patel has called for radical changes at the FBI and was a fierce and vocal critic of the bureau’s work as it investigated ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

He held numerous national security roles during the first Trump administration and was the chief investigator in the congressional probe into alleged Trump-Russia collusion, uncovering government surveillance abuse that led to the appointment of two special counsels: one who determined that there had been no such collusion and another who determined the entire premise of the FBI’s original investigation was bogus.

Patel was an integral part of the creation of a memo released by then-Chair Devin Nunes in February 2018, which detailed the DOJ’s and FBI’s surveillance of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

He’s been a loyal ally to Trump for years, finding common cause over their shared skepticism of government surveillance and the ‘deep state’ — a catchall used by Trump to refer to unelected members of government bureaucracy.

Meanwhile, Trump has argued that Gabbard will bring a ‘fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights and securing Peace through Strength.’ The director of national intelligence leads the U.S. intelligence community, which includes overseeing the National Intelligence Program and advising the president on security matters. 

Gabbard has served as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves since 2021, after previously serving in the Hawaii Army National Guard for about 17 years. She was elected to the U.S. House representing Hawaii during the 2012 election cycle, serving as a Democrat until 2021. She did not seek re-election to that office after she entered the 2020 White House race. 

Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022, registering as an independent, before becoming a member of the GOP last year and offering her full endorsement of Trump amid his presidential campaign. 

Critics have attempted to paint Gabbard as a national security risk who is sympathetic to U.S. adversaries.

However, more than 250 veterans signed a letter last month endorsing her nomination, including high-profile and nationally known names such as retired Gen. Michael Flynn and former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller.

Kennedy Jr. is also a contentious pick, and he could face opposition, even from Republicans. In particular, Kennedy’s views and past statements about vaccines have been scrutinized by both GOP and Democratic lawmakers. 

GOP lawmakers have been concerned about Kennedy’s pro-abortion views that he has espoused in the past and his potential impact on the agriculture sector.

In what was a blockbuster move by the former Democrat, Kennedy dropped out of the 2024 presidential race as an Independent and endorsed Trump, vowing to ‘Make America Healthy Again,’ should he be part of the new administration.

Fox News’ Emma Colton and Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Stocks

What’s the Secret to Crushing the S&P 500?

Remember that old commercial, “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature?” Well, there should be another one pertaining to the stock market, “Don’t bet against a secular bull market advance!” We’re all trained, or brainwashed, if you will, to believe that the next major stock market top is at hand or just around the corner. It completely immobilizes us when it comes to having belief in the major advance at hand. Give us a bit of selling and we’ll quickly point out the likely recession and swift stock market drop ahead. Two weeks ago, reigniting inflation was a major concern and the S&P 500 was 5% off its high. Today, we’re in all-time high territory after the ACTUAL inflation data said that inflation is NOT a problem. Or we can just be blindfolded and keep tuning into the circus that is CNBC.

Drown out the noise and all the bearish rhetoric, and instead focus on one of my favorite charts. This is a 100-year monthly chart of the S&P 500:

I show this chart to our EarningsBeats.com members at least once per week. It’s that important to recognize and understand long-term perspective. The next time you think, “is this the start of the next secular bear market?”, I want you to remember one thing. There have been TWO starts to secular bear markets in my entire lifetime – the early 1970s and the turn of the century as the dot com bubble popped. That’s it. Just stop trying to call the 3rd one. There have only been 14 cyclical bear markets since 1950, which means that, on average, we see only one of these lesser bear markets every 5-6 years. Since 2018, we’ve had 3 of them (2018, 2020, 2022). That’s waaaaay more than our fair share. Let the bulls do their thing.

The following chart is the HERE AND NOW, not the bears’ wishful thinking and hoping. Yep, it’s another all-time high on the S&P 500:

If you look back above to the 100-year chart, you’ll see that the S&P 500’s monthly PPO is accelerating to the upside, telling us that long-term bullish momentum just keeps building. Bear markets don’t begin until that monthly PPO moves into negative territory. That sure seems like a long time from now based on the 100-year chart. Get on the right side of the trade, which is the long side. Not only is the S&P 500 monthly PPO nowhere near negative territory, none of our 11 sectors are anywhere close either. Every sector currently has a monthly PPO above 4. Our aggressive sectors have monthly PPOs residing near 10 or 11.

At EarningsBeats.com, we stress the importance of owning leading stocks in leading industry groups, which is the exact strategy we use to beat the S&P 500 in our portfolios. Our flagship Model Portfolio has now gained more than 300% since its inception on November 19, 2018. It’s crushing the benchmark S&P 500 as you can see below:

The current quarter is showing tremendous outperformance again. Growth stocks tend to power secular bull market advances, so taking advantageous of that helps in terms of relative performance. Stocks like PLTR, CLS, and TPR are providing us excellent leadership and direction.

Time to Relax

At 4:15pm ET today, our EarningsBeats.com team is hosting a virtual Friday Happy Hour. Everyone is invited! Grab your favorite beverage and join us as we celebrate another all-time S&P 500 high 2025-style! Simply CLICK HERE to join the event, but remember, it won’t start until 4:15pm. Be sure to stop by and meet our entire team!

Happy trading!

Tom

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Stocks

Lowering the Bar: Why Lowe’s Could Head South

Despite periodic rallies that have buoyed the home improvement retail sector, Lowe’s (LOW) is showing signs of potential weakness. Recent price action in Lowe’s stock and lagging growth metrics suggest that its latest attempt to sustain a breakout may run out of steam.

Below, we’ll explore the technical and fundamental factors behind this bearish thesis and outline a limited-risk options strategy to take advantage — discovered automatically through the OptionsPlay Strategy Center within StockCharts.com.

Technical Analysis of Lowe’s Stock Price

 After initially breaking above $260 resistance, LOW has spent the past two months attempting to build on its bullish momentum. However, it has since:

Confirmed a false breakout. LOW has since fallen back below the $260 support, negating the breakout and signaling a bearish trend change. Underperformed the S&P 500. During its failed breakout, the stock has lagged the broader market, suggesting weakness ahead. Retest of Resistance. Recently, LOW rallied back to the $260 level, which now acts as resistance, providing a strong risk/reward for adding bearish exposure.

FIGURE 1. DAILY CHART OF LOWE’S STOCK. The stock is showing signs of weakness after a false breakout and a retest of its resistance level.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

Fundamental Analysis of Lowe’s

 From a fundamental standpoint, LOW also appears vulnerable:

Premium Valuation, Tepid Growth. While Lowe’s trades at around 21x forward earnings, its projected EPS and Revenue growth metrics remain in the low single digits — well below market averages.Weak Profitability. Net margins of only 8% compare unfavorably to the S&P 500’s average of 12%. This relatively thin profitability questions the justification for LOW’s high valuation multiple.

 In essence, the stock’s elevated valuation doesn’t align with its modest growth prospects and subpar margin profile.

Options Strategy for Trading Lowe’s Stock

 The OptionsPlay Strategy Center highlights selling a bear call spread to capitalize on this potentially neutral to bearish view on LOW by selling the March 7 $265/$275 Call Vertical @ $4.20 Credit. This entails:

Selling the March 7, 2025, $265 Call at $7.38Buying March 7, 2025, $275 Call at $3.21Net Credit: $4.20 per share (or $420 total per contract)

FIGURE 2. RISK CURVE FOR A BEAR CALL VERTICAL. The strategy has a max reward of $420 and max risk of $580.Image source: OptionsPlay Strategy Center at StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

Trade Details

Maximum Potential Reward: $420Maximum Potential Risk: $580Breakeven Point: $269.20Probability of Profit: 64.70% (if LOW closes below $269.20 by March 7, 2025)

 If LOW remains below the $269.20 breakeven level at expiration, this strategy will be profitable. It’s a high probability of success strategy to express a bearish view with defined risk.

Unlock Real-Time Trade Ideas with OptionsPlay Strategy Center

 This bearish opportunity in Lowe’s was uncovered in seconds using the OptionsPlay Strategy Center on StockCharts.com. The platform’s Bearish Trend Following scan highlighted LOW as a prime candidate, then automatically structured the optimal options trade, helping you skip hours of research.

FIGURE 3. BEARISH TREND FOLLOWING SCAN FILTERED LOW AS A CANDIDATE FOR A BEAR CALL SPREAD.Image source: OptionsPlay Strategy Center at StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

By subscribing to the OptionsPlay Strategy Center, you can:

Automate Your Scans. Find high-probability opportunities based on real-time market data and technical signals.Optimize Trade Structures. Receive clear, tailored strategies designed around your market outlook and risk tolerance.Save Time & Energy. No more sifting through countless charts—let the tool do the heavy lifting, delivering insights straight to you.

Don’t let profitable setups pass you by. Subscribe to the OptionsPlay Strategy Center today and harness powerful scanning and strategy-building tools that put you a step ahead in the market every day.

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Politics

Trump revokes security detail for Fauci

President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday that he has terminated the security detail provided to Dr. Anthony Fauci at the taxpayer’s expense.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) requested security for Fauci in 2020 to protect him from threats he received as the top health official and public spokesperson during the COVID-19 pandemic. But that detail was pulled on Thursday night, CNN first reported.

Trump was asked about the decision Friday while visiting Asheville, N.C., to tour areas impacted by Hurricane Helene.

‘I think, you know, when you work for government, at some point your security detail comes off and, you know, you can’t have them forever,’ Trump said.

‘We took some off other people too, but you can’t have a security detail for the rest of your life because you work for government,’ he added.

Trump earlier revoked the security clearances of 51 intelligence officials who had wrongly claimed that Hunter Biden’s laptop had ‘all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation,’ as well as the details provided to former national security advisor John Bolton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. 

Asked if he would feel partially responsible if something were to happen to Fauci or Bolton, Trump said he would not.

‘No. You know, they all made a lot of money. They can hire their own security,’ Trump said, adding that he knows several good security firms and ‘can give them some good numbers.’ 

‘Certainly I would not take responsibility,’ he said.

Former President Joe Biden offered a preemptive pardon to Fauci on his way out of office to shield him from Trump’s retribution. Though Trump had initially followed Fauci’s recommendations at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he began to criticize Fauci as the government’s pandemic response and recommendations proved to be unpopular.

Fauci served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 1984 to 2022 and was the chief medical advisor to the president from 2021 to 2022. Trump awarded presidential commendations to Fauci and other members of Operation Warp Speed in 2021 for their work to quickly develop coronavirus vaccines. 

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

This story has been updated with additional information.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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