hapabapa/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Charles Schwab ( SCHW ) said on Monday that the Schwab Trading Activity Index, or STAX, increased to 57.32 in February from 49.96 in January. STAX analyzes retail investor stock positions and trading activity from Schwab's client accounts to illuminate what investors were actually doing and how they were positioned in the markets each month. The February ...
hapabapa/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Charles Schwab ( SCHW ) said on Monday that the Schwab Trading Activity Index, or STAX, increased to 57.32 in February from 49.96 in January. STAX analyzes retail investor stock positions and trading activity from Schwab's client accounts to illuminate what investors were actually doing and how they were positioned in the markets each month. The February score represents the biggest month-over-month percentage gain since late 2020. "The trading behavior we saw among our retail clients tells a clear story: the AI-driven panic that rattled the markets in February was likely overblown and, more than anything, may have represented an opportune time to pick up some names that had taken a perhaps unfair beating," said Joe Mazzola, head trading and derivatives strategist at Charles Schwab. Last month, more affluent and older investors led the buying activity among Schwab clients. Popular names bought include Amazon.com ( AMZN ), Microsoft ( MSFT ), NVIDIA ( NVDA ), Palantir Technologies ( PLTR ), and Netflix ( NFLX ). Names net sold included Meta Platforms ( META ), Apple ( AAPL ), Verizon Communications ( VZ ), Costco Wholesale ( COST ), and AT&T ( T ). More on Charles Schwab Buy Shares Where You Invest: Charles Schwab Charles Schwab: Why We Trimmed Modestly Charles Schwab: Expect Higher Capital Returns In 2026 SA Asks: Which financial stocks could be hit hard by AI? Charles Schwab records 18% Y/Y rise in January-end client assets
Algorithmic traders, the speculators known for riding trends and accelerating price momentum, have maxed out on bullish US oil bets for the first time in more than four years — a move that’s likely to add more volatility to a market being rocked by the war in Iran. The money managers known as commodity trading advisers, or CTAs, have driven up their bullish tilt and were sitting at 100% long in We...
Algorithmic traders, the speculators known for riding trends and accelerating price momentum, have maxed out on bullish US oil bets for the first time in more than four years — a move that’s likely to add more volatility to a market being rocked by the war in Iran. The money managers known as commodity trading advisers, or CTAs, have driven up their bullish tilt and were sitting at 100% long in West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude futures as of Monday morning, according to data from Kpler. That compares with 82% on Friday, data from the analytics firm show. It’s the first time the trading cohort has reached a maximum long holding in US crude since September 2021, when the position persisted for 26 trading sessions. In Brent, it’s the first time since April 2024. CTAs have emerged as a dominant market force in recent years, making up an outsize portion of trading volumes and intensifying periods of heightened volatility. On Monday, the WTI market saw wild moves. Prices surged as much as 31% to reach $119.48 a barrel during the Asian trading session. The rally was driven by concerns that a standstill of tanker traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz will choke off supplies to the rest of the world. But by midday US hours, futures pared most of the massive gains as the world’s largest economies consider a co-ordinated release of emergency oil stockpiles. WTI was 4.8% higher at $95.30 as of 1:15 p.m. in New York. While supply-and-demand fundamentals are currently the primary driver behind price moves amid the Iran war, the strong positioning by algo traders can exacerbate momentum. Meanwhile, the max long position also means that the market could be vulnerable to a massive unwind of the trade if there’s evidence of easing supply risks that sparks a leg lower. Money managed by CTAs can sometimes be slower to respond to shifts in fundamentals. Some trading strategies adjust positioning based on weekly, rather than daily, price signals, helping to explain why algo tr...
At Holdings Channel, we have reviewed the latest batch of the 29 most recent 13F filings for the 03/31/2025 reporting period, and noticed that Microsoft Corporation (Symbol: MSFT) was held by 23 of these funds. When hedge fund managers appear to be thinking alike, we find it is a good idea to take a closer look. Before we proceed, it is important to point out that 13F filings do not tell the whole...
At Holdings Channel, we have reviewed the latest batch of the 29 most recent 13F filings for the 03/31/2025 reporting period, and noticed that Microsoft Corporation (Symbol: MSFT) was held by 23 of these funds. When hedge fund managers appear to be thinking alike, we find it is a good idea to take a closer look. Before we proceed, it is important to point out that 13F filings do not tell the whole story, because these funds are only required to disclose their long positions with the SEC, but are not required to disclose their short positions. A fund making a bearish bet against a stock by shorting calls, for example, might also be long some amount of stock as they trade around their overall bearish position. This long component could show up in a 13F filing and everyone might assume the fund is bullish, but this tells only part of the story because the bearish/short side of the position is not seen. Having given that caveat, we believe that looking at groups of 13F filings can be revealing, especially when comparing one holding period to another. Below, let's take a look at the change in MSFT positions, for this latest batch of 13F filers: In terms of shares owned, we count 10 of the above funds having increased existing MSFT positions from 12/31/2024 to 03/31/2025, with 13 having decreased their positions. Worth noting is that Wealthquest Corp, included in this recent batch of 13F filers, exited MSFT common stock as of 03/31/2025. Looking beyond these particular funds in this one batch of most recent filers, we tallied up the MSFT share count in the aggregate among all of the funds which held MSFT at the 03/31/2025 reporting period (out of the 1,655 we looked at in total). We then compared that number to the sum total of MSFT shares those same funds held back at the 12/31/2024 period, to see how the aggregate share count held by hedge funds has moved for MSFT. We found that between these two periods, funds reduced their holdings by 1,835,187 shares in the aggregate...
Traders are watching a key support level for the S & P 500 where it could see some buying — without which, there could be trouble ahead. The broad market index is fast approaching its 200-day moving average, which is at 6,582. The technical indicator, which averages the closing price over the last 200 days, shows whether the underlying long-term trend in an asset or index is positive or negative. ...
Traders are watching a key support level for the S & P 500 where it could see some buying — without which, there could be trouble ahead. The broad market index is fast approaching its 200-day moving average, which is at 6,582. The technical indicator, which averages the closing price over the last 200 days, shows whether the underlying long-term trend in an asset or index is positive or negative. That support level is now just 2% below where the S & P 500 closed Friday, at 6,740.02. On Monday, the benchmark was last down 0.5%, but it fell as much as 1.5% at its session low. "We should see buyers step in again at those levels," Jay Woods, chief market strategist at Freedom Capital Markets, told CNBC. "If it gets worse, then we're talking 10% correction." The S & P 500 has held above its 200-day moving average for the better part of a year, with traders stepping in to buy whenever there was a pullback on hopes that fiscal stimulus, easier monetary policy and productivity gains from artificial intelligence will keep the bull case for equities intact. Even the more recent concerns around AI disruption , mounting pressure in private credit and higher inflation have done little to knock the broader index from its holding pattern, which it's been in since late last year. But with the S & P 500 selling into the weekend in the midst of the U.S.-Iran war, and opening lower on Monday as oil spikes above $100 a barrel , traders now worry the technical support will finally give way. If traders don't step in this time, that suggests the index could drop even further. A 10% correction would place the S & P 500 back at 6,066.018, where it was last June. "We'll cross that road when we get to it," Woods said. "But right now, watch the 200-day moving average." — CNBC's Fred Imbert contributed to this report.
Ondas ( ONDS ) reported preliminary Q4 2025 revenue of $29.1M–$30.1M, exceeding analyst expectation of $27.5M. Full-year 2025 revenue is projected at $49.7M–$50.7M, above Wall Street estimate of $48.1M. The company expects Q4 2025 net loss of $20.4M–$20.9M and adjusted EBITDA loss of $10.9M–$11.4M. Full-year 2025 net loss is expected at $52.8M–$53.3M, with adjusted EBITDA loss of $32.4M–$32.9M. Th...
Ondas ( ONDS ) reported preliminary Q4 2025 revenue of $29.1M–$30.1M, exceeding analyst expectation of $27.5M. Full-year 2025 revenue is projected at $49.7M–$50.7M, above Wall Street estimate of $48.1M. The company expects Q4 2025 net loss of $20.4M–$20.9M and adjusted EBITDA loss of $10.9M–$11.4M. Full-year 2025 net loss is expected at $52.8M–$53.3M, with adjusted EBITDA loss of $32.4M–$32.9M. The company will release final Q4 and full-year 2025 results on March 25, 2026. Ondas reiterated its 2026 revenue guidance of $170M–$180M, excluding any new acquisitions announced in 2026. ONDS shares down over 3%. More on Ondas Holdings Ondas: From Penny Stock To Defense Contender Ondas: Expensive, Dilutive, Unprofitable - And Still A Buy Ondas: The Industrial Bridge To Autonomous Dominance Europe turns to Ukraine’s drone expertise as joint factories ramp up production Drone manufacturers rally amid Middle East tensions; AVAV, KTOS, and DPRO lead gains
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin urged nation’s oil and gas producers to take advantage of sky-rocketing commodities prices to reduce their debt, because the spike will be temporary. With the Strait of Hormuz being “effectively closed” amid the Middle East conflict, oil production relying on the route “risks stopping completely” within a month, Putin said at a meeting with government officials an...
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin urged nation’s oil and gas producers to take advantage of sky-rocketing commodities prices to reduce their debt, because the spike will be temporary. With the Strait of Hormuz being “effectively closed” amid the Middle East conflict, oil production relying on the route “risks stopping completely” within a month, Putin said at a meeting with government officials and energy executives. It will take “weeks, if not a month” to restore liquefied natural gas capacity in the region and it’s “impossible to quickly compensate for the lost volumes,” he added. Russia “must understand that the current high commodity prices are certainly temporary” and must proceed from that, Putin said. “Changes in the balance of supply and demand for hydrocarbons will, of course, lead to a new stable price reality. That will inevitably happen, so it’s important for Russian energy companies to take advantage of the current moment, including by using additional export revenue to reduce their debt burden” to Russian banks. Putin asked the government and the central bank to monitor this process. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak , who oversees nation’s energy sector, and Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina were among the participants in the meeting, alongside with Rosneft PJSC and Gazprom PJSC Chief Executive Officers Igor Sechin and Alexey Miller , respectively. Russia will continue to supply oil and gas to reliable partners not only in the Asian-Pacific region, but also in eastern Europe, in particular to Hungary and Slovakia, Putin said. At the same time, the government in Moscow is considering ending most sales of natural gas to the European Union right now, and not wait until the region gradually bans imports both of pipeline and liquefied gas from Russia by late 2027. READ: Putin’s Suggestion to Divert LNG From EU Right Now Faces Hurdles Still, Russia is ready to work with the bloc and supply oil and gas “if European companies, European buyers sudd...
(RTTNews) - After a sharp decline in early trades, Swiss stocks recovered a bit Monday morning, and then kept paring losses as the day progressed, but still ended the session on a negative note, in line with markets across the globe. Deepening tensions in the Gulf following reports of explosions at Al Udeid Air Base, the largest United States military installation in the Middle East rendered the m...
(RTTNews) - After a sharp decline in early trades, Swiss stocks recovered a bit Monday morning, and then kept paring losses as the day progressed, but still ended the session on a negative note, in line with markets across the globe. Deepening tensions in the Gulf following reports of explosions at Al Udeid Air Base, the largest United States military installation in the Middle East rendered the mood bearish. The Swiss benchmark SMI, which tumbled to 12,685.18, losing more than 400 points, recovered to settle at 13,000.09, but still recorded a loss of 95.46 points or 0.73%. Richemont ended down 3.25%. Roche Holding, Amrize, Sika and Julius Baer closed lower by 2.2%-2.6%. Schindler Ps, Kuehne + Nagel, Holcim, ABB, SGS, Straumann Holding and Lonza Group lost 1%-2%. Geberit, Partners Group, Givaudan, UBS Group and Helvetia Baloise Holding also ended notably lower. Novartis climbed about 1.7%. Logitech International moved up 1.63% and Swisscom advanced nearly 1%. Sandoz Group, Swiss Re and Swiss Life Holding also closed on positive note. In economic news, Swiss consumer confidence held steady and negative in February, monthly survey results from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, or SECO, showed. The consumer sentiment index stood at -30 in February, the same as in the previous month. The expected score was -29. Nonetheless, the index improved from the previous year's reading of -34.0. The economic outlook index improved to -31.0 from -37.0 from last year and from -34.0 in January. The sub-indexes for past financial situation and timing of major purchases strengthened from the past year's level, while the indicator for expected financial situation was broadly unchanged. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Vagengeym_Elena/iStock via Getty Images Immatics Overview It's been quite awhile since I covered Immatics ( IMTX )—October 2023, to be exact. Back in those days , Immatics was testing its TCR-T cell therapy, IMA203 in a Phase 1 study in solid tumors. The company has since advanced anzu-cel (IMA203) in 2L melanoma and uveal melanoma. Immatics Its most mature prospect is anzu-cel in 2L melanoma. The...
Vagengeym_Elena/iStock via Getty Images Immatics Overview It's been quite awhile since I covered Immatics ( IMTX )—October 2023, to be exact. Back in those days , Immatics was testing its TCR-T cell therapy, IMA203 in a Phase 1 study in solid tumors. The company has since advanced anzu-cel (IMA203) in 2L melanoma and uveal melanoma. Immatics Its most mature prospect is anzu-cel in 2L melanoma. The Phase 3 study ( SUPRAME ) pegs anzu-cel against “investigator’s choice of treatment.” Because I thought early-stage data was impressive and collabs with large pharmas, like Bristol Myers Squibb ( BMY ), helped validate its platform, I rated IMTX a high-risk/high-reward “ Buy .” Its stock has since changed +1% versus S&P 500 ( SPY ) gains of 57%, but has come to life these past few months, sparking my interest. Data by YCharts Pipeline Bristol plays a much smaller role in Immatics’ pipeline. The two were advancing IMA401 (the MAGEA4/8 bispecific). But Bristol terminated their partnership on this asset in 2024, giving Immatics full rights. Immatics’ friendship with Moderna ( MRNA ) continues. They are testing anzu-cel and mRNA-4203 in solid cancers (Phase 1). Focusing on anzu-cel, 2L melanoma is a crowded, but very imperfect market: Author's Compilation This is where Iovance’s ( IOVA ) AMTAGVI, another cell therapy, comes into play. AMTAGVI is gaining interest in this market as real-world data suggests better outcomes when T-cells are harvested earlier. AMTAGVI and anzu-cel differ in a few ways: Author's Compilation Although anzu-cel has logistical benefits over AMTAGVI, 2L melanoma patients (~9k each year in the US) will have to go through two “filters” to be eligible for anzu-cel. The HLA-A*02:01 allele occurs in about half of the Western world population. Then their tumors must express the PRAME protein. This is ~90% of melanoma tumors. Author's Compilation The risk-adjusted net present value is roughly 60% of Immatics’ current enterprise value. Tangible value outside of ...
Claudia Sheinbaum has responded to Donald Trump’s description of Mexico as the “epicenter of violence,” by calling on the US government to step up efforts to combat gun trafficking. “There is something that the US can help us a lot with: stop the trafficking of illegal weapons from the US to Mexico,” the president of Mexico said. “If they stopped the entry of illegal weapons from the United States...
Claudia Sheinbaum has responded to Donald Trump’s description of Mexico as the “epicenter of violence,” by calling on the US government to step up efforts to combat gun trafficking. “There is something that the US can help us a lot with: stop the trafficking of illegal weapons from the US to Mexico,” the president of Mexico said. “If they stopped the entry of illegal weapons from the United States into Mexico, then these groups wouldn’t have access to this type of high-powered weaponry to carry out their criminal activities.” Sheinbaum noted that 75% of guns used by cartels come from the United States. Mexico has repeatedly called on the US government to halt arms trafficking and in 2021 sued several American gunmakers, accusing them of “negligent marketing, distribution and sales”, though the suit was tossed out by the US supreme court last year. Sheinbaum’s comments responded to a speech made by Trump during a gathering of Latin American leaders at his Miami-area golf club on Saturday to establish what he called a “counter-cartel coalition”. “The epicenter of cartel violence is Mexico,” Trump said during his Shield of Americas summit with Latin American leaders on Saturday. “The Mexican cartels are fueling and orchestrating much of the bloodshed and chaos in this hemisphere and the United States government will do whatever is necessary to defend our national security.” Trump also called Sheinbaum a “beautiful woman” with a “beautiful voice” and said he had asked her to let him “eradicate the cartels” to which, according to Trump, Sheinbaum responded “No, no, no, please, president.” Trump has regularly threatened to invade Mexico in order to tackle drug trafficking groups, threats that Sheinbaum has repeatedly rebuffed. “It’s good that President Trump publicly says that when he has proposed that the United States military enter Mexico, we have said no,” she said on Monday. “Because it’s the truth.” Viri Ríos, a Mexican political analyst, called Trump’s comments “se...