Archive Category: Max Profit Alert (Alerts)

Happy New Year! We’re holding off on adding new positions to the portfolio until next week – more on why in a moment. So just a quick note today … and one action to take, in the form of a profit-taking “trap” on our latest long-call position, on the SPDR Materials Sector ETF (XLB).

Last trade of the year, and it’s a simple broad-sector play … The U.S. materials sector has generated middle-of-the-road returns in 2025. The SPDR Materials Sector ETF (XLB) is up just shy of 9% year-to-date. That compares to gains of between 13%, from the health care (XLV) and utilities (XLU) sectors, and, on the high end, 25% from the technology (XLK) sector.

Yesterday, I recommended setting profit-taking “traps” on our two latest put-write positions: Albemarle (ALB) and Lam Research (LRCX). Two updates here … First, I’m pleased to report the $0.75 limit order I recommended placing on the ALB position were cleanly executed at this morning’s open after shares of the stock opened strongly higher.

I mentioned last week how we’ve carried a “full boat” of positions into December, and that we’ll be looking for opportunities to pare down and make room for new opportunities as we enter the new year. We’ll be taking some action today to do just that … Let’s get to it!

The Volatility Index (aka “VIX”) has returned this week to its more-typical level in the mid-teens. This move of declining volatility expectations follows two spikes of about 25, one in October and one in November. This means two things … One, that investors are expecting a smoother ride for stocks in general over the next 30 days.