Market comment 2019

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Interesting bets:

When the stock of Roku, a streaming-service provider whose shares tend to fluctuate, cratered 19% on Sept. 20, Choi’s initial $766 investment in Roku puts -- a bet that the stock would decline -- ballooned to $50,553 overnight, a 6,500% gain. The profit was so meaty because the puts Choi bought were close to expiration and far out of the money. Bloomberg confirmed Choi’s account via screen shots of his Robinhood Financial trading history.

A few days later, lightning struck again. Choi doubled his Roku winnings by buying more puts, this time on the S&P 500 exchange-traded fund. When the SPY fell to $295.87 on Sept. 24 -- the first time it closed below $297 in more than two weeks -- his $297 puts that were set to expire on Sept. 25 went ka-ching.

 Reddit Investing Tips: Online Trader Turns $766 into $107,758 - Bloomberg

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Have to keep an eye on this one, as it has been one of the main underpinnings of the bull market:

Buyback spending is plummeting as companies spend less amid growing global uncertainty. According to Goldman Sachs, buyback spending slowed 18% to $161 billion during the second quarter, and the firm anticipates that the slowdown will continue. “During full-year 2019, we expect S&P 500 cash spending will decline by 6%, the sharpest annual decline since 2009,” the firm wrote. As corporate spending slows, investors hunting for yield should look to high-dividend stocks, the firm said.

 Goldman warns buybacks are plummeting