Russ Cohen

Reacting To The Surge In Alphabet’s Trade – A Look At Direxion’s GGLL And GGLS Funds Reacting To The Surge In Alphabet’s Trade – A Look At Direxion’s GGLL And GGLS Funds

The Tech Titan’s Triumphant Journey

Steering through choppy waters, technology stalwart Alphabet Inc has been soaring, gathering over 5% in the past month. The fervor can be ascribed to the escalating appetite for artificial intelligence.

In recent times, Sir Demis Hassabis, head of Google AI, was revealed to be spearheading the creation of an AI model tailored for research support. This endeavor aims to enhance cross-disciplinary collaboration and cultivate synergistic efficiencies in scientific inquiries.

Moreover, Alphabet’s Waymo section unveiled its state-of-the-art sixth-gen hardware at the tail end of August. The fresh venture is anticipated to slash costs while delivering superior performance, especially in wintry driving conditions. Notably, industry prognosticators from S&P Global Mobility forecasted that autonomous vehicle sales in the U.S. might hit 230,000 units by 2034.

Options Market Bustling With Activity

An intriguing stir is perceptible in the trading domain, with implied volatility (IV) for GOOG stock orchestrating the rhythm. Around mid-September, the IV rank stood at approximately 28%, ascending to nearly 75% by close of play on Wednesday.

IV epitomizes the market’s anticipation of price fluctuations, whether upward or downward. During elevated IV phases, option premiums usually command a premium due to heightened demand.

The swell in trading transactions of GOOG stock is likely in preparation for Alphabet’s impending third-quarter earnings declaration scheduled for October 22. While recent transactions have been predominantly bullish, murmurs from the market suggest that a few whales have bet against the tide.

Exploring Direxion’s ETF Landscape

Amidst the swirling tides engulfing one of the globe’s dominant enterprises, financial enterprise Direxion finds itself in fertile soil. The company’s leveraged and inverse exchange-traded funds, fixated on GOOGL, offer traders a platform for swift directional bets on the tech behemoth.

See also  Magnificent 7: A Deep Dive Into Recent Earnings Market Reactions and Expectations

Following recent earnings releases from Google's parent company Alphabet and electric vehicle pioneer Tesla, investors exhibited disappointment in their reactions. The market's focus, particularly on the Alphabet report, could be a harbinger for the forthcoming earnings reports of other members of the elite 'Magnificent 7.'

The Alphabet report showcased a number of positives, including surpassing estimates and notable growth in search and cloud segments. Despite these strengths, the market fixated on the higher-than-anticipated capital expenditure figure, signaling concerns about escalating AI-centric investments without a clear payoff timeline.

The upcoming reports from Meta and Microsoft are likely to shed light on similar capital expenditure concerns. Meanwhile, Amazon's decelerating growth trajectory in contrast to Microsoft and Alphabet's accelerating trends raises questions about its competitive position in the cloud market.

Apple's recent foray into AI initiatives faces skepticism, with market attention shifting towards evolving iPhone trends in the critical Chinese market. Comparatively, while Alphabet's earnings soared by 28.6% year-over-year, Tesla experienced a 45.3% decline in Q2 earnings.

Analyzing Growth Prospects

An examination of consensus expectations for the 'Magnificent 7' reveals projections of a 26.8% upsurge in earnings and a 13.7% increase in revenues compared to the previous year. The Technology sector, on the other hand, is forecasted to witness a 16.8% earnings growth and 9.5% revenue rise.

Industry-wide Trends

Over the past few quarters, the Technology sector has experienced a positive trend in earnings revisions, with the 'Mag 7' leading the surge in estimates. Amidst this backdrop, the ongoing Q2 reporting cycle is poised to unveil insights into over 1000 companies, including prominent members of the S&P 500.

A notable highlight of the current reporting cycle is the historical context of revenue beats percentages, with the Q2 figure representing a new low over a 20-quarter period. This challenging environment sets the stage for increased scrutiny over revenue performance.

Earnings Season Overview

As the Q2 earnings season unfolds, the amalgamation of actual results and estimates paints a picture of a 6.9% uptick in S&P 500 earnings alongside a 5.2% revenue surge from the prior year. The consistent revisions in estimates leading up to Q2 reflect a resilient outlook compared to past quarters, with positive expectations projected for the remainder of the year.

Insight Into Declining Earnings Growth on an Ex-Finance BasisThe Resilience of Earnings Growth Amid the Decline in Ex-Finance Basis

The Optimistic Outlook: GGLL

Direxion’s bullish GOOGL fund has witnessed significant tumult this year, securing a return of over 19% since January’s dawn.

  • Surging ahead of Alphabet’s Q3 revelation, GGLL displayed a sturdy growth of nearly 23% post the September 10th wrap-up.
  • Elevated volume levels herald optimism among bullish traders as they brace for the crucial litmus test.
  • However, for prospective speculators to find allure in this trade, the GGLL ETF must break beyond the $38 resistance barrier.

The Pessimistic Picture: GGLS

Contrarily, a gloomy cloud looms over Direxion’s bearish GOOGL fund this year, witnessing a depreciation of about 19%.

  • Significantly, GGLS is trading beneath both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, hinting at profound pessimism.
  • Precariously balancing above the $14 support line, the inverse GOOGL fund faces a tumultuous road.
  • Despite bouncing resiliently from this year’s rock bottom of $12.34, backed by bearish options activity, dissenters might find solace in this setback.

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs


5 Stocks Our Experts Predict Could Double In the Next Year

By submitting your email, you'll also get a free pivot & flow membership. A free daily market overview. You can unsubscribe at any time.