lj: VTLE's volume is lighter today. It will be nowhere near the 90-day average.
On another note, Kohl's (KSS) is down on negative revenue projections by management. I owned the stock in 2022, I believe, (maybe 2021) and it was trading in the mid-$30's with a high dividend yield. Well, to my surprise when I checked today, the yield is 8 percent on a much lower stock price $22 and change. I believe they cut the dividend when it was trading in the $30's; in half, or eliminated it, don't remember. The company has been muddling through for at least a couple of years.
On today's,news, I sold this Friday's $21 put. Should be a safe bet because the .50 dividend goes "ex" around Dec. 4 or 5,
I am hoping the pending ex-date will keep a floor under the stock in the $22's. We shall see.

NYBob: I'm sure there's going to be a big meltdown among far-lefties throughout the world. The Argentina election throws a monkey wrench into their plans for Marxist one-world order.
And, speaking of that, Germany is allowing Palestinian refugees in. They never learn. Even Egypt won't let them in.

lj: Biden took the Houthi's off of the terrorist watch list. They are Boy Scouts.
The longer this drags on, the worse it is going to get.
It is far more likely than unlikely, imho, they events will results in a big oil price spike or two.
If it happens, it would be nice if it happened before early voting starts!
In another part of the world, this:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/oil-spill-could-put-endangered-144046947.html

NYBob: Will be interesting to get Steve Bannon's take on this event.

lj: VTLE
It went up some on in the morning on volume of 220K+ shares. Citibank started coverage with a $60 price target.
It started moving up a little last week.
I'm staying with it until $65 a share or better.

al44: Excellent post. However, there are Republicans who are working hard to stop this mess in the House--the MAGA coalitions led by Gaetz, Burchett, Vance, Rosendale, Mike Johnson and maybe 16 others.. Then there are the Republicans who are part of the Uniparty. They need to go in the next election. Oh, yes, the 8 traitors who voted against MTG's impeachment resolution against Majorkas. Republicans are our worst enemies in this fight.

MSFT--Today's news is mind-blowing, imo, especially if the ChatGPT talent follow their former boss to MSFT. https://finance.yahoo.com/video/sam-altman-joining-microsoft-huge-145034314.html

lj: Here is the link. I don't like the world "major".
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12764913/Iceland-volcano-thousands-earthquakes-eruption-evacuation.html

lj: And on the topic of oil, two things.
One, China has a very LT, something like 25-year deal, with Iran to buy their oil at a 45%, 50% discount to the price of Brent.
They also have ngas contracts locked up. China can now spend on its military.
Two, this might be bullish or bearish for oil. Bullish if it sends a plum of ash into the atmosphere and causes a colder than normal winter, or even longer than winter; bearish at the outset if it interrupts air travel.
If two or three major volcanos were to erupt within a relatively short time of each other, say within a 12-month period, we could have a mini-ice age.
I'll throw in a "three". I think XOM bottomed when it saw it at $101 and changed. Missed an opp to add shares.
And so we watch, sometimes in horror, sometimes in disbelief, sometimes in both.
Sorry. I have to go get the link. I'll post it by itself.

NYBob: Thank you for the alert, Bob. Great post. EOM

p_o_s: When I was growing up, that story would have been considered "news unfit to print".
Of course, when I was growing up, they put crazy people in State institutions.

A Pennsylvania judge with gumption and respect for citizens:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12764223/Judge-REJECTS-plea-deal-Pennsylvania-mom-hanged-son-8-daughter-4-dog-leash-having-sex-pit-bull-saying-does-not-serve-interests-justice.html

(It would be interesting to know whether the woman was on a combo of prescription psych drugs.)

al44: What have U got against dogs!

lj: Forget it and move on, is my advice. I am beginning to think it would be better, at least for the sake of my portfolio, to swing trade stocks rather than sell options. Calls are no longer something I will even consider. Well out of the money puts might still be in the cards, but, I might not even sell those. They tie up money until the expiration date. Selling puts does make sense if you want to own the stock at a lower price. You get paid to wait.
I could have ponied up $8K recently to buy back the January NVDA call I sold many moons ago, and the strike price is $300, not $350, as I previously stated, in error. NVDA made a bottom then started a march north. The last time I checked, the cost of buying in the call was something like $14K. I have a decent profit in the stock at $300, but, I do not want that profit on my 2023 tax return. So there is another reason not to sell a call!
Have a nice weekend!

lj: VTLE
Unless there is a selloff in oil stocks in the last hour of trading, the $45 call seems to be in the bag, or should I say drum.
I am no TA person, but it seems that VTLE has found a strong support level at approximately $45 a share. Fidelity's stupid trading system did me a favor. Now, taking out my violin, I am losing 100 shares of Target at $119 at the close. I thought it was 200 shares, but the other 100 are in another account, and, fortunately, I did not sell the same call there. Next week, if TGT comes back down, I'll look at the puts. Short trading week, which, imo, is a good week to play options.
[

lj: VTLE
Good point. In my case the shares are in an IRA, so I won't be taking a tax loss!

lj: I nominate you for the Board of Directors! EOM

lj: Good thesis. EOM

lj: It was a glitch. I called them and they couldn't explain it.

lj: I doubt XOM will cut its dividend. Their cash flow is mind blowing.

lj: Big drop in WTI today. XOM down to $101 and change. The yield is very competitive.
Here is the interesting part. VTLE is below $45 but not dropping like a rock.
I tried to buy in those $45 puts that expire tomorrow, and a glitch at Fidelity wouldn't let the trade go through.
So, I am riding it out.

lj: Posting on the fly:
The Obama Administration III took the Houthi's off of the terrorist list after they took office.
My neighbor is going to travel 800 miles for Thanksgiving in a diesel truck. Wouldn't want to pay for that fuel.
I'd hate to see VTLE bought out at $60 or $65 a share. Don't think management would accept an offer that low.
Last week's 30-year Treasury auction was a disaster. If I had nerve, I'd sell everything and put it in GLD.
The Republicans called it a day until after Thanksgiving. I hope Speaker Johnson knows what he is doing.
And so we watch the mess.

lj: VTLE still looking good. Sold TGT $119 calls yesterday. Another disaster. Just read that the market is spooked by this:
"The Dow Jones Industrial Average has just seen a "death cross" — a technical pattern where a shorter-term moving average (typically 50-day) drops below a longer-term one (200-day)."

NYBob: I don't think that is true, NYBob. EOM

AAA travel forecast, weather permitting:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/where-weather-could-cause-problems-223138972.html

Gmenfan: Great find.
"We struggle to sort this out. One explanation is that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has infiltrated the management of our country at every level so as to eventually conquer our territory for its resources while eliminating or enslaving the population." There is lots of evidence to support this idea. It is as scary as "h".
China plays the long game.

Kevin McCarthy is a class action--not! https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12750749/Tim-Burchett-Kevin-McCarthy-elbow-attack.html

lj: VTLE had a good day for a change. Seeing the House Republicans kick the budget can down the road today, I'm inclined to sell lots of positions into this rally if it continues. But not VTLE, of course.

lj: gasoline
Paid $3.19 at a Royal Farm Station. Saw $3.09 but passed it by, thinking I'd find it cheaper.
Didn't have time to get the cheap stuff below $3.00.

Eight dirt-bag Republicans went with the Dems on MTG's impeachment resolution, and the resolution didn't pass. Had they voted with their party, the vote would be tied. Speaker Johnson would case the tiebreaking vote, and we know how he would have voted.
Those sob's. I am very disappointed with Darrell Issa. Do the Mexican cartels have their hooks into any of these people?

lj: TSLA
Unless they have improved the technology, the original Teslas had thousands and thousands of AA size lithium-ion batteries inside. Not sure where they still do.

NYBob: J.D. Vance is great. We are lucky to have him and Matt Gaetz. They are leaders.
Thanks for the video. Two thumbs up!

LJ: MEXCO
I own some shares of this Colorado company with interests in the Permian.
EPS not good, but the stock has moved a little lately on pathetic volume.
This is more or less a microcap.

lj: Thanksgiving travel is on the horizon. Guess we should keep our ear to the ground to get AAA's estimate of the number of people who will be traveling next week. If the weather is mild in most of the northern climes, the number might be huge.

SSKILLZ1: NYCB
Thank you for the excellent analysis.
I agree with you on the substandard loan increase. That is not a good sign.
There is big concern about commercial loans in the business media. They anticipate it getting a lot worse, saying it is a looming crisis.
I plan to sit on the sidelines. The NYC market might be the last place to invest in a bank with commercial loans.
Thank you again.

al44: The problem with allegations of election fraud is that court's don't want to hear cases.

Gmenfan: And they bought the bats from an alleged roadside zoo not that far from Camp Davis.
Ft. Detrick, Maryland is in that general area, too.
Ever heard of a roadside zoo with bats?
China claimed that the U.S. military created the Covid virus.
If this were fiction, no one would read it because it would seem too implausible.

Gmenfan: This is music to my ears. Did she honestly think she could get away with it?
Kudos to those neighbors. I hope they have the courage of their convictions, because evil people will be after them.
If the suburbs of Northern Virginia and Maryland were joined with D.C. to create a State, Virginia would easily go red, and there is a high probability that Maryland would too. There are more conservatives in Maryland than you might think.
Those D.C. suburbs control the Maryland legislature. They run things.

lj: VTLE
So we need to do some roleplaying.
Do U want to be Warren Buffett or Charlie Munger?
I'll be the one U don't choose.
Next, we buy VTLE hand over fist!
Actually, you can be Charlie since U are the brains of the outfit.
Even $110 per share land value is eye popping.
Throw in the ridiculous PE and the modest share count and very manageable debt,
then ask yourself "Are we looking a gift horse in the mouth"?
If it is put to me at $45 on Friday, I'll be a happy camper.
Coming back down to earth, the lack of a dividend is what makes this stock a hard sell.
I just had to throw that in, didn't I!

lj: DVN
Thanks for your thoughts. I believe the dividend is variable, but don't quote me.
On another note, 87 octane petrol going for $2.93 at one station not far from here.
Did they rig the price ahead of the election but their timing was off?
When oil drops, pumps prices decline at a snail's pace.
Didn't happen this time, which takes me back to my rigging rap!
Or, just maybe, we are in a recession. We won't know for months.
I believe the House Republicans are working on a deal to kick the Govt. shutdown down the road.