Amber Hestla

Amber Hestla is Lead Investment Strategist behind Profitable Trading's Income Trader, Profit Amplifier and Maximum Income. She specializes in generating income using options strategies that minimize risk by applying skills she learned on military deployments and intelligence training to the markets.

While deployed overseas with the military, Amber learned the importance of analyzing data to forecast what is likely to happen in the future, a skill she now applies to financial markets. Prior to that, Amber studied risk management working undercover. While risk management is no longer a matter of life and death, she believes it is the most important factor in long-term trading success.

And although she makes her living in the markets, she continues to study the markets and trading daily. Her writing has been featured in trading magazines including the Market Technicians Association newsletter, Technical Analysis of Stocks & Commodities and Stocks, Futures and Options in the United States, and Shares, a weekly trading magazine published in the United Kingdom.

Analyst Articles

I’ve been thinking a lot about October 1987 recently.  I’m sure many of you remember that month. But for those of you might be a little too young (or maybe the memory just isn’t what it used to be), that was the month where we saw a one-day decline in the stock market of more than 22%. That day would later become known as Black Monday. At the risk of bringing up a painful memory that’s seared into mind of many investors, let’s take a look at what happened then — because I think it can be instructive when thinking… Read More

I’ve been thinking a lot about October 1987 recently.  I’m sure many of you remember that month. But for those of you might be a little too young (or maybe the memory just isn’t what it used to be), that was the month where we saw a one-day decline in the stock market of more than 22%. That day would later become known as Black Monday. At the risk of bringing up a painful memory that’s seared into mind of many investors, let’s take a look at what happened then — because I think it can be instructive when thinking about where we’re at in the market today. —Recommended Link— Collect Regular Government-Backed Marijuana Payouts Of $6,751 Or More There’s a tiny Maryland company with a revolutionary new marijuana profit-sharing plan. And it’s consistently sending out checks of $6,751. Or more. The payouts are 100% backed by a U.S. Federal Law. And there’s no limit to how much you can collect. Get the full story here now.. Let’s start with this chart…  From a technical perspective, the chart shows that prices peaked in August 1987 and broke support near 2,520 in… Read More

Last week, traders seemed focused on two important news stories — the potential trade war with China and Uber’s disappointing IPO. But the stories weren’t all that important to the broader market. However, the more I consider the news, the more convinced I am that there could be an explosive rally in the stock market. Let me explain… The (Psycological) Trade War First, let’s look at the trade war with China. This seemed to be the primary reason the S&P 500 Index dropped as much as 4.4% below its recent high. ​ Last week’s decline ended… Read More

Last week, traders seemed focused on two important news stories — the potential trade war with China and Uber’s disappointing IPO. But the stories weren’t all that important to the broader market. However, the more I consider the news, the more convinced I am that there could be an explosive rally in the stock market. Let me explain… The (Psycological) Trade War First, let’s look at the trade war with China. This seemed to be the primary reason the S&P 500 Index dropped as much as 4.4% below its recent high. ​ Last week’s decline ended when news broke that talks between the United States and China were productive. The news consisted of a single tweet from Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin: “Ambassador Lighthizer and I just concluded productive meetings with China’s Vice Premier Liu He. We will continue our talks in Washington, D.C. next week.” That sparked a 2% rally in the S&P 500. #-ad_banner-#Now, one of the interesting aspects of this story is that many economists believe the proposed tariffs will not have a significant impact on the U.S. economy. There will be higher prices on some items since the costs are likely to… Read More

One of the defining characteristics of the current world is that economic change unfolds faster than ever.  For thousands of years, the average person survived, eking out a living from farming or some specialized service that helped farmers, like blacksmithing. I’m simplifying a great deal, but this lifestyle remained unchanged for many people until the Industrial Revolution created jobs in factories at a scale that was unimaginable just decades earlier and large cities became the norm.  #-ad_banner-#Large manufacturers drove the economy for more than 200 years until technology began replacing jobs in the second half of the 20th century. Over… Read More

One of the defining characteristics of the current world is that economic change unfolds faster than ever.  For thousands of years, the average person survived, eking out a living from farming or some specialized service that helped farmers, like blacksmithing. I’m simplifying a great deal, but this lifestyle remained unchanged for many people until the Industrial Revolution created jobs in factories at a scale that was unimaginable just decades earlier and large cities became the norm.  #-ad_banner-#Large manufacturers drove the economy for more than 200 years until technology began replacing jobs in the second half of the 20th century. Over the past 30 years, the internet has further accelerated the pace of change, and now change is nearly constant.  One of the more recent changes has been what some call the “gig economy,” which has allowed Uber (NYSE: UBER) and other on-demand service providers to flourish. Many of us have enjoyed the benefits of these companies, but the drawbacks of the gig economy might soon take center stage.  With Uber’s initial public offering (IPO) Friday morning, attention is turning to the company’s financial operations. Basically, Uber and other platforms take a portion of the revenue and pass on the rest… Read More

Last week, I read a paper called “How the Wealth Was Won: Factor Shares as Market Fundamentals.” For a slightly wonky student of the markets like me, this paper is the equivalent of a horror movie.  It’s a rather technical paper, and I won’t bore you with all the details. But for those who’d like to really dive in to all the math and details, the paper can be found here. This paper explained why the profit margin contraction I wrote about last week is a long-term problem for investors. Data in the paper confirmed my view… Read More

Last week, I read a paper called “How the Wealth Was Won: Factor Shares as Market Fundamentals.” For a slightly wonky student of the markets like me, this paper is the equivalent of a horror movie.  It’s a rather technical paper, and I won’t bore you with all the details. But for those who’d like to really dive in to all the math and details, the paper can be found here. This paper explained why the profit margin contraction I wrote about last week is a long-term problem for investors. Data in the paper confirmed my view that the future for investors is much different than what investors have come to believe is normal based on their experience of the past few decades.  —Recommended Link— [Free Webinar] The Secret to Making $125,000 In a Year On May 9th at 1 p.m. investing legend Jim Fink is going to share four ways to tap the market for gains of 114%, 211%, 246% and 433%. Sometimes in as little as 36 hours. His new system is so powerful, we’re promising anyone who uses it will have the opportunity to make $125,000 in the next… Read More

If you’ve been following along with me lately, then you know I’m concerned about the market right now for a number of reasons. Nevertheless, the bull market remains intact. For now.  In the meantime, while I’m watching the market, I don’t see any reason to avoid making new trades rights now, especially if they’re the kind of conservative income trades my readers and I make over at Maximum Income. Case in point: I recently recommended a trade in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO).  And today, I’m going to share the details with you… —Recommended Link— Register for Secret Cash Payouts… Read More

If you’ve been following along with me lately, then you know I’m concerned about the market right now for a number of reasons. Nevertheless, the bull market remains intact. For now.  In the meantime, while I’m watching the market, I don’t see any reason to avoid making new trades rights now, especially if they’re the kind of conservative income trades my readers and I make over at Maximum Income. Case in point: I recently recommended a trade in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO).  And today, I’m going to share the details with you… —Recommended Link— Register for Secret Cash Payouts by Vodafone, Whole Foods and Microsoft Officially, American corporations pay out $1 billion in dividends a day. But the true payout is much higher, because so many “special” dividends go unreported. And they can be 10 times larger than a regular dividend. It’s time to lift the lid on this secret world. For 12 of the biggest secret dividends you’ll ever see, go here. For starters, you should know that this is a covered call trade. That’s a trade involving options, but don’t let that scare you. In fact, covered calls are one of the most conservative options trading… Read More

Let’s get one thing straight…  Stock prices continue moving higher — and that is bullish. I’m not going to suggest anyone fight the trend. As long as stocks are rising, we should be aggressive.  This week, I want to consider why stocks are rising. In general terms, uptrends are driven by economic data, fundamentals, sentiment, or a combination of those three factors. Understanding the primary factor behind a move can help us prepare for the inevitable reversal.  —Recommended Link— 3 Minutes to Collect 12 Times More Money Than… Read More

Let’s get one thing straight…  Stock prices continue moving higher — and that is bullish. I’m not going to suggest anyone fight the trend. As long as stocks are rising, we should be aggressive.  This week, I want to consider why stocks are rising. In general terms, uptrends are driven by economic data, fundamentals, sentiment, or a combination of those three factors. Understanding the primary factor behind a move can help us prepare for the inevitable reversal.  —Recommended Link— 3 Minutes to Collect 12 Times More Money Than Social Security Just make this simple little 3-minute call and you can get set up to start collecting your checks. All told, your checks can add up to $225,326 over the next 25 years. Imagine that! And these checks are supported by $1.75 billion in new money every year. But you must act right now… because the next wave of checks will be sent out in just a few days. Click here for the details. First, uptrends driven by economic or fundamental data tend to be the strongest. That’s… Read More

While reviewing some major indexes recently, I saw an important signal in the Baltic Dry Index.  The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) is an index of shipping costs that shows the cost of moving materials in large ships. These are the ships used to move coal and steel, and changes in the index can offer insights into the state of the global economy.  A recent jump in the value of my Profit Amplifier Momentum (PAM) indicator caught my attention.  The recent increase is a surprise because many economists are warning of an economic slowdown. For example, just recently, the International Monetary… Read More

While reviewing some major indexes recently, I saw an important signal in the Baltic Dry Index.  The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) is an index of shipping costs that shows the cost of moving materials in large ships. These are the ships used to move coal and steel, and changes in the index can offer insights into the state of the global economy.  A recent jump in the value of my Profit Amplifier Momentum (PAM) indicator caught my attention.  The recent increase is a surprise because many economists are warning of an economic slowdown. For example, just recently, the International Monetary Fund reduced its estimate for growth in global GDP to 3.3% from estimates of 3.5% in January and 3.7% in October.  To explain the cut, the IMF noted increased “trade tensions and tariff hikes between the United States and China, a decline in business confidence, a tightening of financial conditions, and higher policy uncertainty across many economies.”  Still, after this estimate was released, we have since seen reports of decreased tension with China and a delay in Brexit that could reduce global uncertainty.  How I Got In The Aircraft Business The rapid changes in economic news contributed to the… Read More

This week, I want to address two important points that I’ve been hearing a lot about lately — IPOs and earnings.  First, I want to note that the initial public offering (IPO) market is operating exactly as it’s designed to. It’s shifting money to a group of investors that can be considered the “smart” money.  In the past few weeks, we have seen large offerings from Lyft (Nasdaq: LYFT), Pinterest (NYSE: PINS) and Zoom Video Communications (Nasdaq: ZM). All three have transferred wealth from individual investors to some of Wall Street’s largest players.  —Recommended Link— The… Read More

This week, I want to address two important points that I’ve been hearing a lot about lately — IPOs and earnings.  First, I want to note that the initial public offering (IPO) market is operating exactly as it’s designed to. It’s shifting money to a group of investors that can be considered the “smart” money.  In the past few weeks, we have seen large offerings from Lyft (Nasdaq: LYFT), Pinterest (NYSE: PINS) and Zoom Video Communications (Nasdaq: ZM). All three have transferred wealth from individual investors to some of Wall Street’s largest players.  —Recommended Link— The Only Pot Company Of Its Kind Pot stocks are dominating the headlines. But I’m not biting. Because I’ve found a safer, smarter way to make money from the legal marijuana market. It’s a unique profit-sharing plan that’s allowing everyday Americans to earn up to $55,563 a year. And the payouts are 100% backed by a U.S. Federal Law. The next check run is just days away. Get the full details here now. I wrote about Lyft in this recent article. The stock ended last week about 22% below the level where it opened on its… Read More

You may not like what I’m about to say, but the fact of the matter is that if you want a “true” retirement… The kind where you sleep well at night, travel freely and still have money left over to help out your kids and grandkids… It’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to generate enough income for that lifestyle through simply stocks and bonds. Consider this… —Recommended Link— These three companies are about to beat cancer It isn’t a new drug. It isn’t a pill, cream, spray, ointment, or any other medical treatment you’ve have heard of. Instead,… Read More

You may not like what I’m about to say, but the fact of the matter is that if you want a “true” retirement… The kind where you sleep well at night, travel freely and still have money left over to help out your kids and grandkids… It’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to generate enough income for that lifestyle through simply stocks and bonds. Consider this… —Recommended Link— These three companies are about to beat cancer It isn’t a new drug. It isn’t a pill, cream, spray, ointment, or any other medical treatment you’ve have heard of. Instead, it’s a new class of blood cells that could be all you’ll need to cure 12 types of cancer… to eradicate heart disease… diabetes… arthritis… Alzheimer’s… and extend your life by another 50 vibrant years. You can get the full details here. Let’s say you collect Social Security, but you estimate that you’ll need an additional $45,000 a year in income to maintain a comfortable standard of living in your golden years. That means, with a $250,000 portfolio, you’d need to generate around 18% annual returns just to pay yourself without losing any capital. With a $500,000 portfolio, you’d need… Read More

In the most recent issue of my premium trading service, Income Trader, I didn’t make a trade recommendation.  Not a single one. I’ll admit, it’s a little strange. I’ve rarely done this since beginning the newsletter more than six years ago. It’s not what my premium subscribers are used to. At all. They’re used to getting at least one trade every week, along with a host of “bonus” trades sprinkled in throughout. Add that up over the years and, well, you get the idea. (And through it all, thanks to our system, we’ve been successful on over 90% of our trades.) So why… Read More

In the most recent issue of my premium trading service, Income Trader, I didn’t make a trade recommendation.  Not a single one. I’ll admit, it’s a little strange. I’ve rarely done this since beginning the newsletter more than six years ago. It’s not what my premium subscribers are used to. At all. They’re used to getting at least one trade every week, along with a host of “bonus” trades sprinkled in throughout. Add that up over the years and, well, you get the idea. (And through it all, thanks to our system, we’ve been successful on over 90% of our trades.) So why no trade last week? The problem in this market is safety.  —Recommended Link— Would you let yourself be injected with MiracleBlood? It cures 12 types of cancer… eradicates heart disease… diabetes… arthritis… Alzheimer’s… and extends your life by another 50 vibrant years… without side effects. Click here for the full details. It’s earnings season, and by this past Friday less than 10% of the companies in the S&P 500 have delivered quarterly results. So far, some reports were better than expected while others were worse than expected. It’s been almost random, and I want to see a trend in… Read More