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

What’s going to happen in the Middle East? This is a question on many people’s minds. Over the weekend, U.S. forces killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani at the Baghdad airport. Soleimani was the leader of Iran’s Quds force, which is responsible for many of Iran’s extraterritorial military and clandestine operations. This was a military action made for television. It was a high-tech attack using a drone to fire the shots. It involved Iran, a potential nuclear power that has been a source of unrest since 1979. The attack occurred in Iraq, where the U.S. presence is controversial among Iraqis and… Read More

What’s going to happen in the Middle East? This is a question on many people’s minds. Over the weekend, U.S. forces killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani at the Baghdad airport. Soleimani was the leader of Iran’s Quds force, which is responsible for many of Iran’s extraterritorial military and clandestine operations. This was a military action made for television. It was a high-tech attack using a drone to fire the shots. It involved Iran, a potential nuclear power that has been a source of unrest since 1979. The attack occurred in Iraq, where the U.S. presence is controversial among Iraqis and many Americans. Then, last night news broke that Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two military bases with U.S. assets in Iraq. Reports of damage and casualties were conflicting overnight, but according to the Pentagon, it appears there were no U.S. casualties. All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow… Read More

It's true that this week's big news is the situation in Iran, and you're likely familiar with that news by now. Frankly, there's not much that I can add to that story at this point in time. It could affect the stock market — and I'll be watching for that. But I'm also watching a story many investors missed. The story I'm watching comes out of Africa, and it reminds me of the Asian contagion market crash — the late-90s financial crisis that started in Thailand. —Recommended Link— "Pfizer Of Pot" Could Put Your Retirement On… Read More

It's true that this week's big news is the situation in Iran, and you're likely familiar with that news by now. Frankly, there's not much that I can add to that story at this point in time. It could affect the stock market — and I'll be watching for that. But I'm also watching a story many investors missed. The story I'm watching comes out of Africa, and it reminds me of the Asian contagion market crash — the late-90s financial crisis that started in Thailand. —Recommended Link— "Pfizer Of Pot" Could Put Your Retirement On Easy Street With 56 approved U.S. patents, one overlooked biotech has quietly cornered the medical marijuana market. Investors who take action before the company's name is plastered over the evening news could turn a $5,000 stake into $154,435. But you'll need to move quickly… Wall Street vultures are circling. Click here for details. Currency Crisis — Then And Now Like other Asian countries, Thailand had enjoyed rapid growth and low inflation over the previous 10 years. One reason for this was the stability of the country's currency, which was pegged to the U.S. dollar. In… Read More

The clock has ticked over, and we're at the beginning of a new year. And we all know what that means… It's resolution time. One of my resolutions for 2020 is to reduce risk. Not that we've ignored risk previously… But risk should always be at the forefront — the primary consideration when implementing any strategy.  Over the next few weeks, I want to answer some questions about risk, including how I think about risk and how it affects the way we trade. Today, I want to make you aware of the risks of winning. In my Income Trader service,… Read More

The clock has ticked over, and we're at the beginning of a new year. And we all know what that means… It's resolution time. One of my resolutions for 2020 is to reduce risk. Not that we've ignored risk previously… But risk should always be at the forefront — the primary consideration when implementing any strategy.  Over the next few weeks, I want to answer some questions about risk, including how I think about risk and how it affects the way we trade. Today, I want to make you aware of the risks of winning. In my Income Trader service, we consistently win on more than 90% of our trades. If you've been with me for some time, you know we've maintained that level of performance for more than six years. Now, I will never be complacent. My followers place their trust in me, and I take that very seriously. I spend a great deal of time looking for ways to reduce risk even more, which is why I'm doing that now. This brings me to an important point. The market just wrapped up an impressive year. And if you were in it, chances are you made some good money. Read More

Marijuana stocks are breaking out, right on schedule.  Stocks in the sector got ahead of the fundamentals earlier this year. One reason for that is that the impact of regulations are difficult to determine in advance. Legalization, for example, seems bullish. And it generally is — but if taxes are too high, then the illegal market will thrive alongside the legal market.  This is what happened in many parts of the country, and it is being addressed. So as we head into 2020, I have some thoughts on how the industry will take shape. In short, I’m predicting that the… Read More

Marijuana stocks are breaking out, right on schedule.  Stocks in the sector got ahead of the fundamentals earlier this year. One reason for that is that the impact of regulations are difficult to determine in advance. Legalization, for example, seems bullish. And it generally is — but if taxes are too high, then the illegal market will thrive alongside the legal market.  This is what happened in many parts of the country, and it is being addressed. So as we head into 2020, I have some thoughts on how the industry will take shape. In short, I’m predicting that the legal cannabis industry is likely to flourish as concerns about safety increase. You read that right. NPR recently explained the safety problem the industry is poised to address: As of Dec. 17, there were 2,506 hospitalized cases of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury, which is now referred to as EVALI by the CDC. The incidents were reported in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, since the summer. Fifty-four deaths have been confirmed in 27 states and the District of Columbia. The CDC’s data… Read More

As you may be aware, there’s been a lot of political news recently. From the impeachment to the primary debates, we’ve had wall-to-wall coverage all over the TV networks.  And while the impact of politics on the markets is a little overstated, it is true that some of what happens will affect the market in one way or another.  As we enter 2020, get ready for the volume to be turned up all the way to eleven. But before the beginning of the long process — one that includes caucuses, primaries, conventions and billions of dollars in commercials — I… Read More

As you may be aware, there’s been a lot of political news recently. From the impeachment to the primary debates, we’ve had wall-to-wall coverage all over the TV networks.  And while the impact of politics on the markets is a little overstated, it is true that some of what happens will affect the market in one way or another.  As we enter 2020, get ready for the volume to be turned up all the way to eleven. But before the beginning of the long process — one that includes caucuses, primaries, conventions and billions of dollars in commercials — I wanted to look at how the stock market generally fares in election years. —Recommended Link— The 5G Revolution Is About To Explode This Ignored $5 Stock​  5G has the potential to add $3.5 trillion to the U.S. economy and turn more everyday investors into millionaires than any other technology in mankind’s history. A new report reveals how one bargain-basement $5 stock is positioned to decimate the 5G competition and turn a $5,000 stake into $117,385 inside of 12 months. But time’s running out… Click here for details. The chart below shows… Read More

What’s up in the stock market? Pretty much everything! Last week, large-cap stocks (S&P 500), mid-cap stocks (S&P 400), and small-cap stocks (S&P 600) all reached new 52-week highs. Breadth indicators for the index also reached new highs. In other words, we are experiencing a broad-based rally in the stock market. —Recommended Link— Snag This “5G Savior” For $5 A Share Up to $31 billion in new business… as much as $6.6 billion in patent royalties… and its biggest competitor banned in America… this 5G tech stock could be the opportunity of a lifetime. But… Read More

What’s up in the stock market? Pretty much everything! Last week, large-cap stocks (S&P 500), mid-cap stocks (S&P 400), and small-cap stocks (S&P 600) all reached new 52-week highs. Breadth indicators for the index also reached new highs. In other words, we are experiencing a broad-based rally in the stock market. —Recommended Link— Snag This “5G Savior” For $5 A Share Up to $31 billion in new business… as much as $6.6 billion in patent royalties… and its biggest competitor banned in America… this 5G tech stock could be the opportunity of a lifetime. But you’ll need to make your move quickly… as soon as word gets out, banks and hedge funds could run the price up 10, 20, or 50X. Click here for details. Momentum is also bullish for major market indexes. Weekly charts of the S&P indexes are shown below with stochastics at the bottom. In strong bull markets, stochastics tend to move to high levels and then stay there for extended periods of time. For all three indexes, the position of the stochastics indicator is consistent with that trend; they all also show… Read More

Here’s a bit of trivia… Did you know there are at least 79 different shoe sizes?  There is even an International Organization for Standardization publication for footwear sizing explaining the conversion of sizing systems and how manufacturers should size their products. Shoes are obviously important, and that level of detail is certainly necessary. And, thanks to detailed formulas included in the standard, we can all be certain to find shoes that fit.  I wish there was a similar publication explaining how to allocate positions in an investment portfolio. But, there’s not. There are some general guidelines. One is the 60/40… Read More

Here’s a bit of trivia… Did you know there are at least 79 different shoe sizes?  There is even an International Organization for Standardization publication for footwear sizing explaining the conversion of sizing systems and how manufacturers should size their products. Shoes are obviously important, and that level of detail is certainly necessary. And, thanks to detailed formulas included in the standard, we can all be certain to find shoes that fit.  I wish there was a similar publication explaining how to allocate positions in an investment portfolio. But, there’s not. There are some general guidelines. One is the 60/40 approach. This is when you allocate 60% of your portfolio to stocks and 40% to bonds. Another approach is to use your age. To determine the allocation using this method, subtract your age from 100 to determine the percentage of your portfolio that should be in stocks. So, a 20-year old would have 80% in stocks under this formula while an 80-year old would place just 20% of their portfolio in stocks. These guidelines are fine, but they don’t tell us very much. Among the things the formulas don’t tell us is how to generate income when interest rates fall… Read More

Interest rate policy can be boring. I’m reminded of this every six weeks as the Federal Reserve meets and Wall Street’s attention turns towards the Eccles Building in Washington, D.C. For years, CNBC has used the building as the backdrop for reporters when the Fed meets — as they were yesterday. Each time the Fed meets, traders anxiously wit to see what happens. Traders watch the news, largely consisting of a reporter standing in front of a building saying things like, “There’s a meeting going on inside.” Analysts will try to explain what members of the Fed were thinking at the meeting. Read More

Interest rate policy can be boring. I’m reminded of this every six weeks as the Federal Reserve meets and Wall Street’s attention turns towards the Eccles Building in Washington, D.C. For years, CNBC has used the building as the backdrop for reporters when the Fed meets — as they were yesterday. Each time the Fed meets, traders anxiously wit to see what happens. Traders watch the news, largely consisting of a reporter standing in front of a building saying things like, “There’s a meeting going on inside.” Analysts will try to explain what members of the Fed were thinking at the meeting. —Recommended Link— [TRENDING] Weird trade doubles your money in 3 days?​ This is going to be big… Jim fink just released the details of his 310F trade. This “Friday phenomenon” could generate returns of up to 100% or more… in the next 3-10 days… and continue to pay out… week after week. You can get in on the action now by following this link. The Fed’s thinking is nearly impossible to understand, but the Fed’s goals are relatively straightforward. The Fed operates under a mandate from Congress to “promote effectively the… Read More