Option Block 311: VIX Drops the Ball

Trading Block: An aggressive selloff today, S&P off 41 handles, NASDAQ down 107 handles. VIX cash passes the 20-handle. A weak start to February. Apple and GLD were the lone greens on the screen today. That makes for a happy Tosaw. The OIC announced today that 389,821,135 total options contracts traded in January, the seventh highest monthly volume ever. TTWO earnings after the bell.

Odd Block: Collars go up in Two Harbors Investment Corp. (TWO), call buyers trade in Powershares DB Agriculture (DBA), and collars go up in Seattle Genentics, Inc. (SGEN)

Xpress Block: A difficult day at the OX desk. All hands on deck after the opening selloff.

Strategy Block: Uncle Mike Tosaw expands on his discussion on rolling down puts.

Around the Block: More Earnings-palooza:

CME 2-4 before; RDN 2-5 before; DIS & TWTR 2-5 after; GM, LNKD, and ZNGA 2-6; CBOE 2-7.