Option Block 417: Big Boy AAPL and Crazy VIX Settlement

Trading Block: The Dow welcomes Apple. Informed traders prefer options says academic research. Options market sees bottom in gold with urgency on hold at Fed. Earnings today (before the bell): Lennar (LEN); after the bell: Nike.

Odd Block: Unusual traders in Sina Corp. (SINA)

Xpress Block: Alex discusses covered writing strategies

Mail Block: Listener questions and comments

• Question from Mark Brant - Thanks to the crew for a great show and for answering my question! When the cat was away the mice did play! ...@Options Do block trades show up on the retail brokerages position ledgers as volume and OI... AAPL 1M ATR is at the top of its 20yr range so I bot April straddles for way less!
• Question from Nico - Do I need to understand the Black-Scholes formula to trade options?
• Question from James Mile - I am currently reading the options books by McMillan and Natenberg (thanks for the great suggestions). The latter chapters of some of these books get pretty deep into the mathematical underpinnings of the options market. I have to wonder if most of the people who are trading these products really understand this stuff. Do you share my concerns that there are potentially millions of people out there slinging calls and puts that really don’t understand how any of this stuff works? Great program. Glad OX/Schwab is a supporter of such fine content.