In this episode, Mark Longo, Russell Rhoads (Kelley School of Business - Indiana University), and Matt Amberson (Orats) analyze the significant surge in VIX, evidenced by the current VIX cash at 21 and the heavy trading volume exceeding one million contracts. They discuss how this translates to increased option activity, with substantial trades noted in August and September futures. Matt and Russell elaborate on the week's significant options trades and their implications, including a deep dive into earnings volatility with Matt noting an exceptionally hot earnings season, seeing over 50% returns on straddles. The episode also features insights into the vol ETP landscape, highlighting products like UVXY, SVXY, and VXX and their respective trading activities. Lastly, the hosts provide predictions for the next week, discussing potential market moves in the context of current volatility.   01:05 Welcome to Volatility Views 01:55 Market Overview and Recent Additions 05:28 Volatility Review 14:19 Earnings Volatility Report 21:14 Volatility Surface Analysis 30:38 Weekly Options Analysis 33:27 Analyzing Recent VIX Trades 34:41 Questionable Trade Strategies 36:06 VIX Options Activity Breakdown 43:24 Inverse Volatility and Liquidity Challenges 46:00 Volatility ETPs and Trading Strategies 50:23 Predicting VIX Movements 54:14 Conclusion and Upcoming Events

In the latest episode, Mark Longo alongside guest Rich Excel from Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign delve into a comprehensive analysis of various futures options markets and they look at volatility (CVOL) in the various complexes. They start with a detailed discussion on the dramatic price movements in copper, silver, and other metals, largely influenced by recent tariff news. They also explore the FX market, emphasizing the Euro/USD dynamics and share insights from Rich Excel’s recent CME Group report on hedging currency risk. Finally, the episode concludes with a focus on interest rates, particularly reflections on the Fed's recent decisions and their impacts on two-year treasury options.    01:22 Welcome to This Week in Futures Options 05:20 Movers and Shakers Report 14:43 Exploring the Metals Market 28:18 Silver Market Analysis 30:35 Exploring FX Markets 31:19 Hedging Currency Risks 32:11 Euro USD Futures Insights 34:17 FX Options Strategies 41:17 Interest Rate Market Overview 46:06 Two-Year Treasury Notes 51:22 Upcoming Agricultural Reports 53:01 Conclusion and Resources

In this episode of The Option Block, host Mark Longo and his all-star panel including Uncle Mike Tosaw from St. Charles Wealth Management and Henry 'The Flowmaster' Schwartz from Cboe discuss various topics related to the options market. The show covers a wide range of issues such as reactions to Microsoft and Meta's impressive earnings, interesting call buys in lesser-known stocks like Coursera and Freshworks, and detailed breakdowns of recent unusual options activity. Listener polls on trading challenges and strategical preferences are addressed while Uncle Mike and Henry share their insights on the current market environment and upcoming economic events.    03:08 Market Analysis and Trading Strategies 06:27 Earnings Reports and Market Movers 12:34 Options Trading Insights and Trends 18:45 Earnings Season Highlights 29:32 Coinbase and Market Movements 30:19 Riot and Roku Analysis 30:55 Moderna and Cboe Insights 31:25 Earnings Season Highlights 32:15 Odd Block: Unusual Options Activity 32:55 Coursera and Freshworks Trades 39:46 Bristol Myers Squibb Breakdown 46:40 Listener Mail and Poll Results 53:33 Around the Block: Market Watch

On this episode, we cover the notable options market activities for Thursday, July 31st. Topics include an overview of significant trading in VIX, SPY, SPX, IWM, QQQ, as well as individual stocks like Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Tesla, and Nvidia. The show also highlights the impact of recent tech earnings and market volatility. Special mentions include the Pro Trading Crate giveaway and upcoming events for Options Insider Pro members.   01:04 Welcome to the Hot Options Report 03:01 Volatility and VIX Analysis 04:31 SPY and SPX Options Activity 05:59 Small Caps and IWM Insights 07:03 Tech Sector Highlights: QQQ, Microsoft, Meta 08:41 Single Name Options: Hood, SoFi, UNH, AMD 12:38 Earnings Impact on Options: Apple, Microsoft, Meta 16:52 Top Options Movers: Amazon, Tesla, Nvidia 19:09 Conclusion and Upcoming Content ------------------------------

All investing involves risk. Brokerage services for US listed securities, options and bonds in a self-directed brokerage account are offered by Open to the Public Investing Inc, member FINRA & SIPC. Not investment advice. Options trading entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all investors.  Customers must read and understand the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options before considering any options strategy.  Options investors can rapidly lose the value of their investment in a short period of time and incur permanent loss by expiration date. Certain complex options strategies carry additional risk, including the potential for losses that may exceed the original investment amount, and are only available for qualified customers.  Index options have special features and fees that should be carefully considered, including settlement, exercise, expiration, tax, and cost characteristics.  See Fee Schedule for all options trading fees. There are additional costs associated with option strategies that call for multiple purchases and sales of options, such as spreads, straddles, among others, as compared with a single option trade. Rebate rates vary monthly from $0.06-$0.18 and depend on the particular security, whether the trade was placed via API, as well as your current and prior month’s options trading volume. Review Options Rebate Terms here. Rates are subject to change. Go to public.com/optionsbrief to learn more.

This episode dives into the complexities of the futures market with host Mark Longo and guest Dan Gramza from Gramza Capital Management. The discussion covers various topics including the impact of Fed decisions on the markets, with particular attention to recent reactions and movements in interest rates and equities. They also explore the effects of weather events on agricultural futures such as soybean, corn, and wheat, particularly in light of a dust storm in the Midwest. Additionally, the episode touches on the performance of energy sectors like crude oil, the notable gains and declines of precious metals and cryptocurrencies over the year, and the intricacies of long-term tracking of futures prices. The show concludes with listener questions on earthquake and tsunami impacts on ag markets, showcasing the community's engagement.   01:07 Exploring the Futures Markets 03:15 Market Analysis with Dan Grama 04:02 Trading Pit Insights 04:19 Fed Day Market Reactions 07:40 Commodity Market Movements 09:01 Top Movers and Shakers 23:45 Year-to-Date Market Analysis 24:39 Biggest Losers of the Year 25:14 Soybean Meal and Other Declines 27:05 Top Movers of the Year 28:35 The Controversy of Ether's Performance 34:17 Futures Free-for-All Q&A 37:02 Impact of Weather on Agriculture 42:26 Global Agricultural Market Dynamics 43:53 Wrapping Up and Listener Appreciation

This episode dives deep into Long-Term Equity Anticipation Securities (LEAPS) and their strategic use, particularly in stock substitution strategies. Hosts Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli (Market Taker Mentoring) discuss the fundamental aspects of LEAPS, focusing on their sensitivity to volatility (Vega) rather than gamma, and explain how they can offer a more capital-efficient alternative to outright stock purchases. They elaborate on different strategies, such as using LEAPS for a synthetic covered call, or 'poor man's covered call,' to reduce the overall cost and risk. Additionally, they highlight the need for diligent management of these trades to avoid unwanted outcomes, like forced exercise of the option.   01:04 Welcome to Options Bootcamp 04:15 Basic Training: Learning Options Trading 07:52 Discussing Leaps: Long-Term Equity Anticipation Securities 16:57 Stock Substitution Strategy with Leaps 22:48 Poor Man's Covered Call Strategy 26:15 Conclusion and Next Steps

In this episode, key highlights include increased activity in VIX options, SPY options nearing their average daily volume, and notable trades in small caps (IWM) and Nasdaq (QQQ). The episode wraps up with in-depth analysis of individual stocks such as Microsoft, Meta, and Nvidia, examining their options activity amidst ongoing earnings announcements.  01:04 Welcome to The Hot Options Report 02:41 VIX Options Activity 03:50 SPY Options Highlights 04:24 S&P 500 (The SPX) Options Insights 05:06 Small Caps (IWM) Options Overview 05:40 NASDAQ (The Qs) Options Summary 06:06 Single Name Equity Options 14:17 Conclusion   --------------------------------------------------------

All investing involves risk. Brokerage services for US listed securities, options and bonds in a self-directed brokerage account are offered by Open to the Public Investing Inc, member FINRA & SIPC. Not investment advice. Options trading entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all investors.  Customers must read and understand the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options before considering any options strategy.  Options investors can rapidly lose the value of their investment in a short period of time and incur permanent loss by expiration date. Certain complex options strategies carry additional risk, including the potential for losses that may exceed the original investment amount, and are only available for qualified customers.  Index options have special features and fees that should be carefully considered, including settlement, exercise, expiration, tax, and cost characteristics.  See Fee Schedule for all options trading fees. There are additional costs associated with option strategies that call for multiple purchases and sales of options, such as spreads, straddles, among others, as compared with a single option trade. Rebate rates vary monthly from $0.06-$0.18 and depend on the particular security, whether the trade was placed via API, as well as your current and prior month’s options trading volume. Review Options Rebate Terms here. Rates are subject to change. Go to public.com/optionsbrief to learn more.

In this episode of the Hot Options Report, Mark Longo dives into the latest trends and unusual activities in the options market as of Tuesday, July 29th. Key discussions include significant volume spikes in VIX options with over a million contracts, a detailed breakdown of active trades in SPY, S&P 500, small caps, and NASDAQ, and unusual large-volume trades in specific equities like Palantir, Alphabet, Apple, SoFi, Tesla, AMD, and Nvidia. Additionally, the episode spotlights some curious trades in United Health, including a notable 28,000 contracts of the January 2027 500 calls.    01:05 Welcome to the Hot Options Report 01:43 Today's Market Overview 02:44 VIX Options Activity 04:30 SPY and S&P 500 Options Insights 05:46 Small Caps and QQQs Analysis 07:01 Single Name Equity Options Highlights 07:16 Top 10 Options Movers 15:18 Conclusion   --------------------------------

All investing involves risk. Brokerage services for US listed securities, options and bonds in a self-directed brokerage account are offered by Open to the Public Investing Inc, member FINRA & SIPC. Not investment advice. Options trading entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all investors.  Customers must read and understand the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options before considering any options strategy.  Options investors can rapidly lose the value of their investment in a short period of time and incur permanent loss by expiration date. Certain complex options strategies carry additional risk, including the potential for losses that may exceed the original investment amount, and are only available for qualified customers.  Index options have special features and fees that should be carefully considered, including settlement, exercise, expiration, tax, and cost characteristics.  See Fee Schedule for all options trading fees. There are additional costs associated with option strategies that call for multiple purchases and sales of options, such as spreads, straddles, among others, as compared with a single option trade. Rebate rates vary monthly from $0.06-$0.18 and depend on the particular security, whether the trade was placed via API, as well as your current and prior month’s options trading volume. Review Options Rebate Terms here. Rates are subject to change. Go to public.com/optionsbrief to learn more.

In this episode, host Mark Longo dives into the dynamic world of crypto derivatives, focusing on Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other altcoins. Joined by Bill Uliveri from Cenacle Capital Management, they discuss market trends, recent developments, and trading strategies. Key highlights include PayPal's enabling of Bitcoin payments, Ethereum's impressive resurgence, the evolving market cap rankings with XRP overtaking Tether, and Bill’s investment strategies using cash-secured puts in IBIT and Circle. The episode also touches on the exciting prospects for altcoins like Solana and Sui, while providing insights into the current state of volatility and skew in major crypto assets. The session concludes with listener questions and a look at the latest trends in the VIX and other intriguing trade opportunities.   01:05 Welcome to the Crypto Rundown 04:06 Bitcoin Breakdown 05:20 PayPal's Cryptocurrency Integration 06:26 Bitcoin Market Analysis 08:30 Volatility and Skew in Crypto Markets 17:47 Altcoin Universe 19:16 Top Cryptocurrencies by Market Cap 20:00 Ethereum's Resurgence 22:07 Wall Street's Influence on Crypto 24:42 Crypto Market Trends and Predictions 29:32 Listener Questions and Insights 29:59 Weekly Straddle Choices 32:58 Show Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts

This episode of The Hot Options Report provides a comprehensive analysis of the most active options in the market. Key highlights include insights into VIX options with 25,000 of the August 18 puts traded, SPY options with 728,000 of the 638 calls, and QQQ options with 372,000 of the 568 calls. Discussions also cover notable options activity in individual stocks such as Amazon, Alphabet, Open, SoFi, Intel, Palantir, SMCI, AMD, Nvidia, and Tesla. The episode emphasizes the significance of options volume, the role of external events such as earnings, and market trends impacting these trades.   01:04 Welcome to the Hot Options Report 02:29 Exploring VIX Options Activity 03:48 SPY Options Insights 05:21 Small Caps and NASDAQ Highlights 07:14 Top 10 Options Movers 14:56 Conclusion and Stay Tuned --------------------------- All investing involves risk. Brokerage services for US listed securities, options and bonds in a self-directed brokerage account are offered by Open to the Public Investing Inc, member FINRA & SIPC. Not investment advice. Options trading entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all investors.  Customers must read and understand the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options before considering any options strategy.  Options investors can rapidly lose the value of their investment in a short period of time and incur permanent loss by expiration date. Certain complex options strategies carry additional risk, including the potential for losses that may exceed the original investment amount, and are only available for qualified customers.  Index options have special features and fees that should be carefully considered, including settlement, exercise, expiration, tax, and cost characteristics.  See Fee Schedule for all options trading fees. There are additional costs associated with option strategies that call for multiple purchases and sales of options, such as spreads, straddles, among others, as compared with a single option trade. Rebate rates vary monthly from $0.06-$0.18 and depend on the particular security, whether the trade was placed via API, as well as your current and prior month’s options trading volume. Review Options Rebate Terms here. Rates are subject to change. Go to public.com/optionsbrief to learn more.