In a quiet trading session ahead of New Year's, markets showed minimal movement while precious metals experienced dramatic selloffs. Silver (SLV) dropped over 7%, gold (GLD) fell 5%, and platinum plunged a remarkable 14% after margin requirements were raised over the weekend. The massive precious metals selloff occurred despite opening higher, with platinum dropping 400 points after starting at 2545. This suggests potential forced liquidation by funds rather than fundamental shifts. Implied volatility in SLV jumped to 75% for January options, creating trade opportunities through diagonal spreads that capitalize on the elevated premium. Meanwhile, major indices traded in tight ranges with below-average volume, typical for the final trading days of the year. Hosts Mike and Jermal discussed defined-risk strategies for precious metals, suggesting traders could benefit from the volatility differential between January and February options cycles.

In a quiet trading session ahead of New Year's, markets showed minimal movement while precious metals experienced dramatic selloffs. Silver (SLV) dropped over 7%, gold (GLD) fell 5%, and platinum plunged a remarkable 14% after margin requirements were raised over the weekend. The massive precious metals selloff occurred despite opening higher, with platinum dropping 400 points after starting at 2545. This suggests potential forced liquidation by funds rather than fundamental shifts. Implied volatility in SLV jumped to 75% for January options, creating trade opportunities through diagonal spreads that capitalize on the elevated premium. Meanwhile, major indices traded in tight ranges with below-average volume, typical for the final trading days of the year. Hosts Mike and Jermal discussed defined-risk strategies for precious metals, suggesting traders could benefit from the volatility differential between January and February options cycles.