The commodity roller coaster kept traders busy this week as crude oil gave back much of its recent geopolitical premium, silver suffered another sharp selloff, and Nasdaq futures options lit up the tape following a volatile week for equities.

On this episode of This Week in Futures Options, Mark Longo breaks down the biggest movers across the futures options landscape, including:

• Why silver volatility remains elevated despite a brutal correction
• Massive activity in WTI crude oil 65 puts as traders reposition
• Nasdaq 100 futures options reacting to earnings, inflation data and heavy market swings
• The biggest movers on the light side and dark side across CME markets
• Volatility, skew and unusual options activity across metals, energy and equity indexes
• What traders were buying and selling ahead of the America 250 holiday week

This week on This Week in Futures Options, Mark Longo welcomes first-time guest Jim Iurio, CEO of JI Financial Strategies, for a wide-ranging discussion covering the biggest movers and opportunities across the futures options landscape.

Crude oil volatility has collapsed as geopolitical fears ease, gold traders are eyeing potential downside targets, the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 continue to show surprising strength, and SpaceX remains the talk of the trading world. Jim shares his technical outlook on energy, metals, equities and crypto while offering a variety of options strategies for traders looking to navigate today's markets.

In this episode:

• Crude oil's dramatic reversal and what comes next • Why Jim believes crude could ultimately trade much lower • Gold's surprising weakness during geopolitical turmoil • Put fly opportunities in gold and silver • Nat gas setups and key technical levels • Nasdaq and Russell 2000 outlooks • Liquidity, momentum and the current equity rally • The SpaceX options phenomenon and IPO enthusiasm • Bitcoin, Ethereum and crypto market analysis • Movers & Shakers across energy, metals and equity indexes

On this episode of This Week in Futures Options, host Mark Longo is joined by Catherine Yoshimoto (FTSE Russell) for an in-depth look at the latest Russell Reconstitution changes, the return to semi-annual rebalancing, surging small-cap performance, and the explosive market interest surrounding the upcoming SpaceX IPO.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The biggest movers and shakers across CME Group markets
• Why silver, platinum and gold led the downside this week
• Small caps' impressive resurgence and the Russell 2000's renewed leadership
• The return to semi-annual Russell Reconstitution and what it means for investors
• Record-breaking growth in U.S. equity market capitalization
• Russell 2000 options flow, volatility and unusual put activity
• How skew dynamics in small-cap options differ from other major indices
• NVIDIA, Alphabet and the changing hierarchy of America's largest companies
• The unprecedented attention surrounding the SpaceX IPO and index inclusion debate
• FTSE Russell's methodology and fast-entry IPO rules explained
• New E-mini Russell 3000 futures
• A preview of the upcoming Russell 9000 Global Index
• What all of these developments could mean for futures and options traders

This Week in Futures Options reaches an incredible milestone as we celebrate 500 episodes of breaking down the markets that move the world.

To mark the occasion, Mark Longo welcomes longtime TWIFO contributor Nick Howard of Bantix and QuickStrike for a special look back at more than a decade of futures options trading. Together they explore the biggest winners and losers since the show's debut, from the explosive rise of technology, precious metals, and equity indexes to the struggles of bonds and currencies.

Plus, special congratulatory messages from friends of the show including Carley Garner, Catherine Yoshimoto, Dan Gramza, Derek Sammann, Kevin Green, Mike Tosaw, Rich Excell, Russell Rhoads, Scott Bauer, and Sean Smith.

In this special episode:

• The best and worst performing futures markets of the past decade
• Silver, gold, equities, energy, and tech sector performance
• Bonds, rates, and currencies through a historic market cycle
• QuickStrike updates and futures options technology insights
• Listener questions and memories from 500 episodes
• A celebration of the guests and listeners who made TWIFO possible

Whether you've been with us since the beginning or are discovering TWIFO for the first time, this milestone episode is a celebration of the futures options markets and the community that has grown around them.

Dan Gramza joins Mark Longo on TWIFO 499 to break down a wild week across futures options. Equities continue to rally, nat gas lights up the tape, crude oil and Brent tumble, and metals remain stuck in a choppy range. Plus, a look at hot options activity in Russell 2000, natural gas, WTI crude, gold and silver.

This episode dives into the futures options landscape with special guest Bobby Iaccino (Path Trading Partners). The crew breaks down the relentless equity rally, small-cap rotation, crude oil "theta bombs," natural gas seasonality gone haywire, and the sharp reversal in silver. Plus: active trades in Russell puts, nat gas calls, crude upside bets, and Bobby's surprise euro short idea.

The markets are seeing a sea of green this week, and the bulls are showing no signs of slowing down. Host Mark Longo is joined by Scott Bauer of Prosper Trading Academy to break down a "meteoric" rally in the S&P 500 and a surprising surge in commodities that's defying the traditional geopolitical playbook.

In this episode, we dive into:

• Equities Spotlight: The S&P 500 breaks through the psychological 7500 barrier. Scott explains why this is one of the "most hated rallies" in memory and how he's using Iron Condors to navigate high volatility.

• Energy Update: Crude oil (WTI) threatens the par strike once again. We analyze the narrowing volatility gap between Crude and Natural Gas and what the July 80 puts tell us about market sentiment.

• Metals Movers: Copper is stealing the spotlight from Silver, threatening all-time highs. We break down the massive vertical spreads hitting the tape in the September contracts.

• Agricultural Surprises: Why conflict in the Middle East led to an unexpected 11% explosion in SRW Wheat.

• Zero-Day Madness: A look at the "insatiable appetite" for 0DTE options and why traders are paying a nickel for outlandish strikes.

Get the Data: Follow along with the reports featured in this episode at cmegroup.com/twifo .

To make your workflow as smooth as possible, I've tailored these specifically for the requirements of each platform. The Libsyn version focuses on readability for mobile podcast apps, while the YouTube version is optimized for search visibility and video engagement.

Copy and paste this into your Libsyn "Description" or "Show Notes" field.

TWIFO 496: Live from OIC 2026 | Equity Surges & Volatility Shocks

Live from the Options Industry Conference (OIC) 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida, host Mark Longo brings you a special "Just the Facts" edition of This Week in Futures Options.

The markets are hitting a fever pitch as we balance a 50/50 split between "light side" gainers and "dark side" laggards. We break down the massive institutional volume at CME Group, from the surprising rally in Rough Rice to the heavy retreat in the Energy complex.

On the Docket:

• Movers & Shakers: A look at the NASDAQ 100, Bitcoin, and Silver gains vs. the sharp drops in Brent, WTI, and RBOB.

• Equity Spotlight: The E-Mini S&P 500 is "kissing strikes" we've never seen. We analyze the 3.3 million contracts on the tape and the massive 0DTE (zero day) flow.

• NASDAQ Analysis: Why traders are eyeing the 26,000 puts for a potential near-term reversal.

• OIC 2026 Trends: Brief insights on 24-hour trading, crypto, and AI from the conference floor.

Resources:

• CME Group Data: Check the reports for yourself at cmegroup.com/twifo

• Go Pro: Get exclusive Q&A sessions and live access at theoptionsinsider.com/pro

Is soybean oil the new crude? As energy markets continue to dominate the headlines, Carley Garner (DeCarley Trading) joins Mark Longo to break down a wild week in the futures and options pits. From WTI crude skyrocketing toward $110 to the S&P 500 hitting "obscene" new intraday highs on the back of AI spending, the markets are anything but quiet.

In this episode, Mark and Carley discuss:

• Energy Overdrive: Why WTI crude is seeing massive volume in the June $120 calls and July $70 puts.

• The "Secret" Substitute: Why traders looking for lower risk and high correlation are moving from WTI to Soybean Oil.

• Equities on Fumes: A look at the "insane" S&P 500 rally—is it fueled by AI infrastructure or just "fake money" in the system?

• Natural Gas Strategy: Why the $3.00 level is the focal point and how to scale into long positions with minis.

• Ag & Livestock: A "toppy" look at Live Cattle and why the seasonal trend favors the bears.

In this "Just the Facts, Ma'am" edition of This Week in Futures Options, Mark Longo breaks down a bifurcated week at the CME Group. With volatility creeping back into the equities and geopolitical tensions lighting a fire under energy, we examine the massive shifts in skew and volume across the complex.

On the Docket for Episode 494:

• Movers & Shakers: Why silver and soybeans are heading to the "Dark Side" while RBOB and KC Wheat lead the "Light Side."

• Equities: High-volume 0DTE action in the S&P 500 and a rotation check in the Russell 2000 (IWM).

• Agricultural Spotlight: A deep dive into the massive vol explosion in KC Wheat and the unusual wing-buying in Soybean Oil.

• Energy: WTI Crude vol is threatening triple digits. We analyze the 110/120 call spreads and the crumbling put skew as traders brace for more upside.