Shows / The Option Block
The Option Block
The Option Block All-Star Panel breaks down the latest developments in the options market, analyzes unusual options activity, explains cutting-edge options strategies, answers listener questions and much more. Whether you're an active options trader or just getting started in the options market, The Option Block will keep you informed and entertained.
Episodes
The Option BlockOption Block 395: Janet Yellen vs. Farrah Fawcett
Option Block 395: Janet Yellen vs. Farrah Fawcett Trading Block: A very aggressive day on the street. The market is off to the races - up nearly 2% in the…
The Option BlockOption Block 394: Oil Speculators Get Burned
Option Block 394: Oil Speculators Get Burned Trading Block: Oil and oil related issues are still dominating trading - crude taking it on the chin. Brent and…
The Option BlockOption Block 393: Oil, LULU, Swaps, and More
Option Block 393: Oil, LULU, Swaps, and More Trading Block: A mild day on the street. Swap Talk: Why are people fighting over Dodd-Frank and derivatives?…
The Option BlockOption Block 392: The Great Broken Wing Butterfly Debate
Option Block 392: The Great Broken Wing Butterfly Debate Trading Block: A mild day on the street. Oil futures slide on Saudi price cut to U.S. VIX shunned as…
The Option BlockOption Block 391: Crude Oil Madness
Option Block 391: Crude Oil Madness Trading Block: A bloodbath in the tech and commodities sectors. Mini Apple crash catches the market off-guard. Energy and…
The Option BlockOption Block 390: Squeezing Out the Vol
Option Block 390: Squeezing Out the Vol Trading Block: Short holiday week - When might the market come out? Answer: Monday! Implied Vol in the basement. VIX…
The Option BlockOption Block 389: Fly Adjustments and Dividends
Option Block 389: Fly Adjustments and Dividends Trading Block: A mild day on the street. Best Buy profit beats estimates as costs fall. Fresh SEC crackdown on…
The Option BlockOption Block 388: Japanese Volatility
Option Block 388: Japanese Volatility Trading Block: U.S. stocks open lower as Japanese recession weighs. American markets poised for a pullback after four…
The Option BlockOption Block 387: Crude Oil Put Palooza
Option Block 387: Crude Oil Put Palooza Trading Block: Gold struggles to find buyers in third quarter. Lower oil prices give a lift to the American economy…
The Option BlockOption Block 386: Massive GLD Adjustment Breakdown
Option Block 386: Massive GLD Adjustment Breakdown Trading Block: U.S. stocks move higher again. Twitter shares could move 5 percent in either direction by…
The Option BlockOption Block 385: Theta Decay
Option Block 385: Theta Decay Trading Block: Business welcomes midterm GOP takeover, what can the market hope for from the GOP congress? U.S. stocks mixed as…
The Option BlockOption Block 384: BABA Preview and Ratio Spread Breakdown
Option Block 384: BABA Preview and Ratio Spread Breakdown Trading Block: A mild day on the street. The bloodbath in crude continues - closing down on the day…
The Option BlockOption Block 383: The Crazy VIX
Option Block 383: The Crazy VIX Trading Block: Starbucks and LinkedIn earnings after the bell. SEC warned before about early release weak spot. U.S. stocks…
The Option BlockOption Block 382: TWTR Drops and the Viceroy Returns
Option Block 382: TWTR Drops and the Viceroy Returns Trading Block: A mild back on the street today. The return of the Viceroy! Twitter options pricing in big…
The Option BlockOption Block 381: AMZN Sinks while MSFT Soars
Option Block 381: AMZN Sinks while MSFT Soars Trading Block: A mild day on the street. Stocks rally after 3M, Caterpillar profits beat estimates. Exclusive…
The Option BlockOption Block 380: Apple Bores Us to Tears
Option Block 380: Apple Bores Us to Tears Trading Block: Apple earnings rundown: weekly straddle at approx. $4.40 going into earnings. Upside in the stealth…
The Option BlockOption Block 379: Explosion of VIX Stupidity
Option Block 379: Explosion of VIX Stupidity Trading Block: Rocktober in full effect - hot on the heels of the madness yesterday, we saw another day with…
The Option BlockOption Block 378: Market Apocalypse Redux
Option Block 378: Market Apocalypse Redux Trading Block: A crazy time in the markets today - the biggest rally of the year, sparked by the Fed minutes…
The Option BlockOption Block 377: Covering The Cost of Your Put
Option Block 377: Covering The Cost of Your Put Trading Block: A mild day on the street. The dollar weakened the most in six months, dropping from a four-year…
The Option BlockOption Block 376: Rebar and Rapeseed - the Stealth Titans
Option Block 376: Rebar and Rapeseed - the Stealth Titans Trading Block: Another selloff - pulling ever farther away from the 2000 level. VIX Cash moving into…
The Option BlockOption Block 375: How to Hedge Your 401K
Option Block 375: How to Hedge Your 401K Trading Block: Alibaba options active in U.S. trading debut. OCC and U.S. options exchanges announce new risk control…
The Option BlockOption Block 374: When To Exercise An Option...Never
Option Block 374: When To Exercise An Option...Never Trading Block: An aggressive selloff in the market today. VIX up 3 handles - about 22%. Apple off 3%…
The Option BlockOption Block 373: Talking BABA, YHOO, AAPL and more
Option Block 373: Talking BABA, YHOO, AAPL and more Trading Block: A sea of red on the street today. Bad news out of China. Apple announced opening weekend…
The Option BlockOption Block 372: Call Stupids and Bond Hedges
Option Block 372: Call Stupids and Bond Hedges Trading Block: Alibaba IPO on Friday. Fed Meeting on Wednesday. Scots vote whether or not to stay in UK. Odd…
The Option BlockOption Block 371: Talking TSLA, SCTY, YHOO and Alibaba
Option Block 371: Talking TSLA, SCTY, YHOO and Alibaba Trading Block: NOTE: No Alex for the next six weeks. Our thoughts and prayers with him while he…
The Option BlockOption Block 370: Live Episode Spectacular!
Option Block 370: Live Episode Spectacular! Trading Block: Apple trading above $100 post iWatch/Mega - any changes to outlook/trading strategy here? CBOE…
The Option BlockOption Block 369: Short Puts and Ratios in AAPL
Option Block 369: Short Puts and Ratios in AAPL Trading Block: S&P glued to the 2000 handle. Go Pro very active today - Yahoo as well. TLT - blame the Viceroy…
The Option BlockOption Block 368: Selling Premium in a Quiet Market
Option Block 368: Selling Premium in a Quiet Market Trading Block: A mild day on the street today. BP fiasco slaughters everything oil related. Apple had a…
The Option BlockOption Block 367: Talking AAPL Collars
Option Block 367: Talking AAPL Collars Trading Block: A relatively quiet day on the street. GoPro and Twitter were the only two names Apple still seems to be…
The Option BlockOption Block 366: The Knife Edge of Volatility
Option Block 366: The Knife Edge of Volatility Trading Block: Most major indices up today on the street. Vol saw a bit of a rally as well. S&P briefly hit…
The Option BlockOption Block 365: The Great Apple $107 Debate
Option Block 365: The Great Apple $107 Debate Trading Block: A mild day on the street. Apple finally passes $100. What will Yellen say tomorrow and how will it…
The Option BlockOption Block 364: Dollar General Madness Continues
Option Block 364: Dollar General Madness Continues Trading Block: Rally ho on the street today! German 10-year realized vol was 100%! The social media trio -…
The Option BlockOption Block 363: The Last Train to Pallookaville
Option Block 363: The Last Train to Pallookaville Trading Block: The market rallied about half a handle. Putin talks up the street. Bonds: TLT & IEF. Berkshire…
The Option BlockOption Block 362: You, Too, Can Own a Piece of History
Option Block 362: You, Too, Can Own a Piece of History Trading Block: Big momentum days for PriceLine, LinkedIn and Tesla. Zynga rallies. A picture of Alex is…
The Option BlockOption Block 361: The Happy Bottom
Option Block 361: The Happy Bottom Trading Block: A little bit of a down day on the street, but nothing like last week. Zynga and Groupon after the bell. ZNGA…
The Option BlockOption Block 360: Return of the Voice
Option Block 360: Return of the Voice Trading Block: Some of the Thursday selloff coming back into the market. Where could the VIX go in the next few weeks?…
The Option BlockOption Block 359: Thursday, Bloody Thursday
Option Block 359: Thursday, Bloody Thursday Trading Block: A bloody day on the street. A default, a bankruptcy, and bad Fed news. Massive FLEX trades went up…
The Option BlockOption Block 357: AMZN Call Buyers Get Crushed
Option Block 357: AMZN Call Buyers Get Crushed Trading Block: Markets mostly unchanged in modest volume. Apple posts decent numbers but disappoints overall…
The Option BlockOption Block 356: CME and NFLX Earnings Rundown
Option Block 356: CME and NFLX Earnings Rundown Trading Block: A relatively quiet day on the street, after a crazy week. Earnings so far: NFLX after the close…
The Option BlockOption Block 355: Bleeding Out Into the Pillow
Option Block 355: Bleeding Out Into the Pillow The Trading Block: A bit of a bloodbath on the street. Dire world news out of Ukraine and Israel/Palestine…
The Option BlockOption Block 354: When to Close Out a Spread
Option Block 354: When to Close Out a Spread Trading Block: VIX and VIX cash. LULU taking it on the chin. It’s time for the Trading Patterns Guessing Game once…
The Option BlockOption Block 353: Crazy Combos and the Great Open Interest Debate
Option Block 353: Crazy Combos and the Great Open Interest Debate Trading Block: A volatile day on the street - S&P got as low as 1952. VIX cash ticking up…
The Option BlockOption Block 352: Hot GoPro Action
Option Block 352: Hot GoPro Action Trading Block: A mild selloff ahead of earnings. The newcomer GoPro was very active today, as well as everyone’s favorite…
The Option BlockOption Block 351: Dollar General Insider Loses Millions
Option Block 351: Dollar General Insider Loses Millions Trading Block: A quiet day on the street, given the shortened trading week. A stealth rally in Gold…
The Option BlockOption Block 350: TWTR Risk Reversal Rundown
Option Block 350: TWTR Risk Reversal Rundown Trading Block: Interesting intra-day activity, but ended up closing basically unchanged. VIX cash back in the 11…
The Option BlockOption Block 349: A Bonafide Covered Strangle
Option Block 349: A Bonafide Covered Strangle Trading Block: Lululemon had a big move today, as did Facebook and Tesla. Is time once again for the Trading…
The Option BlockOption Block 348: Rampant Insider Trading
Option Block 348: Rampant Insider Trading The Trading Block: More of a micro, rather than a macro day today. Gold up on the day. Is VIX too low? Lululemon had…
The Option BlockOption Block 347: Bringing Guns to the Trading Pit
Option Block 347: Bringing Guns to the Trading Pit Trading Block: A very mild day on the street. Everyone still loves Tesla. What is up with gold volatility?…
The Option BlockOption Block 346: Say Hello to Exposure Fees
Option Block 346: Say Hello to Exposure Fees Trading Block: A sea of red on the broad street today. VIX: more fear than fear itself? A big day for energies…
The Option BlockOption Block 345: Beating the Street on Dollar General
Option Block 345: Beating the Street on Dollar General Trading Block: A mild day on the street. Apple stock split. A possible Deutsche Bourse sale of ISE. Odd…
The Option BlockOption Block 344: Premium Palooza in Dollar General
Option Block 344: Premium Palooza in Dollar General Trading Block: A great day on the market. Amazon rises after announcing that they will be making an…
The Option BlockOption Block 343: AAPL Ratio Spread Madness
Option Block 343: AAPL Ratio Spread Madness Trading Block: A slow day on the street today. All Apple - all Amazon - nothing below the "A"s. OCC announces…
The Option BlockOption Block 342: Mini Death Knell
Option Block 342: Mini Death Knell Trading Block: A mild uptick on the street today. Apple rallies and the market follows. With the VIX moving closer to its…
The Option BlockOption Block 341: Weird Activity In Colgate-Palmolive
Option Block 341: Weird Activity In Colgate-Palmolive Trading Block: A surprising VIX given the upcoming holiday weekend. Record low levels in some beloved…
The Option BlockOption Block 340: Revenge of the Guts Strangle
Option Block 340: Revenge of the Guts Strangle Trading Block: What will bring back volatility? A black swan event? Russell Rhoads said via MarketWatch that…
The Option BlockOption Block 339: Potential Front Running Activity
Option Block 339: Potential Front Running Activity Trading Block: Today we have a very special trading block segment from Uncle Mike Tosaw about Russell and…
The Option BlockOption Block 338: The Great Mobile Trading Debate
Option Block 338: The Great Mobile Trading Debate Trading Block: A strong surge to the upside, Russell leading the charge. Russell 2000 index (RTY) option…
The Option BlockOption Block 337: Looking Back on the Flash Crash
Option Block 337: Looking Back on the Flash Crash Trading Block: Options traders were preparing for 10% swings of Tesla before week's end based on a straddle…
The Option BlockOption Block 336: Earnings and the Death of Minis
Option Block 336: Earnings and the Death of Minis Trading Block: A mild day on the street. Apple catching a bid. Tuesday’s computer error at NYSE ACRA and NYSE…
The Option BlockOption Block 335: The Giovinazzi/Tosaw Spectacular
Option Block 335: The Giovinazzi/Tosaw Spectacular Trading Block: A slow day on the market today. TLT was one of the few things to light up the tape. Yellen…