Originally published on August 25, 2015, this episode focused on the biggest single point drop ever in the DJIA. Also, chicken little was referenced. Trading Block: The DJIA briefly slumped more than 1,000 points, its biggest point-drop ever. VIX Cash hit 53.29 at 10am. The VIX jumped as much as 90 percent to 53.29, its highest since January 2009. VIX didn’t update for 30 minutes as options quotes got erratic. AAPL hit a low of $92 before rebounding. Around the Block: Retail earnings season wind...
Dec 24, 2015•1 hr
Trading Block: The Force is not strong with Disney. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” had a record-breaking $238 million opening weekend at box offices in the U.S. and Canada, in addition to a near-record $279 million overseas, but DIS was off 2% today and off nearly $10 since the movie launched on Thursday. Dow sets mark for most volatile December since 2008. Wall St. slides on lower crude prices, stock options expiry. The Bad of apple of the stock market this month: Apple. Oil prices hit 11-year ...
Dec 22, 2015•56 min
This week, we are digging through the archives to bring you highlights from the Option Block catalog. First up, a look back at a live raucous show, taped in July, 2012. Remember when AAPL was at $600? Mini contracts. AAPL vs. Samsung. And more...
Dec 18, 2015•1 hr 21 min
Trading Block: Crude oil futures fell to seven-year lows - below $35. VIX: On Friday, it was up 28 percent at 24.72. Volatility the surest bet in stocks after Fed meets. Three U.S. fund sectors fear SEC proposal on derivatives may hurt ETFs. Odd Block: Buying vertical call spreads in Console Energy (CNX), upside call purchase in Royal Caribbean Cruises LTD (RDL), selling June 37 puts in Mondale International Inc (MDLZ) Strategy Block: Uncle Mike Tosaw discusses his recent SPY trades Around the B...
Dec 15, 2015•56 min
Trading Block: Oil was down, but energy stocks seemed to drive the market upward. Natural gas down around $2 level today. Odd Block: Call buyers in SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), call buyers in Whole Food Market (WFM), and calls trade in Mens Warehouse (MW) Around the Block: What will the Fed do?
Dec 11, 2015•37 min
Trading Block: There is an even weirder thing happening in financial markets. SEC to crack down on derivatives. Oil tumbles to six-year low as OPEC abandons production target. Odd Block: Calls trade in JP Morgan Alerian MLP index (AMJ), calls trade in SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), and calls trade in Sunedison Inc. (SUNE) Strategy Block: Uncle Mike Tosaw discusses a different way to execute a stock repair strategy. Around the Block: The Fed - Will they or will they not? Dec 8: JOLTS Dec 10: Jobless...
Dec 08, 2015•1 hr
Trading Block: A bit of a selloff today - Yellen signals growing likelihood of a December rate hike. OCC cleared contract volume increased 10% in November. SEC charges twin brothers with fraud for options trading Spoofing and order mismarking. Odd Block: Call buyers in Medtronic PLC (MDT), call sellers in Emerson Electric Co. (EMR), and put sellers in InvenSense Inc. (INVN) Around the Block: Non Farms tomorrow (12/4)
Dec 04, 2015•55 min
Trading Block: VIX and the egocentricity of the Fed. Odd Block: Calls trade in Qunar Cayman Islands Ltd (QUNR), puts trade in Ascena Retail Group Inc. (ASNA), and puts trade in Zoetis Inc. (ZTS) Strategy Block: Uncle Mike Tosaw gives us an update on his most recent SPY positions. Around the Block: Non-Farms and the Fed are the main events we will be watching this week.
Dec 01, 2015•32 min
Trading Block: Earnings! Before the bell today: Gamestop Corporation, Tyson Foods, Trina Solar. After the bell: Palo Alto Networks. S&P 500 profits fall $25 Billion in first three quarters of 2015. Oil slides back lower after spike on Saudi statement. CME: Shrinking locally to grow abroad. Odd Block: Puts trade in Freeport McMoran Inc (FCX), puts trade in Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK), and calls and puts trade in Burlington Stores Inc. (BURL) Listener Mail: Questions and comments from listene...
Nov 24, 2015•45 min
Trading Block: Apple plummets to 4th place among hedge holdings, from No. 1. Square surges after raising less than sought in IPO. BATS reports successful launch of EDGX Options - The new market launched on November 2nd and implemented a phased rollout of symbols, which was completed November 17th. Odd Block: Calls trade in The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), calls trade in CurrencyShares Euro Trust (FXE), and calls trade in Mosaic Inc. (MOS). Listener Mail: Listener questions and comments Question ...
Nov 20, 2015•58 min
Trading Block: Rally Ho post Paris. U.S. stocks rise slightly as markets see muted reaction to Paris attacks. Getting Bullish on Yahoo! Heavy call action today. Getting bullish on Bank of America (BAC). Odd Block: Puts trade in TJX Companies Inc (TJX), calls trade in Lions Gate Entertainment Corp (LGF), and dalls trade in Burlington Stores Inc. (BURL). Strategy Block: Tosaw discusses how he has stretched deltas since October 26. Mail Block: Listener questions and comments Question from Carmine -...
Nov 17, 2015•59 min
Trading Block: Stocks fall as ECB, Fed weigh next moves. White says short selling getting her "intense attention." Earnings: Before the bell today: Kohls Corporation, Viacom After the bell today: Applied Materials, Inc., Cisco Systems CSCO - $27.94, ATM Straddle: $1.40 - Approx. 5% Stocks to Watch: Kohls, Advance Auto Parts, Derma Sciences Odd Block: Puts trading in United States Steel Corp. (X), calls trade in Microsoft Corp (MSFT), and puts trade in Atwood Oceanics Inc. (ATW) Listener Mail: Li...
Nov 13, 2015•57 min
Trading Block: Who was right about volatility? What will the Fed do? Crude doubletalk from OPEC. Crude curve looking interesting. Odd Block: Calls trade in EFA-big upside call closer, calls trade in MW, and puts trade in MDT. Strategy Block: You, too, can be a winner. Or, the importance of looking at your whole portfolio. Mail Block: Listener questions and comments. Question from 777: What quirks are there with time decay, [especially] during [the] last few weeks with ITM vs. OTM? Question from ...
Nov 10, 2015•56 min
Trading Block: Earnings! Before the bell today: Apache, Celgene Corporation, Crocs, Inc., After the bell today: Walt Disney Company, DreamWorks Animation News: DIS: $113. ATM straddle: $4.85, 4.3%. On a huge rally since massive selloff in August. OCC Cleared Contract Volume Declined 26% in October. Market falls in line with Yellen, but now Fed credibility at stake. Odd Block: Calls and puts trade in Bank of America Corp. (BAC), calls trade in Metlife Inc. (MET), and puts trade in Straight Path C...
Nov 06, 2015•1 hr
Trading Block: Earnings! Before the bell today: Visa, Cardinal Health, Estee Lauder, After the bell today: Allstate Corporation, AMC Entertainment, Avis Budget, Fitbit, Inc., Tenant Healthcare Corporation Chipotle tumbles after e. coli outbreak is linked to chain. Odd Block: Calls trade in Tyson Foods, Inc. (TSN), puts trade in Pilgrims Pride Corp. (PPC), and calls trade in Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. (SFM). Strategy Block: Tosaw discusses his all bullish client Mail Block: Listener questions an...
Nov 03, 2015•53 min
Trading Block: Earnings! Before the bell today: Coca-Cola, CME Group Inc., the biggest futures-market operator, said profit soared in its third quarter, lifted by higher trading volume and growth in the company’s market data and information services business. After the bell today: BAIDU, Electronic Arts, Expedia, LinkedIn Corporation, Starbucks. EA - ATM Straddle $4.70 - Approx. 6.2% Also, on this day (October 29) in 1929: The New York Stock Exchange crashed in what would be called the Crash of ...
Oct 30, 2015•59 min
Option Block 473: Behold the Power of Deo Trading Block: What is happening right now? Earnings! Before the bell today: Xerox Corporation. Wall Streets next test: Profits, data, and the Fed. The S&P 500 rallied 2.1% last week - its fourth consecutive week of gains. Once again, Apple is expected to fuel earnings. Gold rally brings out options bulls. Odd Block: Calls and puts trade in Diageo PLC (DEO), calls trade in the Coca-Cola Co. (KO), and calls trade in Mens Wearhouse Inc. (MW). Strategy ...
Oct 27, 2015•58 min
Trading Block: Today we feature special guest Dan Cook from NADEX. Earnigns: Before the bell today: Eli Lilly, 3M, Dow Chemical, McDonalds, Nasdaq, Sirius, Southwest Airlines After the bell today: Alphabet Inc., Amazon, AT&T, Microsoft, Pandora News: Dow surges more than 275 on McDonald's, ECB stimulus talk - McRevenge! McDonald's turns table on Chipotle. Now that Google Is Alphabet, options suggest another big stock move. Barclays: Use bullish options to play gold rally. Odd Block: Calls tr...
Oct 23, 2015•1 hr 1 min
Trading Block: Oprah buys 10% of Weight Watchers, stock soars. Also, earnings! Walmart (WMT) stock plunged 10% last week on sharply lower guidance from the company. Analysts expect Amazon (AMZN) to report a 21% jump in revenue compared with the year-ago period. Yahoo (YHOO) is also expected to notch a 15% jump in revenue. Analysts are betting on Microsoft (MSFT) and IBM (IBM) to maintain reasonably healthy profits amid falling revenue, while American Airlines (AAL) is likely to see a big jump in...
Oct 20, 2015•59 min
Trading Block: VIX - The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index fell 4.6 percent Thursday to 17.21, after back-to-back gains for the first time since Sept. 28. VIX is down 30 percent this month, on track for the most since July. Earnings: The third-quarter earnings crunch begins this week. Mattel (MAT) - $22.26, Oct 22 straddle - Approx. $2 / 9% move. Netflix (NFLX) added fewer subscribers in the U.S. in the September quarter than it had anticipated. Amazon (AMZN) is up 1.6% at $553.29,...
Oct 16, 2015•1 hr 3 min
Trading Block: S&P over 2000. Is Tosaw a bull again? VIX weekly options launch today - after a long wait they are finally here! BlackRock proposes remedy for extreme volatility. Insider trading spreads outside of stocks - New York attorney general Eric T. Schneiderman has launched an inquiry into DraftKings and FanDuel Odd Block: Strange and unusual activity in P, UUP, and AMX. Listener Mail: Listeners take over Question from Dave - Would you say the options market leads the underlying from ...
Oct 09, 2015•1 hr 1 min
Trading Block: The streak is broken - VIX Cash finally breaks 20! "More execs should have gone to jail after financial crisis" Bernanke says. Stocks jump as expectations ease of U.S. rate hike; oil gains. The London Metal Exchange (LME) introduces measures to grow options trading on exchange. Odd Block: Puts trade in Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB), calls trade in Conoco Phillips (COP), and calls and puts trade in Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl. (VRX) Strategy Block: Tosaw discusses dealing wit...
Oct 06, 2015•50 min
Trading Block: A mild selloff at the end of another volatile session: S&P High - 1927, Low - 1900. The S&P 500 slumped 2.6% in September, and posted its first back-to-back quarterly decline in four years. VIX Cash 23.42. US stocks advance, shaving worst quarterly rout in four years. Short sellers cash in Apple bets as stock declines. Metals are getting massacred. Odd Block: Calls trade in SPDR S&P Metal and Mining (XME), calls trade in EV Energy Partners, LP (EVEP), and puts trade in...
Oct 02, 2015•1 hr 1 min
Trading Block: An aggressive selloff on the street today. Profits from Chinese industrial companies down 8.8%. GLD taketh away recently. Odd Block: Strange and unusual activity in BBY, KRE, and MU. Strategy Block: Uncle Mike discusses trading and managing risk as a perpetual bull. Around the Block: Will the Chinese bloodbath continue?
Sep 29, 2015•58 min
Option Block 465: The Feckless Fed Trading Block Auto-parts suppliers option implied volatility increases on Volkswagen probe. U.S. stocks decline as investors crave more guidance from the Fed. Odd Block Calls and puts trade in DISH network Corp. (DISH) Calls trade in Horizon Pharma PLC (HZNP) Puts trade in Merck & Co. (MRK) Strategy Block Uncle Mike Tosaw discusses rolling options on vertical and single-leg puts Listener Mail Question from Fred - Being a market maker on the floor was a good...
Sep 25, 2015•56 min
The Option Block 465: The Great Internet Meltdown Trading Block The Skype Gods conspired against the All-Star Panel on this episode. But we're back nonetheless with more options analysis, unusual activity, listener mail and more. Topics covered in the Trading Block today include: the still wonky VIX futures term structure, the endless debate over the FED, 70X returns on Volkswagen puts and much more ODD Block Strangle Selling Palooza! Ensco PLC - ESV Boardwalk Pipeline Partners - BWP FMC Technol...
Sep 22, 2015•43 min
Trading Block: August US listed options volumes grew 12% compared to July, reaching a new monthly high in 2015. VIX dips below 20.00 for the first time since August 20th after FOMC statement. No hike: Fed keeps benchmark rate near zero. Citing global economic weakness and financial market turmoil, the Federal Reserve agreed Thursday to keep its benchmark interest rate near zero despite the rapidly improving U.S. labor market. Alt-Options launches Bitcoin derivative market. Odd Block: Strange and...
Sep 18, 2015•54 min
Trading Block: Alibaba - Shares of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (BABA -4.05%) have tumbled recently amid an array of problems. U.S. stocks decline amid focus on Fed rate decision this week. Traders are preparing for massive Fed-driven volatility. The SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE:SPY) put-call ratio dropped hard to well below its 20 DMA on Friday. Odd Block: Calls trade in Anheuser Busch Inbev SA (BUD), puts trade in Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK), and calls trade in EMC Corp (EMC). Mail Block: Listener q...
Sep 15, 2015•57 min
Trading Block: Federal Reserve may bring new life to fed-funds options pit. Apple plans land with a thud. Apple is pulling out all the stops, but nothing it seems, can get the stock moving or get investors jazzed again. Odd Block: Calls trade in Whiting Petroleum Corp. (WLL), calls trade in Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), and calls trade in Rite Aid Inc. (RAD). Listener Mail: Listener questions and comments Question from MB2 - Heard you chat about legging spreads on the show. The strategy guy seemed to no...
Sep 11, 2015•59 min
Trading Block: Panel of ex-Fed officials say no rate hike will come at September meeting Monthly Volume Breakdown: OCC cleared contract volume rose 33% in August. Year-to-date average daily cleared contract volume is up 0.15 percent from 2014 with 16,809,864 contracts in 2015. Exchange-listed options volume reached 426,328,677 contracts in August, a 33 percent increase from August 2014 volume of 320,155,407 contracts. Year-to-date average daily options volume is up 0.21 percent from 2014 with 16...
Sep 04, 2015•1 hr
