Option Block 450: Earnings Madness Continues

Trading Block: Earnings!

• MSFT: $47.28 on earnings. Straddle: $2.40 / 5%. Opens down approx. $2. Microsoft lost 3.7 percent after posting its largest-ever quarterly loss.
• AAPL: Closed near $131 on earnings. Straddle: $6.15 / approx. 4.7%. Opened $122 - down $8.75. Apple fell 4.2 percent after iPhone sales and revenue forecast missed estimates.
• Nasdaq retreats amid tech selloff after Apple, Microsoft results
• Odd Block: Calls trade in Chevron Corp. (CVX), calls trade in Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X ETF (FAZ), and calls and puts trade in Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc (PTEN)

Mail Block: Listener questions and comments

• Question from Sam A, Houston, TX - Is it a good idea to sell credit spreads in leveraged ETFs to benefit from the con tango?
• Question from 999 - How do you spec on the market falling out of bed using options?

Around the Block: Earnings: Apple earnings not the only huge story this week. Watch GM, Boeing, Coke, Amazon, Microsoft & others. Friday: Johnson Controls, Xerox