Option Block 41: Oil Boom, or Bust?

Trading Block: Trifecta of bad news: Psychological breaks in Dow, S&P, Nasdaq, and VIX. Saudi and sovereign debt fears. China reports slow export growth. Crude talk. Metal mania? Crude price does not always equal gas price.Odd Block: JTX: Closed at $0.74, or down 51%. Speculators betting stock goes to $0? Sprint: Closes up $0.20, does 107k contracts, with large positioning on May strike. FTR: Liquidity concentrated in May ahead of earnings. Could we be seeing a 3×5 put stupid?Xpress Block: Futures liquidation madness. SPY, QQQQ, SLV, AAPL, NFLX, GOOG, and USO trade heavily. Rob K's trading idea is an April 10 year note put spread.Around the Block: Day of rage looms. Copper at support level. Retail sales, Michigan sentiment, and the guys have ideas for CME.

read more

Option Block 40: Day Of Rage

Trading Block: Yo-yo market goes on. Short crude? Hope not. Ford has a big day, and F weeklys look interesting. Regular AAPL chat.Odd Block: LPSN: Grigus is a fan, but who else is buying? With 40x ADV, it's got to be someone. Review of AMAT: Wells Fargo lowers expectations, stock falls off 52-week high.xpress/Spread Block: BAC action: vertical and calendar spreads. Urban Outfitters sparks retail chat. Commodities: Lean hogs limit up; it takes balls to trade cotton. Check out OX Social insights.Strategy Block: Uncle Mike's 401k portfolio protection prognostication.Around the block: Middle east dictating everything: all oil, all the time. Jobless claims, business inventories, consumer confidence. Get out of March positions before Friday.

read more

Option Block 39: How To Trade Stupid

* Trading Block: Mini Metals comeback tour; crude oil inventories; volatility time spreads; AAPL 365-370-375 butterfly. * Odd Block: WFT down 10%, sees 10x normal volume overstating earnings, Very rare call stupid goes up 7,000 times; VRGY: put spread looking for downside in April; AEO: 19k contracts trade, bulls love it up to $17 in April * Interview Block: Kerry Given, aka Dr. Duke, author of "No Hype Options Trading" talks to the guys about knowing your stock, vertical spreads, iron condors, calendar spreads, and implied volatility. * Xpress Block: Bonds. James Bonds. * Around the Block: Employment numbers…could Sebastian's Monday prediction be wrong?

read more

Option Block 38: Gaddafi vs. AAPL

Trading Block: Continued Libyan unrest; AAPL on the rise, but can it go higher? Commodity shuffle: gold, sliver, crude.Odd Block: SPLS: earnings approaching, Monday saw a 9.2:1 call-to-put ratio.?? MRVL: call spread revisisted, earnings after the close on Thursday. International Paper: Sizable put sellers on the March 19 strike.Spread Block: Leveraged ETFs resetting price, FAZ, SKF see reverse splits. POT has traditional split; Commodity ETFs in play; Equity mixed bag.Around the Block: NFLX vs. AMZN: a race to the bottom? Natural gas watch. Eye on volatility.?? Employment numbers on Friday – Sebastian predicts a huge miss. Xpresso Newsletter features gold, beige book.

read more

Option Block 37: Dictators For Hire

* TRADING BLOCK: GOLD RALLY CONTINUES; OX XUSTOMERS LOVE OIL;WRITING DOWNSIDE SPX PUT SPREADS; WRITING ITM PUTS FOR INCOME * ODD BLOCK: TOLL BROTHERS & SHUTTERFLY DRAW SOME UNUSUAL ACTIVITY, POTENTIAL OPENINGS FOR TOTALITARIAN DICTATORS * SPREAD BLOCK: CITI options not dominating the tape at OX;check out rob's picks in the xpresso newsletter,Lots of margin calls for NFLX weeklies traders * Strategy Block: Answering user questions about ratio spreads; Setting up and trading ratio spreads * Around The Block: Is $35B enough to save The Kingdom?; Nat Gas at key levels. Is the bounce coming?; Is Libya the catalyst that can finally kill the bull market?; OX customers are taking advantage of the pullback to go long the market. OX social is live, but you can't poke Tim Navabi.

read more

Options Insider Radio Special Edition: Broker Of The Year

Mark is joined by David Fisher, CEO of optionsXpress, whose firm won The Options Insider Award for Broker of the Year. Mark and David discuss the reasons cited by Options Insider readers for the award. In addition, David answers questions about a potential optionsXpress acquisition, the progress of the Optionetics deal and the reasoning behind OX's recent, and controversial, special dividend.

read more

Option Block 36: Libya and AAPL

Trading Block: S&P, Dow, Nasdaq down, Consumer confidence up. Oil hits two year high. AAPL Christmas tree risk reversal. Amazon free streaming goes live.Odd Block: Bears come down to Iron Mountain (IRM) with 4x normal volume. Carnival Cruise (CCL) cruising in bearish waters, but contrarians see a life boat. THC – review of suspicious call buying.OX / Spread Block: OX traders burnt out on bullish GLD turn to neutral strategies: butterflies and calendar spreads. Brent crude/WTI crude spread action. Bearish AAPL order flow.Around the Block: AAPL, NFLX, GDP. Upcoming earnings: Garmin, GM, THC. Libya…pushing VIX to 30??

read more

Option Block 35: Byzantine Exchange Tango

Trading Block: Exchange tango; Too many marketplaces? Who is protecting Market Makers?Odd Block: Dell buying AMD? Chicos: Sebastian's sartorial choiceXpress / Spread block: Boring? Don't say that to commodities; MOO, COWAround the Block: Pin risk; Natural gas; VIX echoing friction; AAPL vol…Sebastian loves itCheck out optionsxpress.com/oxradio for a special trial offer only for Option Block listeners. Plus, don't forget to visit the education tab on optionsxpress.com to see all upcoming webinarsBe part of the show…call 312.544.9356 to leave your questions or comments, and maybe we'll have you in live for a taping.

read more
Option Block 34: Barry White vs. Tesla

Option Block 34: Barry White vs. Tesla

Trading Block: No love for MSFT + Nokia; FCG natural gas ETF; Silver streak; crude oilOdd Block: Delta neutral explained; EXPE bullish risk reversal; Colgate Palmolive – you're soaking in it; TWC; RBBDSpread Block: Automated quotes on the auto phone line; Surveys coming to OX customers; Vote now on the wish listAround the Block: Housing starts; CPI; Tech earnings galore; More downside left in crude?: 1 x 2 Ratio calendars

read more
Option Block 33: AAPL-PALOOZA with a dash of CSCO, THC. CBOE and CMG.

Option Block 33: AAPL-PALOOZA with a dash of CSCO, THC. CBOE and CMG.

TRADING BLOCK: CSCO DOWN OFF EARNINGS, WHAT TO WITH WITH YOUR SHORT FEB 20 CSCO PUTS,MARCH 18-20 CSCO RISK REVERSAL IS SUPERIOR TO NAKED LONG CALLS OR SHORT PUTS,LEGGING FROM A RISK REVERSAL INTO A BULLISH VERTICAL CALL SPREAD. * THE BIG APPLE BLOCK: HOW ARE RETAIL CUSTOMERS LOOKING AT APPLE & APPLE OPTIONS THESE DAYS; MANAGING APPLE STRADDLES; APPLE OPTIONS PRICING OUT RETAIL CLIENTS; ARE APPLE'S BEST DAY'S BEHIND IT; APPLE'S DOMINANCE OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN; DOES APPLE HAVE A DEEP BENCH TO REPLACE JOBS; NH LEGISLATURE LOOKING TO REPLACE ALL GOVERNMENTAL PAPER USE WITH IPADS – THE START OF A NEW TREND FOR APPLE WITH FEDERAL CONTRACTS? * ODD BLOCK: VERY SUSPICIOUS CALL ACTIVITY IN THC. * XPRESS BLOCK: OX CUSTOMER PLAYING HEAVILY IN COMMODITY ETS AND FUTURES; OX CUSTOMERS HOPING BOND MARKET HAS FOUND A BOTTOM; OX CUSTOMERS HAVE NO CONSENSUS ON THE BROAD MARKET RIGHT NOW…STRATEGIES ARE MIXED BETWEEN LONG AND SHORT; STEVE JOBS = BORIS YELSTIN? * AROUND THE BLOCK: EXCHANGE TANGO; CBOE RIPE FOR A TAKEOVER?; WILL CME PULL THE TRIGGER?; CBOE/CME COMBO WOULD BE A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT FOR FUTURES/OPTIONS PORTFOLIO MARGINING; ISE, NYSE ARCA AND AMEX OPTIONS EXCHANGES ALL UNDER ONE ROOF? WHICH EXCHANGE IS THE ODD MAN OUT?; CMG EARNINGS EXPLOSION; WILL ICE JUMP INTO THE FRAY AGAIN?.

read more

Options Insider Radio Special Edition: Options Exchange Of The Year

SPECIAL EDITION: OPTIONS INSIDER EXCHANGE OF THE YEAR AWARD. In this episode, Mark is joined by Steve Crutchfield, CEO, NYSE AMEX Options. Mark and Steve explore the reasoning behind the award. In a year with many other exchanges trumpeting market share and volume records, Options Insider readers looked past the headlines and chose to celebrate AMEX's story of redemption. Topics Discussed In This Episode: * Exchange Of The Year Award * Technology Upgrades at AMEX * The future of open outcry at AMEX * Will we see more proprietary products on the horizon from AMEX? * NYSE Arca Options vs. AMEX – Cooperation & Competition * Will NYSE replace recent departures in their options executive suite? * The status of AMEX's ownership sale – What does the SEC have to say?

read more
Option Block 32: Super Bowl Shuffle

Option Block 32: Super Bowl Shuffle

*Trading Block*: VIX vs. VXX; Financialls rally; AOL + HuffPo; Oil on the move; AAPL upgrade + low vol = ??. * Odd Block*: BAX Aug 55 Calls sell 25k times; Rollin' shorts: BPOP 10x normal volume*Xpress / Spread Block*: Commodities on the move: Cotton, lean hogs, oats, wheat natural gas, rough rice, cattle; Top in natural gas? Most traded stocks at OX: SPY, AAPL, SPX, QQQQ, F, FFIV, BAC, GE.*Strategy Block*: Incorporated weeklys into strategies: ration spread, vertical spread, horizontal spread*Around the Block*: Jobless claims; Earnings watch: Cisco, Activision, Chipotle

read more