The Option Block

Trading Block: Market not spooked by Yellen today. Brexit worry has radiated around world as poll puts traders on edge. Odd Block: Calls trade in Calpine Corp (CPN), calls trade in EI Dupont (DD), and calls trade Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) Listener Questions: In which the listeners take over Question from Andy Noble: What do you guys think about this scandal over the super trader? Another...

Trading Block featuring guest co-host Todd Rich, President of OM Media (an affiliate of OptionsHouse). Crude oil and energy stocks It is that time of the month - volume time. OCC announced that cleared contract volume in May reached 319,533,636 contracts, a four percent increase from the May 2015 volume of 308,639,215 contracts. YTD average daily cleared contract volume is also up four percent fro...

Trading Block Featuring guest co-host Nick Howard, Bantix Soybean rundown: Is the collar skew still favorable? Gold rundown: GLD vs Futures options. The SEC has obtained a court order to freeze the profits of a trader who allegedly manipulated a technology stock through a false regulatory filing traced to a computer in Pakistan. Odd Block: Calls trade in WisdomTree India Earnings (EPI); calls trad...

Trading Block: Will anything useful come out of the Fed meeting? Will the United Kingdom leave the EU? Bayer offers to buy Monsanto for $62B Odd Block: Calls trade in Comcast Corp (CMCSA), calls and puts trade in Bed Bath and Beyond (BBBY), calls trade in Corning Incorporated (GLW) Strategy Block: Uncle Mike Tosaw discusses how not to force a trade. Mail Block: Listener questions and comments Ques...

Trading Block: Earnings Thursday (retail heavy) After the bell: Gap, Inc., Ross Stores, Shoe Carnival, Before the bell: Wal-Mart, Dick's Sporting Goods, HH Gregg, Stein Mart, The Bon-Ton Stores Stocks to watch: Wal-Mart, Monsanto, Advance Auto Parts, Tesla, Urban Outfitters. This S&P 500 Death Cross could be the real deal. Odd Block: Calls trade in Kinross Gold Corp (KGC), call buyers trade Coeur...

Trading Block: Weekend Review: VIX Options and Futures 5/9 through 5/13. Has VIX bottomed? Yen volatility surges as Central Bank meetings loom. Hedge funds are not what they used to be. Odd Block: Puts trade in Twitter Inc. (TWTR), puts trade in Materials Select Sector SPDR (XLB), and puts trade in CF Industries Holdings inc. (CF) Strategy Block: Uncle Mike Tosaw discusses ratio spreads and sector...

Trading Block: S&P was all over the place, to settle down only 0.2%. A little flip on volatility. Apple is no longer the most valuable company in the world. Will online retailers take over retail stores? Are malls dead? Monsanto cheater, could you be more obvious? Odd Block: Big call buying in JNK, massive long-term call buying in JD, and UPS calendar put trades. Around the Block: Bears mini camp....

Trading Block: Options Civil War: Which side are you on? Earnings today before the bell: Tyson Foods, Liberty Media Group, Sothebys. Traders on edge as Staples-Office Depot deal decision looms. Are markets more sensitive to the Fed these days? Stocks to watch: LendingClub, Krispy Kreme, Freeport-McMoRan, Valeant. Odd Block: Call roll in American Capital LTD (ACAS), buying time call stupid in Nokia...

Trading Block: Earnings "Straddle Battle" pitted Tesla against Alibaba. Who won? Other interest in Blizzard, XLE Odd Block: OTM call buyers in Weatherford International PLC (WFT), long-term collar trades in Market Vectors Oil Services ETF (OIH), and put spread trades in SPDR S&P Metals and Mining ETF (XME). Mail Block: Listener questions and comments Question from Oarmin333 - Hi. I have been learn...

Trading Block: What is going on in the market? Options #QuestionOfTheWeek: Earnings Straddles - $AAPL(4.5%), $FB(7%) & $AMZN(8%). Which will be the most accurate? 45% Facebook - Close $108.89 (Straddle. $7.62) - Open $119.57: Difference. $10.68 / 9.8% - Missed by 40% 29% Amazon - Close $602 (Straddle. $48.16), Open $666 - Difference. $64 / 10.6% - Missed by 33% - WINNER!! 24% Apple - Close $104.35...

Xpress Block: We have special guest co-host: Barry Metzger, CEO of optionsXpress. He discusses: The latest developments at OX. Interesting platform upgrades and tech overhauls What are the OX clients trading during the height of earnings season? Any interesting customer questions/feedback? Trading Block: Options Traders Brace for Amazon Earnings. Amazon at $612.60. ATM straddle $49, approx. 8%. Li...

Trading Block: Stocks drop ahead of earnings onslaught. Traders may just be forced to unwind all those VIX bets. Earnings today before the bell: Xerox, Haliburton Earnings today after the bell: The Container Store AAPL - ATM straddle: $4.90, approx. 4.6% FB - ATM straddle: $8, approx. 7.2% AMZN - ATM straddle: $49.50, approx. 7.9% Odd Block: Calls trade in Health Care SPDR (XLV), calls trade in Ba...

Trading Block: Earnings! Thursday - (Before the Bell): General Motors Company, Southwest Airlines, Under Armour, Verizon Communications; (After the Bell): Microsoft, Alphabet Inc., E*Trade Financial Company, Starbucks Corporation, Visa Inc. MSFT - $56, ATM Straddle $2.37 - approx. 4.2% GOOG - $756.40, ATM Straddle $41.50 - approx. 5.5% SBUX - $60.77, ATM Straddle $2.25 - approx. 3.7% Odd Block: Ca...

Interview Block: Today we are joined by special guest Mal Clissold President and Owner of SCC Capital Group, LLC. We discuss: How frequently and with what percentage do they delve into the individual stock world? What positions do you have that are designed to protect and potentially profit against a major one-day move? What kind of fund does he run? How does he control risk for his positions? Wha...

Trading Block: U.S. stocks fluctuate on earnings a crude oil retreats with gold. CITI before the bell tomorrow. Stock = $45, ATM straddle - $1.40 / approx. 3%. CME traders say chances of April interest rate hike are zero. Earnings: Thursday (all before bell) - Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Delta Air Lines, PNC Financial Services, BlackRock. Odd Block: Calls trade in Kate Spade Inc (KATE), puts tra...

Trading Block: The fear gauge just hit an all-time high. Turbulence for Delta Air Lines, Inc.: Two earnings trades for DAL stock. Under Armor selling off over 5% today, and over 50% since last week. Earnings today after the bell: Alcoa, Bank of the Ozarks Odd Block: Calls trade in SPDR GLD Gold Trust (GLD), puts trade Avon Products, Inc (AVP), and calls trade in Steel Dynamic, Inc (STLD) Strategy...

Trading Block: Today we are joined by Nick Howard, Founder & CEO of Bantix Technologies, LLC, and creator of QuikStrike. Stocks tumble amid choppy start to April; Dow drops more than 150. OCC gratified by changes to DOL fiduciary rule that benefit users of listed options. Ally Financial jumps into brokerage business. Earnings: Thursday - Rite Aid, CarMax, ConAgra Foods (all before bell). Odd Block...

Trading Block: March Madness Poll - Winner: TradeKing, which (beat Interactive Brokers in the finals. Drawing winners will be announced on Thursday's Option Block. An update on March options activity from ISE. OCC cleared contract volume up 4% in March. CME Group notches record ADV in Q1, while FX volumes fall. Stocks to Watch: Apple, Tesla, Alaska Air, Intel, Brocade. Odd Block: Calls trade in Ni...

Trading Block: March Madness Poll - Vote today for TradeKing or E*Trade to find out who will go to the finals against Interactive Brokers, who beat OptionsHouse to make the final round. Stocks higher as the end to a rocky quarter nears. Yellen killed the strong dollar rally. Stocks to watch: Tesla – new electric Model 3 unveiled today. A modest rally for Tesla – up only 5% intraday. Lululemon – ea...

Trading Block: A bull market in the S&P 500 goes AWOL as history rewards patience. Could Jan. 1, 2018 become the next "Perfect Banking Storm"? Appeals court upholds determination that CBOE patents are invalid. Stocks to Watch: Pandora, Avon, GameStop, Cal-Maine Odd Block: Selling paper in The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), Aug call buyer in iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 20 ETF (FXI), and strange seller...

It may be a trading holiday, but you still need your Option Block fix, right? We dug through the archives to bring you some of the best of Option Block. This episode was posted in November, 2015.

Trading Block: The most up-to-date result of our March Madness Poll. Stocks to Watch: Valeant, Tesla, Starwood, Marriott, Markit, IHS. Stocks dip, dollar advances in wake of Fed comments. Odd Block: Bullish call action in iShares Dow Jones US Homebuilder ETF (ITB), upside call buyer in Kraft Heinz Co. (KHC), and christmas put tree in US Steel Corp (X). Strategy Block: Uncle Mike Tosaw discusses ou...

Trading Block: U.S. crude options volatility sinks as prices bounce off Feb lows. CBOE to list options on FTSE 100 and China 50. Options traders prepare for "worst of all worlds".Fed scales back rate-rise forecasts as global risks remain. Earnings after the bell: Adobe Systems Inc., Aeropostale Odd Block: Calls trade in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM), calls trade in Genesis Energy LP (GEL...

Trading Block: ICE would keep London Stock Exchange if it bought LSE Group. Fed to sit tight on rates at March meet, hint at hikes to come. Earnings today before the bell: 3D Systems Corp. Odd Block: Put buying in Banco Bradesco SA (BBD), 1-by-2 put spread in CarMax Inc. (KMX), and calls trade in Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL). Strategy Block: Uncle Mike Tosaw discusses short put spreads. Listener Mail...

Trading Block: Big news today from an options exchange perspective: Nasdaq announced it has agreed to acquire International Securities Exchange (ISE), an operator of three electronic options exchanges, from Deutsche Borse Group. Investors greeted the Nasdaq deal to buy International Securities Exchange, the US options business of Deutsche Borse, with some skepticism on Thursday, sending Nasdaq sha...