Option Block 253: Market Maelstrom Trading Block: The broad indices were down over 2%. All red, all day. Fed will cut $85 billion in monthly bond purchases by $20 billion. VIX cash breaks through the 20-handle for the first time since December. Apple, Google, GLD and more! Odd Block: Call combo unwinds in the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) for big money, puts trade in Fleetcor Technologies (FLT), and puts trade in Contango Oil and Gas Co (MCF). Xpress Block: It's about time for an Alex Jacobson-style rant.  This is a market for options! Strategy Block: It's a two-for day in the strategy block: Risk vs. margin and being long-term bullish but short-term cautious. Around the Block: Will there be more selloff in the future? Should we keep the power dry going into the weekend?

Option Block 252: The Dangers of Covered Straddles Trading Block: Market rallies ahead of the Fed, but lost steam in the late session. Gold selloff ahead of the Fed. Odd Block: Puts trade in PVR Partners, LP (PVR), calls trade in Insmed Incorp. (INSM), and puts trade in UltraShort Real Estate Proshares (SRS) Xpress Block: Netflix moves over $15, but otherwise, not a very exciting trading day Listener Mail: The floor belongs to the listeners. Question from Dalton Hicks - I’ve just discovered this show and I think it's fantastic. Thanks for all of your great material. I've learned quite a bit. I wanted to write in today to ask about the new strategy I've stumbled upon in my trading.  I used to be a covered call seller in individual equity options. But I've recently started thinking about kicking this up a notch by turning into a "covered straddle seller." This strategy has many benefits over a traditional covered call. I’ve never heard this approach discussed on this program (at least in the recent episodes that I've heard), so I'd like the host's take on this exciting new strategy. Around the Block: Waiting for Bernanke.

Option Block 251: Insider Trading, Options-Style Trading Block: Is the VIX going backwards? The rally has returned. Jobless claims fall by 12,000, sparking the rally.  An insider trading case involving options. “For the first time since its inception, high-frequency trading, the bogey machine of the markets, is in retreat.” VXX options hit record open interest. Exchanges finally subject to fines for misconduct. Odd Block: Unwinding in Dole Food Company, Inc. (DOLE), calls trade in Monster Worldwide Inc. (MMW), and spreads trade in Sangamo Biosciences Inc. (SGMO) Xpress Block: United Airlines showcased in the Idea Hub today. Updates on the Walk Limit. Mail Block: Keep those questions coming. Question from Jillian T. - Why is it so difficult to crack down on insider trading in options? Question from Doug K, Halifax, Nova Scotia - I’ve been long spy shares for much of the recent rally. Now I'm more than a little concerned. I've learned about collars through the great shows on this network. Do you think this is a good environment to consider a zero cost collar? Is a spy put/put spread a better option? Or would you recommend something else entirely? Thanks for all of your insight over the years. Question from T-Bill - Does OX defer commissions when I close out short options for pennies? Around the Block: Markets are thin for the summer. A lot more 1% movement days in our near future.

Option Block 250: Goldilocks Non-Farms Numbers Trading Block: It was a quiet day on the market. Non-farms announcement came out last Friday.  What are some trading ideas following a large event like this? Odd Block: Calls trade in Linhas Aereas Inteligent (GOL), puts trade in Celldex Therapeutics Inc. (CLDX), and put spreads trade in Southern Copper Co. (SCCO). Xpress Block: S&P changed the outlook on U.S. debt from negative to stable. How could this have an effect on the 10-year? Around the Block: What economic impact could the flood in Europe have on the market? Earnings are only five weeks away.

Option Block 249: Great Expectations Trading Block: Another schizophrenic day on the street. McDonald's announces some 24-hr stores will serve breakfast after midnight. The Zynga apocalypse! A big move in Apple. Odd Block: Calls trade in Savient Pharmaceuticals Inc. (SVNT), a collar unwinds in DOLE Food Company (DOLE), and call spreads trade in Tessera Technologies Inc. (TSRA). Xpress Block: What's new in the Idea Hub, weeklies, etc? Listener Mail: In which you, the listener, take over the program. Question from John King ‏@jking321: Have you read Schaeffer’s theory that Friday selloff due to delta hedging by SPY put sellers? Around the Block: Non-Farms. Non-Farms. Non-Farms! It will be the biggest event on Friday.

Option Block 248: The Ice Is Always Melting Trading Block: It was a bit of a head scratcher today, as an infusion of end-of-day buying threw a wrench into the machine. Disappointing ISM numbers, putting a laser focus on the jobs numbers out Friday. Market share and volume day with overall total options volume up 3% in May. Odd Block: Very near-term bullish play in Iron Mountain Inc. (IRM), sizable spread trade in WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund (DXJ), and put spread trades in Corning Inc. (GLW). Xpress Block: Fanny Mae, Tesla, Zynga and the 10-year lighting up the tape. The Apple minis have finally gotten some traction. Strategy Block: In today's strategy block, Mike Tosaw discusses the use of margin and if it makes sense. Around the Block: Forget the earnings, the employment report is coming up, expect big volume.

Option Block 247: The Confidence Trade Trading Block: The rally continues with interest rates and bonds hot. Looking forward to the 10-year VIX from the CME. Tesla breaks 100. Will the hype never end? Ford breaks $16. Odd Block: Collars closes in Approach Resources Inc. (AREX), and big call purchase in T-Mobile USA (TMUS). Xpress Block: Alex discusses what's been lighting up the desk at OX and the Idea Hub. Listener Mail: What questions do you have for the all-stars? Question from Tom Finn: what does the option block all-star panel think of NYT’s recent attack on options? Question from Bill Heter, Cape Cod, MA - what is the difference between a collar and a bearish risk reversal? Question from d_sub: have you guys ever experienced opportunities to buy verticals for even or a credit? Around the Block: Interest rates. Employment report next week.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Option Block 246: Jump on the Boat with the 10-Year Note Trading Block: CBOE/CME launches a new 10-year treasury VIX. It is the first volatility index based on U.S. government debt to be calculated and disseminated by CBOE. CBOE stock hits $40 on its 40th anniversary. CRM & MRVL earnings after the bell.  TSLA - hard to short stock, bears turning to puts. MSFT - is there no love for the new Xbox One?  GME – could the new could Xbox wipe out the lucrative grey market for used games? GME is the leading liquidity provider. Vol is creeping back into Ford - stock had a nearly $.60 range today, up sharply over the past few aweeks. Odd Block: Calls trade in Halozyme Therapeutics Inc. (HALO), Ratio put spreads trade in Alerian MLP (AMLP), and combos trade in Warner Chilcott ltd (WCRX) Xpress Block:  A lot of names, including the 10-year, lighting up the phones at OX. The June condor in the SPX, an example off of the Idea Hub. Strategy Block: Mike Tosaw discusses "nimbility" - the ability to be nimble. It's very important to be nimble when trading, and not get locked in a specific strategy. Around the Block: Holiday weekend. Don't forget to watch out for the weekend! Market should be very thin tomorrow.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Option Block 245: Golden Tickets & Oompa Loompas Trading Block: It was an unchanged day on the street with stocks hovering around record highs. Does this rally have legs, or are we poised for a collapse? There was a weird dip in SPX on Friday night due to APC. Jumbo SPX is a flop so far. Only 18 contracts have traded through the middle of last week.  Everyone is still refusing to list it. Odd Block:Calls trade in Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. (NM), calls trade in Foster Wheeler Ltd (FWLT), and calls trade in Big Lots Inc. (BIG). Xpress Block: Alex talks some more about the Trading Patterns Tool from OX, and what its most active trades have been recently. Listener Mail: What do you want to know? Question from Douggie_L: Why all the fuss with Jumbo SPX? Why won't others trade it? Question from Montevecchio: I'm starting to learn about time spreads. Can you guys explain roll risk and how it can impact me? Around the Block: A holiday this upcoming weekend. Watch out for the theta gremlins creeping into your portfolio.

Option Block 244: Car Talk Trading Block: It was down day on the markets. A lot of political news came out of Syria late in the day. Could Tesla be Apple 2.0? Xpress Block: Alex talks about the OX feature "Trading Patterns," which lets you look at what underlyings people traded in the OX environment. Available to most OX customers. Strategy Block: Mike Tosaw discusses what we've been seeing in the market. Rallies in the market, staying long-term bullish but short-term cautious and collar strategies. Around the Block: Earnings coming out soon: DELL, JCP and HP. A bit more stability in interest rates. Watching Apple, of course.

Option Block 243: The Viceroy Trade Trading Block: Another unchanged day. Netflix up due in part to the return of Arrested Development. Take Two earnings after the bell. Zynga gets a big pop in the day. First live day of jumbo SPX on Friday.  ISE lost its Supreme Court lawsuit and refuses to list contract. Ironic? Odd Block: Calls trade in Zynga, Inc. (ZNGA), puts trade in VIX short-term Futures ETN (VXX), and puts trade in Solarcity Corp (SCTY). Xpress Block: Alex Jacobson discusses his thoughts on the big OX event this weekend. Strategy Block: Mike Tosaw dispenses yet another legendary rant of the topic of annuities. He also talks about the ratio spread. Around the Block: Cisco earnings on 5/15, Cosi on 5/16 post 4/1 reverse stock split.

Option Block 242: Dollar vs. Yen - The Eternal Battle INTERVIEW BLOCK: Today's guest is: Kevin Davitt, futures broker at RCM. He comes to the Option Block today to discuss ags, commodities and metals - as well as the record set by the dollar and the yen. TRADING BLOCK: Only a bit of movement on the market today - S&P sitting at the 16 handle. Priceline earnings, Shatner might be disappointed with the results. Tesla exploded to hit $70 in the after hours.  ODD BLOCK: Combos Trade in Vera Bradley Inc. (VRA) Calls Trade in Digital Realty Trust Inc. (DLR) XPRESS BLOCK: All the big option names: Tesla, Green Mountain, Apple, Lululemon and Priceline. Yen and Aussie Dollar light up the currencies.  AROUND THE BLOCK: Don't forget about the Options Insider Unusual Activity forum coming up next week, Wednesday May 15!

Option Block 241: "Legalized Front-Running" Trading Block: The market trading much more modestly than recent rallies. ZNGA leaning on Farmville 2 - slashing 5% of workforce. Apple rallies up 11 handles, after they announced buybacks. VIX Cash well south of 200 day moving avg. of 15.26. VXX ranks as #3 exchange traded product by volume - avg. 53 million shares/day. Buffet's right hand man, Charlie Munger, calls high-frequency trading "legalized front-running" and "basically evil". EA earnings after the close. Odd Block: Calls trade in Nationstar Mortgage Holdings. Inc (NSM), calls trade in Network Appliance Inc. (NTAP), and calls trade in Gran Tierra Energy Inc (GTE) Xpress Block: Tesla lighting up the tape at OX. A lot of stocks trading through their strikes. Lululemon traded back below 75.  Mail Block: Question from BillyMo (@b1llmoo): Do you guys think the Jumbo SPY will be listed on all exchanges and will it be penny wide. Around the Block: The Jumbo SPY launches! EA update. Earnings: Activision - 5/8 after, Disney - 5/7 (The force is strong with them), Groupon - 5/8 after, Nvidia - 5/9, Tesla - 5/8.

Option Block 240: Questions Linger After CBOE Shutdown TRADING BLOCK: The yo-yo markets continue - down 1%, up 1%. Facebook misses but still feels the love. LinkedIn down after hours. Earnings...Earnings...Earnings! ODD BLOCK: Calls trade in Neutral Tandem Inc (IQNT) and calls trade in Monster Worldwide Inc. (MWW) XPRESS BLOCK: OX unveils a new quick trade function for iPad users, as well as other new front ends.  LISTENER MAIL: Question from TBD6: The CBOE outage made me wonder - what do I do if I can't access those products again?  Question from Nick Milligan, Toronto, ON: Do you think the CBOE crash will spell the end of proprietary products like SPX and VIX? AROUND THE BLOCK: Non-farm payrolls. Earnings: CBOE 5/3 - before the open, Tesla 5/8.

Option Block 239: Rally Ho! Interview Block: Today's guest is Erik Long from Quant Trade, a CTA who primarily day trades futures. His method of looking at the markets can be associated with any time frame and he has some interesting insight for our listeners. Trading Block: Rally Ho! Again. There was some serious tech love on the street with Google, Apple, Intel, and IBM up 2% or more today. Overall earnings season is still not living up to the hype. Odd Block: Calls roll in Health Net Inc. (HNT), puts trade in Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ), calls trade in Energy Transfer Equity LP (ETE), and there was a steady put seller in Northern Oil and Gas Inc. (NOG). Xpress Block: Herbal Life, Facebook, Apple, Google and IBM all kept traders at OX locked to their desks. Around the Block: Substantial juice levels going into earnings on the 1st.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Option Block 238: Markets Have a Headache   Trading Block: Weekly expiration this Friday. Exxon sells off after a disappointing earnings announcement. CBOE was down for most of the day, causing a lot of headaches. Bundesbank came out and rejected the "outright monetary transaction" taking the wind out of the sails today. Odd Block: Put spreads trade in Open Text Corp. (OTEX),calls trade in Supernus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (SUPN), giant combination trades in Talisman Energy Inc. (TLM), and crushing volume in Incredimail Ltd. (PERI). Xpress Block: News just crossed the tape that George Soros just purchased an 8% stake in JC Penney. Strategy Block: Uncle Mike, Andrew, and Alex each discuss their favorite war stories about some of the dumbest trades they've seen. Around the Block: Upcoming earnings include Amazon, AIG, Pfizer, JC Penney. Could Europe end up back on the warning screens?

Option Block 237: Buy Juice, Be Happy Trading Block: VIX cash turns to the dark side. CAT earnings were not overwhelming. Netflix earnings have yet to come out, but there’s a lot of love for the "widow maker." Microsoft is also feeling a lot of love. Odd Block: Calls trade in General Motors Corp. (GM), calls roll on a Medivation Inc. (MDVN) spread, and big calls trade in Micron Technology Inc. (MU). Xpress Block: Alex discusses how we're starting to see volume in big cap names again, like Proctor & Gamble, GE, Oracle, Intel, and Microsoft. Apple and Amazon earnings this week, please understand the risk if you're a premium seller. Strategy Block: Uncle Mike talks about puts in GLD, including when and when you should not to roll a put. Long-term bullish, short-term cautious! Around the Block: More earnings yet to come this week, including Facebook, Zynga, Apple, Ford, and Amazon.

Option Block 236: Riding the Earnings Rollercoaster Trading Block: The market was down big time. Again. Earnings-palooza after the close with CMG, GOOG, MSFT, and IBM reporting. Odd Block: Puts trade in Bally Technologies Inc. (BYI), put spreads trade in Banco Itau Holdings SA (ITUB), OTM puts trade in Auxilium Pharmaceuticals Inc. (AUXL), and Financial Select Sector (XLF) puts trading early. Xpress Block: Alex Jacobson discusses pending legislation in Washington. New proposed tax laws: capping IRAs, and the elimination of 1256, which creates mark-to-market accounting for every contract. Around the Block: More earnings fun.

Option Block 235: The Difference Between Risk Management & Market Timing Trading Block: An aggressive selloff wipes out most gains on the street today. Precious metals take a bath on the news that China development is slowing down. Gold down 9%. Priceline, Apple, Google, everything down. It was a bloodbath. Xpress Block: Alex Jacobson discusses what was up and what was down in this very prominent date on the market. Mail Block: What do you want to know? Question from Phil Bickers, Binghamton, NY: If I buy 10 regular contract with 5 Minis at OX, do they all count as a single trade, or am I going to pay the minimum plus the contract amount for each trade separately? Question from Mr. T-Box: What do you guys think of the Minis so far? Commissions are high for contract size and the spreads are wide. Are they worth trading, or should we wait and see? Strategy Block: Uncle Mike Tosaw discusses reallocation, as well as working out the difference between risk management and market timing. Around the Block: Earnings this week include: Google, IBM, and Intel.

Option Block 234: Debunking the Expiration Graph Myth Trading Block: Ford was off to the races again, in a very mixed market.  Vol was mixed as well. Money is coming out of Asia into the U.S. market. Microsoft was down in a big way. Odd Block: Calls trade in Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO), big puts trade in Cell Therapeutics (CTIC), calls trade in ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Ltd (IMUC), and calls trade in iShares MSCI Japan Index (EWJ). Xpress Block: Activity in Chipotle, Priceline, and Facebook. Apple was all over the place today. Strategy Block: Uncle Mike Tosaw discusses his pet peeve, the expiration graph, and how it has dominated options education and retail trading. Around the Block: Earnings-palooza on the horizon: Microsoft, Chipotle, Citi Group, Google, Bank of America, Intel, Nokia, IBM, Apple, JP Morgan.

Option Block 233: Trickle Down SPX Trading Block: The market is gaining back some ground after a skittish week. Here we go again with Alcoa earnings after the bell. Uncle Mike updates us on Ford, GLD, SLV and Apple. Is there any love for Facebook at these levels? The market is not loving FB Home apparently. Caribou Coffee pulling out of Chicago. BOX files with the SEC for a jumbo SPDR - 1000 multiplier. Odd Block: Calls trade in Wisdom Tree India Earnings Fund (EPI), calls trade in Lufkin Industries Inc. (LUFK), puts and stock trade in Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), and calls trade in Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. (GT). Xpress Block: A mini volume and customer interest update from Alex. Around the Block: A whole lot of nothing coming out of Alcoa, which kicks off earnings week.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Option Block 232:  Crushing Inflation Trading Block: Facebook goes after Google. Bank of Japan moving a lot today. S&P opened lower than gold for the first time since the flash crash. How high can the interest rate go? Odd Block: Big calls trade in the S&P 500 VIX Short Term Futures ETN (VXX), more puts trade in Alerian MLP ETF (AMLP), and out month put buy in Bank of America Corp. (BAC) Xpress Block: Rates, Yen and other Asian markets lit up the OX desk today. Citadel is petitioning the supreme court over the CBOE/ICE/SXP case. Strategy Block: Tosaw clarifies the difference between market timing and risk management. Around the Block:  Non-Farm payrolls come out in the morning. Rates will be a main focus.

Option Block 231: April Fool Joke from Tesla? Interview Block: RCM’s Matt Bradbard talks about interest rates. When might they reverse course and head upwards? What is the Eurodollar? Trading Block: We actually saw a rise in VIX today. Tesla was today's big news: they made a profit for the first time this quarter! Apple bouncing off the lows. Odd Block: Calls trade in North American Palladium Ltd. (PAL), large put block trades in Health Care Select Sector SPDR (XLV), and calls trade in Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO). Xpress Block: Tesla and Apple were both lighting up the desk at OX today. The first returns on the weeklies on futures options show that they are a resounding success. How are the Minis doing? Around the Block: Looking forward to a somewhat quiet week ahead.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Option Block 230: The Psychology of Options Trading Interview Block: Today's guest is Benjamin Lee, founder of Think|Trade|Think. He talks about the psychology of trading, and gives us a preview of his upcoming RCM webinar. Trading Block: There was a bit of a selloff, as concerns about Cyprus crept back into the market. Which way are we heading from here? Odd Block: Puts trade in DaVita Healthcare Partners Inc. (DVA), more calls make news in Thomson Reuters Corp. USA (TRI), and Globe Specialty Metal (GSM) trading puts. Xpress Block: OX customers give feedback on the Minis. Around the Block: Keeping an eye on the TLT and iron condors. Blackberry earnings are on 3/28 before the bell.

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Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Option Block 228: Mini Mania Interview Block: Today's Guest: Kevin Davitt, Global Execution & Futures Broker at RCM. RCM will be hosting a webinar this Thursday night. Trading Block: There was a bit of a selloff in the market due to news coming out of Cypress, which is rekindling fears of a Europe crisis. Today is the day: Mini contracts begin trading today. What is the OX procedure and policy for Minis? Odd Block: Ratio strangle trades in Neonode, Inc. (NEON), put buyers active in Globe Specialty Metals, Inc. (GSM), puts trade in Reality Income Corp. (O), and calls trade in Swift Transportation Co. (SWFT). Xpress Block: Cypress, Minis and Gold were all popular topics today at OX. When will we see Minis in the Idea Hub? Around the Block: Watching a silent rally in Apple. VIX cash creeping up. Cypress still making headlines. Minis and their affect.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Option Block 227: When Options Make an $800,000,000 Profit Trading Block: The S&P's are right up against their all-time highs. Citadel exited their E-Trade position, which is down 75% from when they bought it, and still turned an $800M profit with hedging and options. Minis begin trading Monday, March 18. Odd Block: It was a hard luck day for E-Trade (ETRA), running of the bulls in KBW Regional Bank ETF (KRE), and an incredible purchase in Heckmann Corp (HEK). Xpress Block: What's new in the Ides Hub? Blackberry is back in the news. Strategy Block: Making adjustments on a simulated index concept strategy. Around the Block: How high will the S&P 500 reach? Gold & Silver. Mini options.

Option Block 226: Up, Up and Away Interview Block: Today's guest is Joe Garcia-Rios, Founder of Rios Quantitative & President and Chief Portfolio Manager of Advanz Analytics Group.  Trading Block: There is no sign of the end to the rally. VIX has an 11-handle for the first time since 2007. Minis launch next week! ISE will launch their second exchange -- the Topaz Exchange. The Odd Block: March 13.5 calls trade in Ford. Around the Block: Keeping an eye on the VIX, Apple and Google.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Option Block 225: Spreads with Benefits Trading Block: The market is apparently shrugging off the Sequester with a mild rally as of mid-day. Implied and realized volatility cross, which is a very rare occurrence. Google feeling the love and broke the 800 level, while Apple feeling the heat falling well south of $450. Groupon is showing some signs of life bouncing dramatically off lows around $4.25. Odd Block: Risk reversals trade in Bridgepoint Education Inc. (BPI), call buyers in Zhongpin Inc. (HOGS), calls trade in Tronox ltd. (TROX), and more calls trade in Mitek Systems Inc (MITK). Xpress Block: Alex Jacobson discusses more ideas from the Idea Hub, new OX products, and new OX order types. Strategy Block: Mike Tosaw discusses the "credit spread with benefits." Around the Block: Seems like more bears are coming out of the woodwork making dire predictions for the market going forward. Sequester, sequester, sequester! What else on the horizon could generate some vol?

Option Block 224: No Watered Down Options Information Trading Block: Downward movement across the market, making a late reversal. Not a ton of movement in our favorite fruit company. VIX had a big turnaround during the day. Facebook sells off. AB allegedly watering down their beer - stock unaffected. Odd Block: Fresh call buyers in TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (AMTD), profit taking via Bank of America Corp. (BAC), puts trade in Cablevision Systems Corp. (CVC) after earnings, and call trading activity in DigitalGlobe Inc. (DGI). Xpress Block: A relatively quiet day at the OX desk today. Mail Block: FB question from listener: I listen to your podcast and really enjoy it. I heard a while back that Uncle Mike was short the 26 put on Facebook. I had a 25 put assigned to me, and I rode it down to 18 and back up to 28.68, where I sold my shares. I now have the April 23 short put. I am enclosing a chart that I would like to comment on. It is the reason why I chose the April 23 put. Around the Block: Sequester, Sequester, Sequester! The big cutting day is almost here.

Option Block 223: Making Money for the End of the World Interview Block: Today's Guest: Ed Walczak, Principal Trader at Harbor Financial.  He specializes in options on the S&P futures contracts, and does everything from ratios to credit spreads. Trading Block: Another day, another selloff, another VIX cash pop. The return of realized vol to the downside. Ford engine investigation. Is Uncle Mike reconsidering his 12 puts? Is Barnes and Noble next to go private? Zynga rallies 7.5% today. Exchange trend continuing -- CME to acquire DB? DB couldn't merge with NYSE, so why would regulators approve this? SEC examining how stock exchanges create new order types. Odd Block: Steady buyers of Frontline Ltd (FRO) puts, and puts trade in Linn Co., LLC (LNCO). Xpress Block: A blood-letting day at the OX desk. Expanding the Idea Hub for futures options.  Around the Block: How long can we hold these levels of realized vol? GRPN 2/27

Option Block 222:  Bonds. Contrarian Bonds. Trading Block: The majority of the market sold off by 1%.  On the news that bonds might sell off, they rallied. Apple breaks through 450. Google hanging around the 800 level. Odd Block: A collar went up in Texas Roadhouse (TXRH); call spreads trade in Gerdau SA (GGB), and calls active in Blackstone Group (BX). Xpress Block: SPX and April Condors are hopping. Strategy Block: Today's strategy honors Hannibal Smith of the A-Team. Put selling strategies on SPY-- long-term bullish and short-term cautious. Around the Block: Looking ahead at Tesla Motors. Keeping an eye on the S&P 500. Seeing if Google can stay near 800.

Option Block 221: Suspiciously Well-Timed Call Buying Trading Block: The market was mixed today, with the VIX cash off slightly. GM profits down from 2011, stock down 3%. Jobless claims decrease last week. Zynga flirts with $4 before retreating back to $3. Former RIMM CEO dumps the rest of his stock, never a good sign. “CBOE Group Holdings Inc., which became a publicly held company in 2010 after years of effort, would consider going private again if doing so benefits its shareholders, a top executive said on Thursday.” PHLX's Sandy Frucher is getting OIC's Sullivan this year. Is the PHLX saga really worth celebrating? Odd Block: Big call Activity in Hess Corp. (HES), and suspiciously well-timed call buying in Constellation Brands Inc. (STZ). Xpress Block: It was a quiet day, with the exceptions of Facebook and Blackberry. A new pricing scheme in futures. What's new with implementing the Minis? The devil is in the details. Mail Block: What do you want to know from the All-Stars? Question from Filipp001: When SPX daily options? Strategy Block: The credit spread with benefits. Around the Block: Earnings are still coming up, including Tesla Motors 2/20, Marriot 2/20. Remember that Monday, Feb 18 is a non-trading day.

Option Block 220: Who Needs Annuities When You Can Sell Puts on GOOG? Interview Block: Today's guest is Doug Berman, Vice President of Agriculture Derivatives, RCM Asset Management. He talks about Why this is an extremely exciting time in the corn option market. The unique relationship between implied volatility and pricing How traditional strategies like covered calls/collars perform in the Ag realm vs. equity options  On Wednesday, February 13, Doug will be sharing with us his ideas and systems for trading futures and options on corn. Trading Block:A meandering day on the street today. We’re still deep in the earnings with CBOE, ATVI, MSFT, and CMG all rallying strong post-earnings. RIMM/BBRY staying strong as well. Apple watch is back on. The Odd Block: Bullish put spread trades in Bank of America Corp. (BAC), small call block goes up in Superconductor Corp. (AMSC), aggressive opening call buyer in Walgreens Co. (WAG), and closing calls trade in Chilcott Ltd. (WCRX). Xpress Block: Alex discusses some impending price changes in futures and futures options. Now $3.50! + exchange fees and NFA fees. Around the Block: Cisco earnings 2/13, LivePerson 2/12, NVidia 2/13, Tesla 2/13. Watching Radian Group, Google and Apple.  

Option Block 219: Trading Options to Infinity and Beyond Trading Block: Zynga blows the doors off the market - the 2.5 puts were the sale of the century. Disney reported earlier this week, and is selling well. Activision gets a little bit of a bump to the upside. Shareholders filing suit against Apple as their cash reserve grows. Odd Block: Puts trade in DeVry Inc. (DV), puts trade in JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), and a big block of calls trades in Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC). Xpress Block: Best Buy and Blackberry were popular at OX. A phenomenal amount of puts selling - short put call is 95% puts to calls. Strategy Block: Mike Tosaw talks about implied volatility, and other side of the coin to vol. Around the Block: CBOE earnings 2/8 before the bell. Cisco 2/13. Nvidea 2/13. Tesla Motors 2/13. The President's State of the Union address is Tuesday.

Option Block 218: Do Not Pay for Juice Trading Block: Selloff keeps some life in the VIX cash. Profit taking, and rumbles out of Spain, weigh on the market. Facebook down 5%. Apple down 2%. Odd Block: Puts trade in Dell Inc. (DELL), a massive 1x2 Call Spread Trades in Delphi Automotive PLC (DLPH), time spreads trade in Bruker BioSciences Corp. (BRKR), and calls trade in Questar Corp. (STR). Xpress Block: Alex Jacobson discusses GLD volatility, SPX PM, and premiums. Of 256 companies reporting earning so far, 68.4% have beat estimates compared with a 62% average since 1994. Mail Block: Let the All-Stars answer your questions. Question from Alessandro - What does the all-star panel think of a long Ford 11-12 1x2 put spread for $.05? Question from Bob G. - Do you guys prefer to go into earnings long or short volatility? Question from Tony O. - Hey Uncle Mike, I’d like your opinion on going long the GLD March 155-168 bullish risk reversal for approximately even money? Or would you prefer to add a short 172 call kicker and collect about $.30? Question from Mr. Mikey - Does the OX Idea Hub take into account changes in open interest when highlighting trading idea? Around the Block: Earnings! Activision on 2/7 after the close, Chipotle on 2/5 after the close, CBOE 2/8 before the open. Plus, CBOE stock has been on a serious tear since ICE/NYSE merger announcement.

Normal 0 false false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Option Block 217: Now What Are We Going to Watch? Trading Block: Most of the major indexes closed fractionally down, weighed down by some less-than-stellar earnings. There was a bit of interesting activity in Facebook. RIMM, now known as BlackBerry, announced the new BlackBerry 10. Former founder of PFG sentenced to 50 years. Netflix pulls a reverse Widow Maker. Odd Block: Big put spread goes up in Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), a large block of calls trade in Taiwan Semiconductor Inc. (TSM), a closing trade in Take-Two Interactive (TTWO), and puts trade in Expeditors International of Washington Inc. (EXPD) Xpress Block: Chatter on the OX forums has been heavy in Netflix and Priceline. Not much movement in vol.  Strategy Block: Tosaw discusses selling the put on Ford and buying call options. Around the Block: Non-Farms comes out tomorrow. What is there to watch after that?

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Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Option Block 214:  Apple Moves and Hysteria Ensues Trading Block: The markets actually moved today! Apple breaks down below the 500 level. Oil continues to rally. Citi and BoA are both taking it on the chin following earnings.  Odd Block: Some upside love in Brookdale Senior Living (BKD), calls active in Avail Pharmaceuticals, and puts selling in DeVry Inc. (DV). Xpress Block: Apple earnings have been lighting up the screens of the Idea Hub at OX. A mandatory update on Extend has been released.  Strategy Block: Uncle Mike discusses getting out of nickel options this week. Around the Block: Intel earnings in. Big earnings next week: Apple and Netflix on 1/23; AMD and Google on 1/22, Southwest and Microsoft on 1/24.

Option Block 213: Waxing Nostalgic about Floor Days Trading Block: Apple hits 11-month low and is hovering around $500 strike off news of decreasing iPhone demand. Apple selloff put some vol back into the market. Good earnings -- despite the Apple news, 80% of S&P 500 companies that have reported so have beat their earnings estimates. A lot of volume in Dell. Odd Block: Puts trade in Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (ERIC); large call seller in Charles Schwab Corp. (SCHW), and calls trading in Sealed Air Corp. (SEE). Xpress Block: The Marches have gone up this week. Russell and ETFs. Gold, Facebook and weeklies. The Mail Block: Home Ec tips from our listeners Tweet from Money Hat - Seabass is crazy! There is no difference between the shiny and dull sides of tin foil. That's just an old wives tale. Email from Paul - Venice, FL - Can I sell covered calls on a convertible preferred stock? In particular BAC.PR.L. I chose this name because it pays a roughly 9% dividend yield, but I would like to augment that income stream if possible. Thank you for your insight and for your informative (and surprisingly entertaining) program. I didn’t know I could have such a good time learning about options trading. Around the Block: Earnings, earnings, earnings! Bank of America, Citi, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, US Bank Corp.

Option Block 212: Sweep the Leg, Johnny Trading Block: There was a broad rally across the street, but VIX cash languishing yet again. Alcoa earnings send out a resounding "meh," with the stock essentially unchanged. It’s a premium sellers dream. BATS executes hundreds of thousands of transactions outside NBBO.  CBOE rebranding: "Execute Success." Are you sure about that? Odd Block: Calls trading in Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) calls trade, large blocks of opening calls trade on Deckers Outdoor Corp. (DECK), and interesting call trading in GT Solar International Inc. (GTAT). Xpress Block: The Idea Hub feature "Walk Limit" has reached version 2 on the OX platform.  Now it’s fully customizable!  Strategy Block: Harvesting credit spreads using multiple weeklies with Uncle Mike. Around the Block: Interesting earning on the horizon: CITI, BAC, and INTC all on 1/17. GS on 1/16 before the bell.

Option Block 210: New Year, No Volatility Trading Block: It’s the first episode of 2013! The world hasn't ended, since the heroes in Congress once again settled on a deal. Volatility update. Odd Block: Takeover talks spur call trading in Zipcar (ZIP), and a large VXX put spread trades. Xpress Block: Earnings season begins next week with Alcoa on 1/8. Strategy Block: Mike Tosaw expands upon volatility, using VIX as a weather vane, and selling puts, all wrapped within a well-told story. Mail Block: Question from Chandra B - Natick, MA: Hey Mark, I love the Radio show...I find myself wanting the next show because I something new every episode. My question is: How should a trader handle stop losses on a naked call/put and/or a vertical spread. When should you call it quits? IBD mentions 8% for stocks, but what is the level for options? Thanks. Around the Block: How low can vol go? Earnings next week, how big could they be?

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Option Block 209: 2012 Year in Review   2012 Year in Review Block: A lot of whip-saw action in the market today, given the uncertainty in Washington. ETPs have added substantial end-of-day volatility. Scandal in the retail market, specifically the implosion of PFG, has lead to a steady decline in retail options volume. Peak 6 acquired Penson and created Apex Clearing, which caused a lot of problems. A lot of price movement in the underlying in Apple this year. A big SPY dividend trade ended up costing millions of dollars due to a clearing error. VIX is cheap, vol is low - we've heard this non-sense all year. Knight trading collapsed. Hurricane Sandy closed the markets in New York for two full days. ICE acquired NYSE Group. The expansion of weeklies continues to be a big story. Mini Apple will be release next year in March. Worst trade of the year: Someone had the bright idea to buy 20,000 VIX Feb 70 calls.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Option Block 208: Options Fuel the Exchange War Trading Block: News is circulating of a potentially sizable acquisition/merger of ICE and NYSE Euronext, which includes ARCA and AMEX. The market was fractionally up on the day. Jan vol futures are still trading below cash. RIMM closed to the upside. Odd Block: A pickup of bullish paper in the XLF, a three-legged trade in the iShares Dow Jones Transportation Index (IYT). Xpress Block:  What's new at the Idea Hub? Plus, a question from Max S: When I put on a spread in Xtend, it displays the positions in my position list, but when I go to close a position, I can only one-click close the spread one leg at a time. Is there a way to one-click close a multi-leg spread through Xtend or through the website? Around the Block: Positioning for a potential dive off the fiscal cliff. Happy holidays from The Options Insider.

Option Block 207: Ratio Combos and Weekly Premium Trading Block: We saw a broad rally across the market as rumors of a deal to avert the fiscal cliff are spreading. There was also a mild VIX selloff today. Mark put on my first taste of Apple last week - Dec 465/455 put spread. The latest on GLD. Miami Options Exchange (MIAX) finally launches. Bill Brodsky stepping down as Chairman & CEO of the CBOE. Odd Block: Large Call Buying in Endeavor International Corp. (END), calls trading in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM), and calls trading in Financial Sector SPDR (XLF). Xpress Block: Alex Jacobson is in the OX hot seat today and discusses the walk limit product, as well as what's new at the Idea Hub. He also answers this Tweet from Mr. Penny Stock: Alex - Does OX have a premium buying section of the Idea Hub to go with the premium selling section? Strategy Block: Mike Tosaw discusses using a ratio combo. Around the Block: RIMM and Nike earnings are coming up. It should be an interesting expiration week with the fiscal cliff looming.

Option Block 206: The Secret World of Open Interest Trading Block: It was a bloody day on the market; screens were nothing but a sea of red. Apple is now creating its own vol excitement, this time in the 500's. Is Tosaw a degenerate weekly premium seller? VIX cash headed towards the upside. GLD is at a 13 vol -- how low can it go? Odd Block: More bullish trading in Quicksilver, Inc. (ZQK) and Golden Minerals Co. (AUMN), also selling paper in AuRico Gold, Inc. (AUQ). Plus, a comment from Duffy: What's the best way to tell if a particular options activity is closing or opening transaction? Thank for your help. Xpress Block: Alex Jacobson discusses the latest developments at OX. Google seems to be displacing Apple in term of chatter amongst customers. More interesting ideas being kicked out from the "Idea Hub.” Strategy Block: Tosaw discusses the importance of synthetics, and how they relate to collars. Around the Block: Earnings: Oracle 12/18, RIMM 12/20. RIMM is actually seeing some life recently.

Option Block 205: The Great Collar Debate Trading Block: Most of the market was unchanged today. Vol levels in Apple have been attractively low, is Tosaw back on the short put train? GLD sees a little move to the upside. Odd Block: Unusual activity in: Dole Food Co, (DOLE), iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (EEM), and iShares MSCI Japan Index (EWJ). Xpress Block: Alex Jacobson discusses the latest and most interesting trade ideas from the "Idea Hub." A $10 OTM put spread in Apple. Listener Mail: Our listeners drive the bus for a while. Email from Stephanie C: I hear you guys use the term "paper" all the time. Where does it come from and what does it mean? Email from Tully: Do you think this is a good environment for collars, particularly on some high flyer like Apple, Google, Amazon, etc. Also, what is the best way to structure a collar? Thanks and I'm a long-time fan of the show. Around the Block: Keeping an eye on FOMC rate decision, gold, and the Euro. Be sure to have your tax plans in place as the year draws to a close.