The Options Insider Radio Network

Latest Episodes:

The Futures Rundown 87: The Most Disappointing Crude Rally Ever? Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of The Futures Rundown, host Mark Longo welcomes back Brett Friedman of Winhall Risk Analytics and OptionMetrics for a deep dive into one of the strangest stories in the futures markets: crude oil's surprisingly underwhelming response to a major geopolitical conflict.

With dire supply warnings and plenty of doom-and-gloom predictions, many expected crude to explode higher. Instead, the rally has repeatedly struggled to live up to the hype. Brett compares the current environment with previous oil-market disruptions, including the historic volatility of 2020, and explains why this latest episode hasn't come close to matching those extremes.

We also discuss:

Why crude oil hasn't behaved the way many fundamental analysts expected
The unusual volatility picture in WTI
What's driving heating oil and gasoline
Why gold and silver have fallen out of the market spotlight
The return of the AI trade and the "most hated" equity rally
What's happening in rates and the Fed-watching game
Natural gas and the strange predictability of seasonal trading
The steepening VIX futures curve
Why palladium may have attracted the wrong crowd
Whether traders are using the VIX the wrong way
And much more

Options Boot Camp 403: Double Calendars Part 2: Electric Boogaloo! Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

The double calendar saga continues!

On this episode of Options Boot Camp, Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli head back into the trenches for another deep dive into double calendar spreads—this time focusing on one of the biggest questions from listeners: How do you actually manage these trades once they're on?

Dan breaks down his approach to double calendar management, including what happens when the underlying tests a strike, why modeled break-even points matter, when he takes profits, and when it's time to cut bait. The discussion also explores using double calendars in SPX versus individual equities and whether this strategy could provide an interesting alternative way to capture weekend market moves.

Then it's time for listener questions covering:

When low volatility makes outright calls or puts more attractive than debit spreads
How Dan selects strikes when trading the wheel
The role of technical levels and premium when selling options
What happens when you correctly predict a stock's direction but still lose money to an implied volatility collapse
Why volatility analysis matters before entering an options trade

It's Double Calendars Part 2. The stakes are higher. The calendars are doubled. And this time...it's Electric Boogaloo!

The Hot Options Report: 08-12-2026 Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of The Hot Options Report, we break down the names dominating the options tape, including a rally in Hertz with heavy call activity and another strong move from Intel.

We also dig into a monster session for CoreWeave and the intriguing call-selling activity that accompanied the move. Plus, we examine the latest options action in Meta, Apple, Micron, SpaceX, Tesla, NVIDIA and Blue Owl Capital.

Which options trades paid off, which ones went up in smoke, and where are traders putting their money now? Find out on this episode of The Hot Options Report.

The European Market Brief 29: Tornado Sirens and the Gathering Storm of the Midterms Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

The sirens are sounding and the U.S. midterms are approaching—but are the markets actually worried?

On this episode of The European Market Brief, host Mark Longo is joined by Russell Rhoads of Indiana University, Matt Koren of Eurex and Tom Shuttlewood of STOXX to examine the approaching U.S. midterm elections through a European derivatives lens.

The crew breaks down what the VSTOXX term structure is telling us about election risk, how volatility has behaved around previous midterms and whether traders may actually be too focused on November. They also explore current options positioning, downside protection, European defense and financials, industrials and semiconductors, currency hedging, defined-outcome strategies and the growing role of retail traders in European derivatives.

Plus, they discuss Eurex overnight liquidity and how traders can potentially react to election results while much of the U.S. market is closed.

And in a fitting twist, actual tornado sirens interrupt the conversation as severe weather rolls through the Midwest. The weather may be stormy, but the volatility markets remain surprisingly calm.

The Hot Options Report: 08-11-2026 Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

NVIDIA leads the options volume leaderboard once again while SpaceX gives back some ground following its recent rebound.

On this episode of The Hot Options Report, we break down the most active names and hottest options trades across the market, including NVIDIA, SpaceX, Tesla, Apple, Micron, Amazon, Intel, Palantir, Alphabet and Meta.

We also take a look at the latest frontrunner scan, highlighting names seeing heavy activity in short-dated options.

Which trades are working, which strikes are attracting attention, and where is options paper positioning for the next move? Tune in for the latest action from across the options market.

Want to explore the scans and options data for yourself? Visit TheHotOptionsReport.com.

The Hot Options Report: 08-10-2026 Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

We break down the most active names across the options market, including heavy trading in NVIDIA as the shares sell off, another strong session for SpaceX as its post-earnings rally continues, and notable options activity in Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Micron, Amazon, Intel, Palantir and Meta.

Plus, we highlight some of the hottest options contracts of the day and explore where traders were leaning on the buy and sell side.

Want to run these options scans for yourself? Check out QuikOptions at TheHotOptionsReport.com.

The Crypto Rundown 235: Taxes, Crypto and the Dog Days of Summer Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of The Crypto Rundown, host Mark Longo welcomes Adam Bergman, founder of IRA Financial, to the Crypto Hot Seat for a deep dive into crypto, taxes and retirement accounts.

They discuss why investors may want crypto exposure in their IRAs, the potential tax advantages of trading crypto and options in retirement accounts, buying Bitcoin directly versus using ETFs and digital asset treasury companies, the role of gold alongside crypto, and whether investor attention is shifting from digital assets toward AI and other hot equities.

Then we head into the dog days of summer with a decidedly quiet crypto market. We break down the latest activity in Bitcoin, IBIT and MSTR before venturing into the altcoin universe for ETH, BMNR, CRCL, PURR, Solana, XRP, DOGE and more. Plus, we examine where options traders are still finding opportunities as volatility and trading activity cool off for the summer.

The Option Block 490: What's the Deal? Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

What's the deal with this market?

On this episode, Mark Longo is joined by Mike Tosaw of St. Charles Wealth Management and Andrew Giovinazzi of Option Pit.

We break down a relatively quiet day for the major indexes while individual stocks and options activity continue to make plenty of noise.

The crew discusses the latest moves in SpaceX, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Palantir, Apple, Tesla and more, along with what the latest economic data and geopolitical uncertainty could mean for volatility and the broader market.

Then it's off to The Odd Block for unusual options activity in Borr Drilling (BORR), Lloyds Banking Group (LYG) and Archer Aviation (ACHR), including the intriguing options action surrounding Archer's latest deal with Boeing.

Plus, Uncle Mike breaks down why investors who want to buy near market highs may want to consider a married put rather than simply selling puts to establish a position.

Volatility Views 690: VIX Put Mysteries Solved and More SPCX Madness Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

The VIX put mystery may finally be solved!

On this episode of Volatility Views with Russell Rhoads and Mark Sebastian, we dig into the unusual deep-in-the-money VIX put spreads that have been puzzling us and uncover the margin dynamics that could help explain why traders keep putting them on.

We also break down a wild week in volatility, including the plunge in VIX, the latest VIX futures term structure, notable VIX options flow, and the continuing fallout from reverse splits in the volatility ETP space.

Plus, the SPCX madness continues. We examine the massive activity in far out-of-the-money SPCX calls, discuss the inverse ETF apparently behind the trades, and explore whether there could be a method to this options madness.

All that plus single-stock futures, unusual Rocket Lab options activity, our latest volatility predictions, and much more.

The Hot Options Report: 08-07-2026 Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

SpaceX and Palantir helped put an exclamation point on a wild week in the options market.

On this episode of The Hot Options Report, we break down the most active names on the options tape, including a sharp rebound in SpaceX as concerns surrounding its lockup begin to ease and another powerful move higher in Palantir following earnings.

We also dig into the options action in Tesla, NVIDIA, Apple, Micron, Strategy, Amazon and Hertz, highlighting the hottest strikes, unusual activity and which trades ultimately paid off.

Plus, we kick things off with the latest Silver Sweeps scan featuring BABA, PLTR, SPCX and GDX.

For more options activity, unusual options flow and powerful market scans, visit TheHotOptionsReport.com.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Options Insider Radio Network

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected