The Options Insider Radio Network

Latest Episodes:

Volatility Views 682: Stupid VIX Trades and SVIX Outrage May 29, 2026

Show notes

Volatility continued its retreat this week as equities marched higher and the VIX flirted with the 15 handle. On this episode, Mark Longo, Russell Rhoads, and Mark Sebastian break down the latest volatility landscape, including unusual VIX weekly trades, the ongoing debate around SVIX options liquidity, heavy put buying in semiconductor ETFs, Robinhood's AI-fueled rally, and what changing day-trading rules could mean for options volume. The crew also examines VIX term structure, volatility ETP opportunities, and whether a billion-contract options week is closer than many traders think. Plus, another round of Russell's Weekly Rundown and the Crystal Ball.

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The Hot Options Report: 05-29-2026 May 29, 2026

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AI stocks, chip names, and momentum favorites dominated the options market to close out the week. Join Mark Longo as he breaks down the most active options trades, unusual flow, and key market movers including NVIDIA (NVDA), Tesla (TSLA), Microsoft (MSFT), Apple (AAPL), Palantir (PLTR), Robinhood (HOOD), Micron (MU), SoFi (SOFI), SMCI, and Intel (INTC).

The episode also dives into a remarkable surge in stocks hitting fresh one-year highs and what that could mean for traders heading into next week.

Get even more options data, scans, unusual activity, and market intelligence at TheHotOptionsReport.com.

The Hot Options Report: 05-28-2026 May 29, 2026

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Welcome to The Hot Options Report, your premier source for insight into the fast-moving options market. In this episode, host Mark Longo breaks down an incredibly active day on the options tape where it took massive volume just to break into the top ten countdown.

First, we dive into the latest Congressional scans from the House Yay Scan, highlighting recent stock purchases from Representatives Thomas Kean (TXN) and Jonathan Jackson (SPG). Then, we track down the heavy-hitting order flow dominating the chains ahead of Friday's weekly expirations. From active retail plays in Robinhood and Amazon to massive institutional positioning in Apple, Palantir, and Micron, we break down whether paper was buying or selling the hot strikes. Finally, we analyze the heavy volume leading the tape in Microsoft, Tesla, and Nvidia.

Find out which trades are burning up the tape and impacting your trading account!

Get More Data & Scans: Visit TheHotOptionsReport.com

TWIFO 499: Equities and Nat Gas Soar While Crude Plummets May 29, 2026

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Dan Gramza joins Mark Longo on TWIFO 499 to break down a wild week across futures options. Equities continue to rally, nat gas lights up the tape, crude oil and Brent tumble, and metals remain stuck in a choppy range. Plus, a look at hot options activity in Russell 2000, natural gas, WTI crude, gold and silver.

The Option Block 1472: SPACEX, SHIELDS AND Weird OI Anomalies May 28, 2026

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The market is hitting brand new all-time highs, but the options landscape is flashing some highly unusual signals. In this episode of The Option Block, Mark Longo, Uncle Mike Tosaw, and Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz break down the wild, speculative environment driving the latest sea of green.

The panel dives deep into the upcoming, historic SpaceX IPO—discussing what traders can expect from its highly anticipated options debut, potential volume records, and the structural listing criteria. Plus, the team breaks down a massive, inexplicable 1.55 million contract open interest anomaly in the Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD), and a massive post-earnings call option explosion in Snowflake (SNOW).

On the Docket:

The Trading Block: The market pushes north of 7,500 while VIX and VVIX get their legs cut out from under them. What does an inverted put/call skew in 55% of tech names tell us about current market frothiness?
The SpaceX Countdown: Anticipating the June IPO. Will SpaceX options instantly usurp Tesla and Nvidia at the top of the volume charts?
The Odd Block: Massive call buying and vertical spreads in Snowflake (SNOW) ahead of its monster 40% post-earnings move.
Weird OI Anomalies: Breaking down a multi-million contract data glitch in the Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD) and heavy bullish rolls in ASP Isotopes (ASPI).
Around the Block: Flatlining put demand in the SPX, a look at silver (SLV) channeling at the 70 level, and why Mike is keeping a close eye on his massive Palantir (PLTR) holdings.

The European Market Brief 25: The Rise of Credit Index Futures May 28, 2026

Show notes

This episode of The European Market Brief dives deep into the rapidly evolving world of credit derivatives and fixed income trading.

Mark Longo is joined by Russell Rhoads ("Dr. VIX"), Natesh Pothalingam from Bloomberg, and Chris Dopp from Eurex to explore the explosive growth in listed credit index futures, the impact of inflation and geopolitical volatility on the credit markets, and why institutional and retail traders alike are increasingly embracing credit products.

The panel discusses:

Why credit index futures are gaining traction
How rising rates and inflation fears are reshaping fixed income markets
The evolution of European and global credit trading
Why listed credit products may be more efficient than ETFs or OTC products
Retail and "pro-tail" access to credit markets
The future of sector-based and geographically expanded credit products
Why liquidity and capital efficiency are driving adoption

Plus: insights into high yield, investment grade credit, emerging markets, systematic trading flows, and the growing role of credit derivatives in modern portfolio management.

The Hot Options Report: 05-27-2026 May 28, 2026

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The Hot Options Report: House Stock Disclosures, Micron's Run, & Huge Tech Volume

Welcome to The Hot Options Report for Wednesday, May 27, 2026! Today, Mark Longo breaks down a fascinating "House Nay Scan"—shining a light on the top stock sales disclosed by U.S. Representatives over the last seven days, including trades from New Jersey and California.

Then, we dive deep into the top 10 most active options chains of the day. From newcomer next-gen data center operator IREN to the staggering 0DTE options volume in Meta, Apple, Tesla, and Nvidia, we explore whether paper was buying or selling the massive moves. Plus, we check in on Micron's ($MU$) absolutely explosive rally toward the $1,000 strike.

To check out all 22 disclosed Congressional trades and explore the rest of today's scans, head over to TheHotOptionsReport.com to kick the tires and light the fires!

The Futures Rundown 77: The Equity Battle Heats Up May 27, 2026

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Are equity index derivatives finally getting some real competition? In this episode, MIAX Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Shelly Brown joins host Mark Longo on The Futures Hot Seat to unpack their new index product suite developed with Bloomberg.

The conversation focuses on the structural mechanics of the new Tini Bloomberg 100 Futures ($TBQ) and the upcoming rollout of the Tini Bloomberg 500 Futures ($TBX). Shelly explains how these 100% objective, algorithmically-driven indices operate compared to traditional benchmarks like the Nasdaq and S&P—including how a strict mathematical methodology allows them to fast-track new IPOs into the index. They also look at the microstructure advantages designed to attract retail order flow: lower exchange fees, tight market maker spreads, and capital efficiencies via OCC Clearing. Plus, we get a realistic timeline for index options and a upcoming Spikes 2.0 volatility product.

Later, Mark heads into The Trading Pit to break down a wild week of price action across the tape:

The Green Side: Small caps lead the charge with the Russell 2000 surging over 6%, Cocoa catches a rare bid, and the new Tini Bloomberg 100 makes an immediate debut on our weekly upside list.
The Dark Side: Energy gets hammered. WTI, Brent, and RBOB slide roughly 14% on potential Middle East resolution news, while lithium and wheat follow to the downside.
Volume Leaders: Micro Nasdaq contracts and Treasury rates see heavy volume blocks dominating the weekly data.

Get early access to live streams, Pro Q&As, and more at The Options Insider Pro .

Options Boot Camp 392: Are Prediction Markets Too Expensive? May 27, 2026

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Are prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket a rip-off for retail traders? In this episode of Options Boot Camp, drill instructors Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli break down the exact math behind prediction market fees and compare them directly to equity options commissions. They tackle the biggest complaints about event contract fees, payment for order flow, and why wide bid-ask spreads might actually be a bigger problem than the commissions themselves.

The mailbag is also packed with listener questions covering the vertical integration of crypto brokers buying exchanges, handling tech stock crashes while running the Wheel Strategy, the fear of automatic option exercise on expiration Friday, and managing short premium positions.

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Pro Q & A 196: Tom Sosnoff Is In The Hot Seat May 27, 2026

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On this episode we are joined in the Hot Seat by: