The Options Insider Radio Network

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The Hot Options Report: 04-22-2026 Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

Join Mark Longo from the Options Insider Radio Network for a deep dive into an explosive day in the options market. While the total volume required to crack the Top 10 remained under the half-million mark, the individual price action was anything but quiet.

In this episode, we break down:

The Big Tech Surge: Massive rallies in AMD (+$19), Micron (+$38), and MicroStrategy (+$15) as semiconductor and AI demand continues to defy gravity.
Tesla Earnings Watch: A surprisingly quiet session for $TSLA ahead of its Q1 2026 earnings release, but the after-hours action is already telling a different story.
Apple's CEO Transition: How the market reacted to the news of Tim Cook stepping down as CEO and the appointment of John Ternus.
Nvidia's Pinning Action: $NVDA closes right on the $202.50 strike, creating a headache for both long and short option holders.
Scanning the Alpha: We look at the "MA 200 Plus" scan, featuring massive triple-digit moves in $BEEM, $AGPU, and $GNLN.

Whether you're tracking the "pars" in AMD or the zero-day volatility in Microsoft, we have the flow, the strikes, and the strategy covered.

Visit TheHotOptionsReport.com to build your own watchlists and access our proprietary scans.

The Futures Rundown 73: Another Wild Week in the Energy Markets Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

The energy complex is on fire, and Mark Longo is back in the "Trading Pit" to break down a week of explosive moves and head-scratching correlations. While geopolitical tensions in the Middle East keep oil bulls on their toes, an unlikely rally in equities is defying traditional logic. From "triple-digit" volatility in crude to the surprisingly cheap breakfast table, we're dissecting the biggest movers in the futures world.

In this episode, we cover:

The Energy Surge: Why WTI, Brent, RBOB, and Heating Oil are dominating the leaderboard with gains up to 7.5% this week.
The "Breakfast Table" Trade: A deep dive into the downside, featuring the massive sell-offs in Orange Juice, Butter, Cocoa, and Oats.
Active Contract Breakdown: Why the Nasdaq Micro and 10-Year Notes are still the kings of volume, and why we're seeing a resurgence in the Ag complex (Corn and Soybeans).
Year-to-Date Movers: An analysis of the 2026 leaders, including the 71% surge in Non-fat Dry Milk and the ongoing "bloodletting" in the Cocoa markets (down 44%).
Market Riddles: How are equities hitting all-time highs while crude oil rallies nearly 65% on the year?

Whether you're curious about RBOB specs or trying to avoid getting a truckload of soybeans dumped on your lawn, this "Just the Facts" edition has you covered.

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Options Boot Camp 387: Kicking Butt with the Wheel Strategy Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

The Wheel Strategy is often touted as the ultimate "income generator," but most traders get it wrong because they lack the right mindset. In this episode, Mark Longo is joined by Dan Passarelli to discuss his brand-new book, Build Consistent Wealth with Options.

They go beyond the basic mechanics to explore the three pillars of the Wheel, why most retail traders fail when they actually get assigned, and how to "rewire your brain" for probabilistic investing. Whether you're a passive investor or an active trader looking for an edge, this deep dive into the "Cycle-Recycle" method will change how you view covered calls and cash-secured puts forever.

In this episode, we cover:

The Three Pillars: Mindset, Objectives, and Methodology.
The "Cycle-Recycle" Trade: Why the Wheel only works as a continuous system.
The "Skate" vs. "Trade" Objective: How to decide if you actually want the stock.
The PAS Indicator: Dan's custom tool for finding the "sweet spot" in premium.
Alpha & Taxes: Maximizing your edge while managing the "silent killers" of wealth.

The Hot Options Report: 04-21-2026 Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

On today's Hot Options Report, Mark Longo breaks down a high-stakes Tuesday where leadership changes and meme-stock mania took center stage. While the overall market volume cooled slightly, the activity in specific names like Apple and Beyond Meat reached a fever pitch. We also dive into the Symbol Pump Scan to highlight the under-the-radar tickers moving the needle.

Highlights from today's show:

Beyond Meat Mania: Exploring the massive "Symbol Pump" as BYND undergoes a volatile run—is this a sustainable squeeze?
The Apple Pivot: Apple claims the #2 spot on the leaderboard as traders react to major news of a new CEO.
NVIDIA Watch: Tracking the heavy flow around the critical psychological levels as the stock hovers near the par strike.
Tech Momentum: Why traders are loading up on Oracle and AMD calls despite the broader market's quiet tone.
Short-Term Bets: Analyzing the aggressive "line in the sand" trades hitting Amazon and Microsoft for tomorrow's expiration.

Visit TheHotOptionsReport.com to run your own scans and see which tickers are lighting up the tape today!

The Crypto Rundown 315: Is the World Ready for a Bitcoin VIX? Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

The "Fear Gauge" has officially arrived in the crypto world. In this episode, Mark Longo welcomes Rob Hocking, Global Head of Derivatives at Cboe, to the Hot Seat to break down the launch of the Cboe Bitcoin Volatility Index (BITVX).

In this episode, we explore:

The BITVX Reveal: How Cboe is using IBIT (iShares Bitcoin Trust) options to calculate a 30-day forward-looking volatility metric for Bitcoin.
Institutional Shift: Why Bitcoin is evolving from a retail "crypto trade" into a legitimate macro asset class.
The SKU Flip: How IBIT options have fundamentally changed the "call wing" dynamics of Bitcoin volatility.
Tradable Volatility: Is a tradable Bitcoin VIX future on the horizon? Rob shares the technical hurdles and Cboe's vision.
Cboe's Crypto Ecosystem: A look at Bitcoin Index options (MBT/CBT), perpetual futures, and the potential for crypto prediction markets.

Plus, Mark breaks down the weekly Bitcoin Breakdown, covering the recent rally to $76k, the cooling of bearish skew, and heavy put-spread activity in the IBIT tape.

The Hot Options Report: 04-20-2026 Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

Mark Longo tracks a major shift in Senate disclosures as Senator John Boozman exits European ETFs and pipeline stocks. We pivot to the options tape to break down the sudden momentum in ONDS, analyzing the heavy call volume following its recent rally. Plus, deep dives into the "Par" strike battles in Nvidia, AMD, and Tesla, and how Meta layoffs are impacting the daily flow.

Scans: TheHotOptionsReport.com Pro: TheOptionsInsider.com/Pro

The Option Block 1462: The Twin Mysteries of PBI and South Dakota Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

Join Mark Longo, Mike Tosaw of St. Charles Wealth Management, and Andrew "The Rock Lobster" Giovinazzi as they break down a head-scratching Monday open. Despite geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and firing in the Straits, the markets remain resilient. Why is capital still fearlessly flowing into equities?

In this episode, the panel dives into:

The Trading Block: A look at the "Green Day" phenomenon, VIX levels, and why "AI magic" seems to be offsetting interest rate jitters and geopolitical unrest.
Odd Block: A deep dive into unusual activity in Pitney Bowes (PBI)—a name that hasn't surfaced on the network in nearly 20 years—and the recovery play in Coursera (COUR).
Strategy Block: Mike Tosaw explains why "Dudes gotta be dudes" in your covered call portfolio and how to categorize your stocks like a football roster to maximize performance.
Earnings Season: Previews for Tesla (TSLA), Boeing (BA), United Airlines (UAL), and the "Sneaky Fins" at Nokia.
Trivia: Test your geography skills—do you know the capital of South Dakota and the "Pierre vs. Pier" pronunciation debate?

Visit tastytrade.com/podcasts to see why Investopedia named them the best broker for options."

The Hot Options Report: 04-17-26 Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

In this high-voltage Friday edition of the Hot Options Report, Mark Longo breaks down a this day of trading with the Strait of Hormuz back in business, oil prices have plummeted 10%, sending the S&P 500 and the Dow to all-time highs. It took nearly a million contracts just to crack today's Top 10—find out where the "smart money" is moving as the geopolitical "House of Horrors" begins to fade.

On today's report:

Senate "YAY" Scan: We go deep into the latest Capitol Hill disclosures. What is Senator John Boozman buying? We track his moves in MSFT, NVDA, and VEA.
The Tech Explosion: Massive volume in Intel (INTC), Meta (META), and Amazon (AMZN) as traders bet on the rally extending into next week.
MSTR & The Monster Move: MicroStrategy surges nearly 12%! We analyze the 1.5 million contracts that hit the tape.
Earnings Hangover: While the rest of the market flies, Netflix (NFLX) is feeling the pain. Is there a silver lining in the par strike activity?
The Tesla Goliath: Nearly 5 million contracts traded in TSLA today. We break down the massive battle at the $400 level.

Stay ahead of the tape with the latest from HotOptionsReport.com .

Volatility Views 676: Are these Bizarro Markets? Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

Is it "opposite day" in the financial markets? In this episode of Volatility Views, Mark Longo is joined by Russell Rhoads (Dr. VIX), Andrew Giovinazzi from Option Pit, and Scott Nations from Nations Indexes to deconstruct a wild week where bad news for the world seemingly became fuel for a massive equity rally.

The team dives deep into the "Bizarro" nature of the current landscape—where a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz resulted in a market surge and a ceasefire triggered explosive upside momentum.

Key topics include:

The Volatility Review: A look at VIX Cash levels, the collapse of VVIX, and the surprising lack of "flight to quality" in gold and treasuries.
Bizarro Markets: How the S&P 500 reached new highs despite crude oil remaining significantly elevated.
RMC Insights: Russell Rhoads shares his top-level takeaways from the latest Risk Management Conference (RMC), including the shift toward buffered ETFs and the latest research on VIX futures reactions to spot.
VIX Options Flow: A breakdown of massive volume in May and June strikes, including a look at the "Scott Nations Special" deep out-of-the-money calls.
The Crystal Ball: The team peers into the future to predict where the VIX and Volley will land next week.

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TWIFO 493: Hunting for the Big Adios in Crude, Gold, Equities and Copper Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

Is it time to give the markets the "Big Adios"? Host Mark Longo and guest Dan Gramza of Gramza Capital Management break down an explosive week in the futures options markets. From relief rallies in equities to the curious behavior of the "safe haven" play in gold, we're dissecting the top movers and the most aggressive options paper hitting the tape.

In This Episode:

Movers & Shakers: A heavy bias toward the light side this week. We analyze the 8% surge in Hard Red Wheat and the massive 4.7% climb in the NASDAQ 100.
Equities Spotlight: S&P 500 (ES) is hitting new all-time highs. Is this the "mother of all relief rallies," or are new sellers preparing a trend change? Plus, a look at the heavy 0DTE action around the 7100 level.
Metals (Copper & Gold): Dan explains why he's skeptical of the copper rally and shares a "Big Adios" level for the red metal. We also explore the broken traditional playbook for gold during Middle East conflicts and its relationship with the 10-year yield.
Energy (WTI Crude Oil): Crude is vacillating near the $91 mark. We break down the June par calls, the $65 puts, and why the "hopium" regarding Middle East de-escalation is driving the current term structure.

Check out the Movers & Shakers report and more at CMEGroup.com/TWIFO .

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