

The Options Insider Radio Network
The Options Insider Radio Network
The Options Insider Radio Network is the premier audio destination for options traders. The network provides access to a vast array of popular programs including The Option Block, Options Boot Camp, The Advisors Option, The Long and Short of Futures Options, Volatility Views, Options Insider Radio and much more. Join the thousands around the globe who turn to The Options Insider Radio Network for options information, analysis and education.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 27, 2026 • 53min
TWIFO 490: It All Ends In Tears
Volatility is back with a vengeance! In this episode of This Week in Futures Options, host Mark Longo and Carley Garner (DeCarley Trading) break down a "blood red" Thursday as equity indices struggle to hold their gains and the energy complex reaches a boiling point. From the "Queen of Crude" to the "Widow Maker," we dive deep into the massive volatility shifts hitting the CME Group markets. Is the stock market repeating last year's April pattern? Why is gold behaving like a risk asset instead of a safe haven? And what on earth is the "Oats Knows" indicator telling us about the grains? On the Dossier: Movers & Shakers: A 60/40 bias toward the dark side, led by a massive drop in Oats and Silver. Equities: Analyzing the "orderly" sell-off in the S&P and Nasdaq—and why the elevated VIX has us nervous about hidden leverage. Energy: WTI crude enters triple-digit volatility. Carley explains why "it all ends in tears" and offers a clever way to play the energy trade through the Japanese Yen. Metals: Gold breaks its traditional playbook. We look at the 4,100 "line in the sand" and why silver speculators have officially left the building. Agricultural: A flip in corn skew and how to use the grains to play the war without the "triple-digit" volatility of crude oil.

Mar 27, 2026 • 12min
The Hot Options Report: 03-26-26
Markets are seeing "blood red" across the board as the tech giants give up the ghost. On today's episode, Mark Longo breaks down a high-velocity day in the options pits, where over half a million contracts was the baseline just to break into the top ten. We dive deep into our Call Pump Scan of the Day, highlighting unusual bullish flow in names like WisdomTree (WT), Steve Madden (SHOO), and CalVista Pharmaceuticals (KALV). Meanwhile, the "Magnificent Seven" are facing a reckoning: from Nvidia's $7.50 slide to Meta's massive 8% drop. Key Highlights: Meta's Intriguing Fly: Is the sell-off overdone? We dissect a massive 100k x 200k x 100k long-term call butterfly (700/750/800) in Meta. Tesla's "Penny" Protection: Why someone just bought 100,000 of the 680 calls for next week. Semiconductor Slump: Checking the wreckage in AMD and Micron as they plummet from recent highs. Apple & Alphabet: Analyzing the short-term put action as traders bet on further downside for tomorrow's expiration. Get the data behind the trades at TheHotOptionsReport.com .

Mar 27, 2026 • 1h
The Option Block 1455: Headline Risk and Suspicious Merger Paper
The markets are seeing red this Thursday, but the action in the pits is heating up. Join Mark Longo, Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz, and "Uncle Mike" Tosaw as they break down a wild session dominated by geopolitical tension, spiking energy prices, and some very curious "unusual activity." In this episode, the panel dives into: The Trading Block: A look at the "Blood Red Thursday" playbook. With the S&P, Dow, and Nasdaq all sliding, why are VIX puts seeing massive volume? Plus, a look at the "Mag 10" and why small caps are finally feeling the heat. Suspicious Paper: The team revisits last week's look at Brown-Forman (BF.B). Was it luck, or did someone know something? The stock exploded 15% on merger rumors exactly as the unusual call activity predicted. Odd Block: Henry highlights unusual bullish flow in Momo (MOMO) and the high-juice world of Bit Deer (BTDR). Is it time to sell covered calls on crypto miners? Earnings Insight: Why "Love Sack" (LOVE) is the surprise winner of the day and what's expected for Nike's upcoming move. Mail Block: The listeners weigh in—will the Fed actually cut rates this year? The results are closer than you think.

Mar 25, 2026 • 30min
The Futures Rundown 70: Let's Talk About Brent
The global energy landscape is shifting, and WTI isn't the only story in town. In this episode of The Futures Rundown, host Mark Longo breaks down the massive divergence in the energy complex as the Brent-to-WTI spread hits its widest level in over 11 years. With Middle East tensions impacting the Strait of Hormuz, we move beyond the headlines to analyze the contract specs, volume trends, and risk profiles that every futures trader needs to understand in 2026. Inside the Trading Pit: Energy Dominance: Why Brent Crude and Heating Oil are leading the year-to-date leaderboard (up 68% and 85%, respectively). The "Shiny Stuff" Slump: Analyzing the surprising 6-7% weekly sell-off in Gold, Silver, and Palladium. Equity Rotation: Small caps (Russell 2000) finally turn green for the year—is the move out of large-cap tech permanent? Contract Specs 101: A deep dive into ICE Brent Crude—contract sizes, tick values ($10 vs. $5), and the reality of cash settlement vs. physical delivery. Futures Free-for-All: We tackle your questions on Crypto futures (BTC/ETH pullbacks) and the big debate: Will the Fed actually cut rates in 2026? Resources & Links: Analyze markets with tastytrade: tastytrade.com/podcasts Get more options and futures insight: TheOptionsInsider.com/Pro Follow the network on X: @Options

Mar 25, 2026 • 12min
The Hot Options Report: 03-25-26
A deep dive into massive institutional flows in AMD, including a 785,000-contract surge as the stock jumps. Big weekly call action in Alphabet and concentrated trades that pushed GOOGL onto top volume lists. Heavy, high-premium activity in Micron and Cadence flagged by million-plus scans. Huge contract volumes in Tesla and Nvidia headline the market movers.

Mar 25, 2026 • 23min
Options Boot Camp 383: Weekend Risk and Dangerous Donkeys
Is the "Wheel Strategy" making you nervous in a high-volatility market? In this episode, Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli field listener questions about navigating black swan fears, the "Greeks" you should watch when the market moves fast, and whether the AI narrative in Nvidia still has legs. Dan also prepares for his upcoming trip to Greece by getting some questionable advice from Mark about riding donkeys in Santorini and ordering "Euros" at the local taverna. Key topics covered in this episode: The Wheel Strategy vs. Credit Spreads: Is it time to cap your downside when the VIX hits 22? Vega and Gamma Focus: How your attention should shift between Greeks in a fast-moving market. Nvidia (NVDA) Outlook: Dealing with underwater bull call spreads after the GTC conference. 0DTE Expansion: Will we see more zero-day contracts added to the roster this year? UVIX vs. SVIX: A deep dive into leveraged and inverse VIX products and how to use them to hedge "weekend risk."

Mar 24, 2026 • 10min
The Hot Options Report: 03-24-26
On today's episode of The Hot Options Report, Mark Longo breaks down a surprisingly quiet Tuesday in the options market. While total volume hit "dog days of summer" levels at just 362,000 contracts to break the Top 10, the 5K Club scanner was lighting up with significant institutional activity. Inside this episode: The 5K Club: A deep dive into massive block trades in the VIX, EWZ (Brazil), and NVIDIA ($NVDA). The Top 10 Countdown: Why Tesla ($TSLA) and NVIDIA held the top spots despite lighter-than-usual overall volume. Retail & Tech Movers: Analyzing the options tape for SoFi, Amazon ($AMZN), Alphabet ($GOOGL), and Meta. Semiconductor Volatility: A look at the "wild" action in Micron ($MU) and Palantir ($PLTR) as paper looks to overwrite positions. Whether you're tracking the "Power Strike" in Meta or looking for the next big move in the Fruit Company ($AAPL), we have the data you need to stay ahead of the tape. Check out the full scans at TheHotOptionsReport.com .

Mar 23, 2026 • 13min
The Hot Options Report: 3-23-26
Join Mark Longo for the Monday, March 23, 2026, edition of The Hot Options Report. It was a "respectable" day on the tape with over half a million contracts needed just to break into the top 10. We start the week by looking at the Call Bias Scan from TheHotOptionsReport.com, featuring WFRD, KANE, and DNTH as the top names where the bulls are showing their hand. The Top 10 Deep Dive: Tesla (TSLA): Reclaims the #1 spot with 2.92M contracts. We break down the nail-biting action in the 380 puts. Nvidia (NVDA): 2.6M contracts traded. Was the 180 call a smart "lottery ticket" or a total washout? Apple (AAPL): Unusual size (72k contracts) hitting the June 280 calls. SMCI: Defending the 20 strike once again as volatility remains high. The Tech Stack: Rapid-fire analysis of MSFT, AMZN, PLTR, MU, META, and SOFI. Get the full breakdown of the strikes that matter and the "paper" that moved them. Full Scans & Badges: www.TheHotOptionsReport.com Pro Insight: www.TheOptionsInsider.com/Pro

Mar 23, 2026 • 36min
The Crypto Rundown 312: Are We Feeling Crypto HYPE Again?
Is Bitcoin finally decoupling from Gold as a flight-to-quality asset? Join Mark Longo and Greg Magadini from Amberdata as they break down the 75K "magnet" level and the surge of "Hype" in the top 10. Full Description: In this episode, we dive deep into the shifting dynamics of the crypto derivatives market amidst global volatility. As the Middle East conflict influences traditional assets, we examine why Bitcoin is showing relative strength against Gold and what dealer positioning at the $75,000 strike tells us about the next move. Key topics include: The Bitcoin Breakdown: Analyzing the $65K–$75K consolidation range and the impact of extreme backwardation. Dealer Positioning: Why the 75K calls are acting as a "magnet" for price action. Altcoin Universe: The rise of Hyper Liquid (HYPE) into the Top 10 and why Solana (SOL) remains a favorite for "responsible yield." The Volatility Surface: Exploring the negative spot-vol correlation and the impact of IBIT options on the skew. Stablecoin Velocity: A deep dive into USDC (Circle) vs. Tether and the future of 24/7 blockchain settlement. Featured Guest: Greg Magadini, Director of Derivatives at Amberdata.

Mar 23, 2026 • 1h 1min
The Option Block 1454: The Big Bounce Back?
The markets are shot out of a cannon this Monday! Host Mark Longo is joined by Uncle Mike Tosaw and Andrew "The Rock Lobster" Giovanizzi to break down a wild "Bounce Back" session driven by shifting geopolitical headlines and "weekend risk" reversals. On this episode, the panel dives into: The Trading Block: A massive reversal in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq. Is the "Taco Trade" back in play? Plus, a look at VIX cash flirting with 26 and a surge in April 30 calls. Odd Block: Unusual activity in a newcomer—TetraTech (TTEK)–and a potential "rubber rebound" in Goodyear Tire (GT). Strategy Block: Uncle Mike shares a "tool for the toolbox" for covered call writers caught in a downtrend. Mail Block: The panel debates: Will the Fed actually cut rates again in 2026? Plus, find out if you know what a "somnambulist" is in our 80s Trivia Challenge!


