This Week in Futures Options

The Options Insider Radio Network
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Sep 5, 2025 • 54min

TWIFO 464: Equities, Rates And Metals...Oh My

Mark Longo and Mike Tosaw from St. Charles Wealth Management break down top trades, hot products, volatility explosions, and more in precious metals, interest rates, and equities on this episode. Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction  5:52 - Movers and Shakers Report (top performers and decliners). 11:58 - Breakdown of the CME Group CVOL report (volatility). 14:52 - Discussion on the precious metals market, with a focus on silver and gold. 24:45 - Analysis of the interest rate market and the 10-year note. 33:57 - Exploration of the equities market, focusing on the S&P 500. 38:53 - Closing remarks and where to find more information.
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Aug 29, 2025 • 28min

TWIFO 463: Return of the Widowmaker

This episode of "This Week in Futures Options" (TWIFO) focuses on the week's top movers in the futures options market. Mark Longo breaks down the Movers and Shakers report, highlighting a week with a slight bias toward green, but with the largest percentage moves on the dark side. The show also takes a deep dive into the volatility of various markets and discusses the trading activity in natural gas, nicknamed "the widowmaker." The episode concludes with a discussion about the future of crypto derivatives and the debate between cash-settled and physically settled contracts. Time Stamps 4:16 Movers & Shakers this Week 10:37 Volatility Report (CVOL) 14:38 Featured Segment: Nat Gas - "The Widowmaker" 22:38 Listener Question: Is Physical Settlement Dead
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Aug 22, 2025 • 54min

TWIFO 462: Soybean Shenanigans and Cattle Craziness

In this episode of "This Week in Futures Options" (TWIFO), host Mark Longo and guest Kevin Green from Schwab Network break down the week's trading action in the futures options market. They cover the top movers, analyze volatility across different sectors, and dive deep into agricultural products. The main discussion focuses on the soybean complex, including soybeans, soybean oil, and soybean meal, as well as the live and feeder cattle markets. The hosts examine recent market-moving events and options trading activity, highlighting notable trends and specific trades. The episode concludes with a look at the energy sector and a final wrap-up. Time Stamps 0:00 Welcome  3:55 Movers and Shakers Report 6:35 Volatility Breakdown 11:45 The World of Ags 20:30 Cattle Analysis 28:09 Energy Discussion 35:25 Wrap-up 
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Aug 15, 2025 • 58min

TWIFO 461: Wild Times in Equities, Crypto, Energy and More

In this episode, Mark Longo and Dan 'The Man' Gramza from Gramza Capital Management, examine the surge in futures options trading, discuss inflation impacts, and explore the latest in small-cap and equity index movements. Energy commodities, particularly Nat Gas and WTI, also receive a thorough analysis, including fundamental supply and demand factors as well as geo-political influences. Crypto markets, especially the dramatic resurgence of Ethereum, are reviewed alongside its compelling volume activities in both big and micro contracts. The episode concludes with a light-hearted debate on the best Rocky movie, tying in audience insights.    01:21 Welcome to This Week in Futures Options 04:22 Movers and Shakers Report 11:27 Exploring Equity Markets 27:17 Crypto Market Insights 31:13 Technical Analysis: Market Movements and Predictions 36:32 Interest Rates and Currency Trends 37:14 Energy Market Deep Dive: Nat Gas and Crude Oil 50:48 Futures Options Wrap-Up and Fun Poll
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Aug 7, 2025 • 13min

TWIFO 460: Mid-Year Correlation Update

This episode of 'This Week in Futures Options' features a detailed mid-year analysis of cross correlations between various tradable products in the futures options markets for 2025. Key correlations include NASDAQ vs. E-Mini, 10-year vs. 30-year, heating oil vs. WTI, and more. The discussion also highlights interesting correlations in the agricultural and metals sectors, as well as Bitcoin's performance and correlations. The episode aims to keep active futures options traders informed about the evolving trends and correlations in the market.   00:43 This Week in Futures Options 02:11 Mid-Year Cross Correlation Analysis 03:38 Detailed Correlation Insights 07:13 Surprising Correlation Findings 11:36 Conclusion and Sign-Off
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Aug 1, 2025 • 56min

TWIFO 459: Fed Dissent Amid A Historic Move For Copper

In the latest episode, Mark Longo alongside guest Rich Excel from Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign delve into a comprehensive analysis of various futures options markets and they look at volatility (CVOL) in the various complexes. They start with a detailed discussion on the dramatic price movements in copper, silver, and other metals, largely influenced by recent tariff news. They also explore the FX market, emphasizing the Euro/USD dynamics and share insights from Rich Excel’s recent CME Group report on hedging currency risk. Finally, the episode concludes with a focus on interest rates, particularly reflections on the Fed's recent decisions and their impacts on two-year treasury options.    01:22 Welcome to This Week in Futures Options 05:20 Movers and Shakers Report 14:43 Exploring the Metals Market 28:18 Silver Market Analysis 30:35 Exploring FX Markets 31:19 Hedging Currency Risks 32:11 Euro USD Futures Insights 34:17 FX Options Strategies 41:17 Interest Rate Market Overview 46:06 Two-Year Treasury Notes 51:22 Upcoming Agricultural Reports 53:01 Conclusion and Resources
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Jul 25, 2025 • 56min

TWIFO 458: Shockingly Flat Skew in the Widow Maker

This episode of 'This Week in Futures Options' on the Options Insider Radio Network covers extensive details on various active commodities in the futures options market. The discussion begins with a breakdown of Nat Gas, analyzing its significant drop towards the three-handle and the activity around three puts and four calls. WTI's consistent trading around the 65 level and the potential implications are explored. Copper's tariff-driven surge and related options activity, including various put spreads, are examined. The show also touches on the behavior of Nasdaq during earning season and the rise of zero-day options in the futures market. Hosted by Mark Longo, with insights from Russell Rhoads, the episode dives into market sentiment, trading strategies, and key economic indicators shaping the futures options landscape.   02:41 Show Kickoff and New Network Edition 03:58 Guest Introduction: Russell Rhoads 04:50 Discussion on Retail vs. Institutional Trading 06:19 Movers and Shakers Report 11:56 Volatility Analysis 15:56 Energy Market Insights 26:00 Crude Oil Market Analysis 26:53 WTI and Nat Gas Volatility 27:26 Key Levels in Crude Oil 29:32 Put Options Activity in Crude 32:18 Copper Market Insights 42:01 Equity Indices During Earnings Season 48:16 Zero-Day Options and Market Sentiment 49:17 Concluding Thoughts and Listener Interaction
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Jul 18, 2025 • 51min

TWIFO 457: Ags, Energy and Metals...Oh My!

In this episode, host Mark Longo is joined by Carley Garner from DeCarley Trading to examine recent movements and activities in a variety of futures options markets. The discussion opens with an overview of platforms and resources available to listeners such as the Options Insider app and the CME Group options database. The episode then dives into specifics, starting with significant trades and volatility shifts in natural gas, crude oil, and later shifting to agricultural products like Chicago wheat and corn. Unique market events, including recent copper volatility due to tariff news, are also analyzed. Garner provides professional insights into market behaviors and strategic recommendations across different asset classes. The session wraps up with a quick mention of the unusual trading activity in the livestock sector, particularly in live cattle.   04:39 Movers and Shakers Report 07:58 Volatility Insights 11:50 Deep Dive into Natural Gas 22:05 Crude Oil Market Analysis 25:44 Analyzing WTI Puts and Calls 27:35 Exploring Chicago Wheat Trends 31:31 Diving into Corn Market Dynamics 38:01 Copper Market Volatility and Strategies 44:56 Live Cattle Market Insights 46:19 Upcoming Shows and Final Thoughts
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Jul 11, 2025 • 47min

TWIFO 456: Thunderstruck Futures

This episode delves into a range of topics with host Mark Longo and guest Mike Tosaw from St. Charles Wealth Management. They discuss navigating the futures options market, highlighting the significant trades, volatility, and key products such as gold, crude oil, corn, and soybeans. They focus on market movers, noting increased volatility in various segments. Mike shares insights into the S&P 500 hitting new all-time highs and offers strategies for rolling up hedges. Discussions extend to the 10-year note, silver, and the dynamics of precious metals in 2023.    01:22 Welcome to This Week in Futures Options 04:33 Movers and Shakers Report 12:11 Exploring Market Volatility 15:09 Equities and Strategic Hedging 22:54 S&P 500 Trading Insights 23:38 Exploring Skew Perspectives 25:31 Diving into the 10-Year Note 33:12 Metals Market Analysis 42:42 Wrapping Up and Final Thoughts
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Jun 27, 2025 • 40min

TWIFO 455: Shocks and Surprises in Small Caps

In this episode Mark Longo dives deep into the ever-changing futures options landscape. Key topics include the performance analysis of tradable products such as gold, crude oil, and soybeans, with an emphasis on the volatility and top trades in these markets. Additionally, the episode features a special guest, Catherine Yoshimoto from FTSE Russell, who discusses the upcoming Russell Reconstitution. She provides insights into the changes in the market cap breakpoint, the shift of some 'Mag Seven' stocks partially into the value category, and the move to semi-annual reconstitution in 2024. The podcast also touches on various aspects of the Russell 2000 index, including recent trading trends, volatility movements, and notable trading activity. The episode concludes with a detailed explanation of the scheduling and methodology changes coming to the Russell indices.   01:03 Welcome to This Week in Futures Options 04:24 Movers and Shakers Report 12:45 Deep Dive into Equities with Catherine Yoshimoto 13:45 Russell Reconstitution Insights 29:00 Russell 2000 Options Analysis 34:24 Conclusion and Upcoming Events

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