Volatility Views

Volatility Review: Government shutdown moves the market going into the weekend. VIX cash is firmly back in the double digits. Russell's Weekly Rundown: ADV - 746k, VIX call/put - 4.6, Total 10.1m (8.29m Calls, 1.82m Puts Looking back on the VIX whale from last Wednesday. Earnings volatility this week. January has been a rough month for Bitcoin. Volatility Voicemail: Options question of the week. Bitcoin futures are currently trading around $11,500. If options existed, how would you trade them? Assuming one-month to expiration would you...? Buy 5% OTM Call Buy 5% OTM Put Sell 5% OTM Covered Call Just Short the Future Listener questions and comments: Comment by TradingProverbs - "More money has been lost trying to anticipate and protect from corrections than actually in them." - Peter Lynch Crystal Ball: Government shutdown related prognostication Last week: Mark L. - 9.55 Andrew - 9.95 Kevin - 9.75 This week: Mark L. - 10.55 Mark S. - 10.00 Russell - 11.99 Matt - 11.50

Volatility Review: It's been a good year for VIX at CBOE - No Vol = No problem. Return of the VIX Whale - 2.87M on Wednesday. We finally have the COT Reports for Bitcoin. Kevin's Weekly Rundown: VIX Options: ADV - 668k VIX call/put - 4, Total 12.9m (10.3m Calls, 2.52m Puts) Volatility Voicemail: Options question of the week. Another ";easy"; one to help kick off the New Year. Quite simply - which name are you looking forward to trading Options on during the upcoming earnings season? Your fav not here? Choose ";Other"; and send it in. Best will be shared on the Option Block. Apple (AAPL) Tesla (TSLA) Amazon (AMZN) Other Listener questions and comments: Question from RDuffGordon - My wife reads all of the ";intel"; letters, and told me tonight that CEO's are resigning in droves. The best way to see if this is valid or probable would be a sudden burst of buying of insider puts. Is there such a reporting requirement for, Insiders or recent EX - higher ups which i would expect the sec to require - but all we

Volatility Review: Looking back on the top five Volatility Views episodes of 2017. VIX Cash is back in the single digits again. Russell's Weekly Rundown VIX Options: ADV - 668k, VIX call/put - 3.9, Total 10.8m (8.52m Calls, 2.26m Puts) Commodities: Volatility is low but ambiguity is sky high. CBOE files to list 6 bitcoin ETFs after being first major exchange to trade cryptocurrency futures. Happy 9th Birthday to Bitcoin Volatility Voicemail: Listeners have their say 2017 was the "Year that Volatility Died". So our 1st #QOTW for 2018 is a puzzler. Quite simply - where do you think $VIX will close at the end of the year? 14% - Between 7.5-9.99 35% - Between 10- 12.49 14% - Between 12.50 -14.99 37% - Above 15 Crystal Ball: Wild and reckless prognostication. Last year's 2017 VIX predictions: Mark L. - Avg 15.50, low 10, high 34.5 Russell - Avg 17.50, low 12.50, high 37 Mark S. - Avg 15, low 10.50, high 24 Next year VIX close at end of 2018: Mark L. - 17.25 Mark S. - 11.01 Kevin - 14.04 Next week: Mark L.

Volatility Review: A look back at 2017 from a volatility perspective. VIX cash was back in double digits, briefly. Kevin's Weekly Rundown: VIX Options: ADV - 672k, VIX call/put - 4, Total 9.78m (7.83m Calls, 1.94m Puts) Looking back on the 2017: The year without volatility. Which trades stood out to you in 2017? CBOE files to list 6 bitcoin ETFs after being first major exchange to trade cryptocurrency futures. Crystal Ball: Your prognostication headquarters Last week: Mark L. - 9.65 Andrew - 8.99 Russell - 9.25 Where will VIX close at the end of 2018? Mark L. - 17.25 Mark S. - 11.01 Kevin - 14.04

Volatility Review: Looking back on 2017, the year without volatility. VIX has been under 10 for about 45 days this year, and under 12 for a little over 200 days. The numbers: VIX Cash - 9.56 VVIX - 92 CBOE Skew Index - 132.5 Russell's Weekly Rundown: VIX Options: ADV - 721k VIX call/put: - 4, Total 9.38m (7.51m Calls, 1.88m Puts) Commodities: Volatility is low but ambiguity is sky high. Volatility Voicemail: Options question of the week. Now it's a party! Bitcoin futures are live on both CME Group & CBOE. But everyone's asking us the $1M question - "When will we get Bitcoin Options?" So we thought we'd ask you: When will we be able to trade options on these futures? Q1 2018 Q2 2018 Q3 2018 Q4 2018 Listener questions and comments: Comment from FContangotrader - You should call #optionblockchain... forget Bitcoin, if you short $vxx since 2011 now you own an island at the Bahamas, if you own gamma and hedge with vol products, now you own 2 islands. Question from Javier - Is there a Bitcoin VIX from th

Volatility Review: Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss discuss Bitcoin and Bitcoin Futures at FIA Asia. CBOE Benchmark Index discussion. CBOE Bitcoin futures surge 8% Friday, head for winning first week The numbers: VIX Cash - 9.79 VVIX - 92.77 CBOE Skew Index – 131 Russell's Weekly Rundown VIX Options: ADV - 737k, VIX call/put - 3.6, Total 13.6m (10.7m Calls, 2.99m Puts) Volatility Voicemail: Listener questions and comments Question from Alvanot - Can you trade the VIX index itself? Not the futures. Question from The Financial Grynch‏ - Do you REALLY reckon long options is profitable? Crystal Ball: Wild and reckless prognostication Last week: Mark L. - 9.75 Mark S. - 9.15 Ghost of Russell - 35 Bill - 10 This week: Mark S. - 10 Russell - 9.74 Bill - 8.99

Volatility Review: This week we are featuring guest co-host Bill Valentine of Valentine Ventures. The numbers: VIX Cash, VVIX - 96, CBOE Skew Index – 131 VIX Options: ADV - 758k, VIX call/put: 3.6, Total 12.7m (9.95m Calls, 2.79m Puts) Bitcoin launching on 12/10. Question from Tortega - Not a vol question, but what's the deal with the Bitcoin futures and the Gemini index they are based on? Volatility Voicemail: Options question of the week The war for #Bitcoin #Derivatives is heating up again. CME Group is launching futures on 12/18. CBOE just announced a 12/10 launch date. Not enough? Nasdaq also announced futures w/ for a planned Q2 2018 launch. With so many choices-How will you trade #Bitcoin in 2018? 52% - CBOE Futures 12/10 27% - CME Futures 12/18 3% - Nasdaq Futures Q2 2018 18% - "Old School" Bitcoin Listener questions and comments: Comment from Mark Clyde Brant - Who is listing options first? Probably CBOE! But Chicago is taking control of BTC exactly as Al Capone took control of booze distributio

Volatility Review: A look at the week from a volatility perspective. The numbers: VIX Cash - back above 12, briefly VVIX - 90 CBOE Skew Index - 131 VIX Options: ADV - 725K, VIX call/put: 3.7, Total 11.2m (8.68m Calls, 2.56m Puts) VXX - 32 XIV - 109.58 Volatility Voicemail: Options question of the week SPY always dominates the Options volume charts. But what do you think people are actually trading in SPY? Take a guess at the Top OI position in SPY right now. No cheating (or checking with your broker) - use your grey matter & your "gut" to pick the right one. Jan 262 Call Dec 2019 150 Put Dec 280 Call Jan 240 Put Listener questions and comments Question from FContangotrader - I think we have a winner today in TA of $VIX world. Question from CConden - Looks like the winning trade for past few years has been rolling short VIX front month future with a protective call kicker should the worst come to pass. I'm stuck on the call kicker strike. What is the ideal strike/month combo for max gain with protecti

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Volatility Review: A look back at the week from a volatility perspective The numbers: VIX Cash - Back above 12, briefly Bitcoin vs. VIX - What Has Been More Volatile in 2017? VVIX - 100.15 CBOE Skew Index - 136 Russell's Weekly Rundown VIX Options: ADV - 739k, VIX Call/Put - 3.7, Total 9.69m (7.64m Calls, 2.05m Puts) FINRA Orders Wells Fargo to Pay $3.4M over Volatility-Linked ETPs Volatility Voicemail: Stream of consciousness questions and comments Question from Andrew Giovinazzi‏ - Why is the rock lobster so handsome? Comment from David - $VXX is clearly the worst ETF. It has destroyed pretty much all of the value invested in it since inception. Or does that make it the best if you're short? Comment from OphirGottlieb - $VIX hello, friend. I've missed you. You appear to want to stay this time. @Options @RussellRhoads Comment from SaqibReports - Shhh. You will scare it away! Question from Lonesome - Could you tell us the process of how options market makers mitigate risk/remain delta neutral? Crystal B

Volatility Views 280: Tapping the Secret Sources of VIX Info Volatility Review: A look back at the week from a volatility perspective VIX cash: VIX briefly flirted with 12 VVIX: 98.5 - 7 points higher than last week CBOE SKEW Index: 129 - 8 points higher than last week VXN: 15.04 - .5 points higher than last week Russell's Weekly Rundown: VIX Options: ADV - 758k Thurs - 1m Weds - 632k Tues - 899k Mon - 442k VIX call/put: 3.8 - Russell is nervous Hot VIX strikes 710842 .VIX Dec 20th 25.0 C, chg +67163 515136 .VIX Dec 20th 15.0 C, chg -1377 400697 .VIX Nov 15th 20.0 C, chg +5029 372447 .VIX Dec 20th 12.0 P, chg +829 334283 .VIX Nov 15th 21.0 C, chg -5413 308546 .VIX Dec 20th 22.0 C, chg +4167 263899 .VIX Nov 15th 17.0 C, chg +11157 240963 .VIX Dec 20th 20.0 C, chg +7087 226612 .VIX Nov 15th 15.0 C, chg -3270 222571 .VIX Dec 20th 17.0 C, chg +4591 Total 12.7m (10.1m Calls, 2.61m Puts) VXX: 34 - almost unchd from last week Top VXX positions 114719 VXX Jan19 10.0 P, chg +22 75429 VXX Jan 10.0 P (Nonstd VXX2

Volatility Review: A look back at the week from a volatility perspective. The Numbers: VVIX - 91.5 CBOE Skew Index - 136 VXN - 14.7 Russell's Weekly Rundown VIX Options: ADV - 833k, VIX Call/Put - 3.9, Total 11.7m (9.37m Calls, 2.37m Puts) Earnings Volatility: Apple, Facebook, Tesla Commodity Volatility: Crude/OIV, Gold/GVZ Volatility Voicemail: Listener questions and comments Comment from Don S: :Ah, if you had called me for the last VV, I would have regaled you with stories from the Morgan Stanley trading desk about Black Monday. But none would have been better than the one of my buddy and colleague, Peter, who in August 1987 decided that the market was overdone and invested $20,000 of his own money in OTM SPX November puts. Those options, which were 1/8 before the crash, went to $50, and his $20,000 turned into 400 times that, or ... wait for it! ... $8 million! Ah, the good ol' days. :-) Don Question from Hawkeye - To ye merry band of Magical Voice, grease laden Meatballs, favorite Uncles, and Lobste

Volatility Review: A look back at the week from a volatility perspective. VVIX - 97.73 CBOE Skew Index - 135 VIX Options, ADV - 852k, VIX Call/Put - 4 Total 10.8m (8.65m Calls, 2.19m Puts) Earnings: CMG, Twitter, Amazon, Google and Microsoft Volatility Voicemail: Options question of the week. It looks like you all REALLY want after-hours #Options trading. The question now - what is the best way to make it happen? 24% - Pilot For Earnings Season 52% - Top Names Only -$AMZN,etc 21% - Basic Limit Order Book 3% - Other - Reply/DM w/answer Listener questions and comments: Comment from j3dingle - Dear Mark Longo, Long time listener (at least a year or two, so maybe not that long!), first time emailer. I would guess I'm not the first to suggest this, but have you considered some excerpt of some rendition of "On Top of Spaghetti" for Mark Sebastian's theme song? Looks like the song even has some Chicago heritage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Top_of_Spaghetti In 30 seconds of you-tubing, I found Biondi's vers

Volatility Review: A look back at the week from a volatility perspective. Black Monday. Happy 30th Birthday to Volatility Skew! The numbers: VIX - 93.33 CBOE Skew Index - 146 VXN - 14.64 Russell's Weekly Rundown: VIX ADV - 876k VIX call/put - 4.1 VXX - 34.39 XIV - 105.87 Volatility Voicemail: Options question of the week Earnings Season is here! Which name do you plan to trade most actively this cycle? 27% - Tesla - $TSLA 34% - Amazon - $AMZN 23% - Apple - $AAPL 16% - Alphabet - $GOOGL Listener questions and comments: Comment form MoneyEngine X3.5 - Buying CVS calls. Crystal Ball: Wild and reckless prognostication Last week: Mark L. - 9.55 Mark S. - 10.25 Ghost of Russell - 28 Kevin - 10 This week: Mark L. - 9.65 Mark S. - 10.16 Russell - 9.87

Volatility Review: A look back at the week from a volatility perspective Secrets To The Hottest Trade - Shorting VIX The Numbers: VIX - Hit a low of 9.13 on Oct. 5 - still flirting with single digits. VVIX - 97.79, CBOE Skew Index - 146, VXN - 14.33 Kevin's Weekly Rundown VIX Options: ADV - 868k, VIX Call/Put: 3.8 Total 13.4m (10.6m Calls, 2.77m Puts) VXX - 35.97, XIV - 105.87, UVXY - 17.36 Volatility Voicemail: Options question of the week Earnings Season is almost upon us! What's your favorite way to trade earnings using #Options? Reply/DM/email with others. Sell Strad./Fly/Condor Buy Strad./Fly/Condor Sell Puts/Put Spreads Buy Calls/ Call Spreads Crystal Ball: Your VIX prognostication headquarters Last week: Mark L. - 9.65 Mark S. - 10.01 Russell - 10.31 This week: Mark L. - 9.55 Mark S. - 10.25 Kevin - 10.00

Volatility Review: A look back on the week from a volatility perspective. VIX Cash - A low of 9.13 on Oct. 5 VVIX - 91.79, CBOE Skew Index - 140 Russell's Weekly Rundown Fed Survey on Firm Uses of Equity Volatility, By Russell Rhoads, CFA VIX Options - VIX Call/Put: 3.7, Total 12.0m (9.44m Calls, 2.52m Puts) VXX - 37.95, XIV - 100.57 Volatility Voicemail: Options question of the week Break out your #VOLATILITY #CRYSTALBALL: $VIX is at new lows. Is an 8 $VIX looming or is this just a blip? Where will $VIX close Friday 10/6 Right Here: 9-9.30 Lower: < 9 Slightly Higher: 9.3-9.60 Much Higher: > 9.6 Listener questions and comments: What's on your mind? Question from Gunjan Banerji‏ - What were the hot $VIX strikes this past week? Question from PBiggers - What strategy will long vix while minimizing contango? Comment from FContangotrader - I took personal loan and i bought vxx put spreads long term while I'm long some gamma on $spy, speaking of crazy. Question from Lenz - When is the CBOE Asia conference? C

Volatility Review: A look back at the week from a volatility perspective 6% IV, all aboard! The numbers: VIX Cash - low of 9.55 on Thursday. VVIX - 94 CBOE Skew Index - 133 Russell's Weekly Rundown: VIX Options: ADV - 813k, 2.6M on Monday! VIX call/put, Total 11.4m (8.92m Calls, 2.48m Puts) OIV - 26.53 Volatility Voicemail: Listeners have their say Question from LL08 - Crazy! Is this true? Question from Tech Coleslaw - Can you talk a little bit more about ZIV and mid-term Vol? One of our listeners is running for Congress - @RogerBarone @OPTIONS More voices are better than less. Crystal Ball: Wild and reckless prognostication Last week: Mark L. - 9.75 Mark S. - 11 Russell - 10.10 This week: Mark L. - 9.2 Andrew - 9.99 Russell - 9.42

Volatility Review: A look back at the week from a volatility perspective The numbers: VIX Cash - A low of 9.54 on Thursday VVIX - 92 CBOE Skew Index - 137.87 ‘False Peace’ for Markets? A Trader Is Betting Millions on It Russell's Weekly Rundown: VIX Options - ADV: 813k, VIX call/put: 3.5 Total 9.96m OIV - 26.53 Volatility Voicemail: Listeners take over the show Volatility Views/TWIFO Flash Poll: With $SPX #Volatility -aka $VIX- in single digits where are you getting your index vol fix these days? Russell 2000: $RVX, $IWM Dow: $DJIA, $VXD, etc. NASDAQ: $QQQ, $VXN, etc. Buying $VIX for rebound. Listener questions and comments Question from Swatcat - Which instruments are there that are very liquid, if you are going long VIX? I have found one so far, ticker: VIXY / Nordic options trader Question from TicTac - You guys said it's not a good time for vix front spreads. Why not? Question from LA Town - Your call for worst Vol ETF? Crystal Ball: Your prognostication headquarters Last week: Mark L. - 11.5 Mar

Volatility Review: A full overview of CBOE RMC Europe. The numbers: VIX Cash - a high of 11.10 on Monday. VVIX - 92 CBOE Skew Index - 142.74 Russell's Weekly Rundown: VIX Options - ADV: 813k, VIX Call/Put 3.1; Total 13.7m (10.4m Calls, 3.28m Puts). OIV - 26.34 Volatility Voicemail: Listener Questions and Comments Options question of the week: First #Harvey, then #Irma, now #Jose & more. We prep houses/cars/family for #disasters. How do you prep your portfolio? Get Long $VIX/$VXX/$UVXY Go To Cash/T-bills Buy Index/Stock Puts "Risk Assets" - Gold, etc. Listener Questions: Question from Volbug: You mentioned on the show that our twins (XIV & SVXY) could go to zero if there is a big enough spike in vol. Would you and the crew be able to take a guess at what level of vol action would result in such a occurrence? Second question is, wouldn't such a spike send equities out the window also? As always, thanks for the show. Question from PBiggers - Time to go long VIX? Sell some EFX premium? Some skew in

Volatility Review: A look back at the week from a volatility perspective Shortened holiday week hit with a never-ending parade of hurricanes Don't forget North Korea Oh, and the President Bonds are screaming August options volume is strangely high. So much for vacationing for the month VIX up into the 12-handle. Will it hit the low teens? VIX Cash: High of 14.06 on Tuesday VVIX: 99 CBOE SKEW Index: 135.39 - 5 points higher than last week Russell's Weekly Rundown: Will people start using weekly options on Monday for the upcoming week's risk? CME Fed tool has next potential rate hike at next August, and only 50-50 Why are people buying vol into the weekend? VIX Options on this short week: ADV - 796K; Thurs. - 894K; Weds. - 603K; Tues.- 1.16M; Mon. - Closed. VIX Call/Put: 3.4 Hot VIX Strikes: 635482 .VIX Oct 18th 25.0 C, chg +4681 460502 .VIX Sep 20th 20.0 C, chg -6238 414217 .VIX Oct 18th 12.0 P, chg +13048 376664 .VIX Oct 18th 15.0 C, chg -70943 285530 .VIX Sep 20th 18.0 C, chg +3297 268153 .VIX Sep 20th