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A massive semiconductor call spread runs into a tech selloff—and the timing gets painful fast. On this episode, Mark Longo, Mike Tosaw and Henry Schwartz break down a $12.1 million bullish position in SMH, unusual options activity in Toast, and the market's latest reaction to Meta and Tesla earnings. Henry takes listeners inside the 55,000-lot SMH call spread, explaining its structure, defined risk and sharp decline in value. He also examines heavy call selling in Toast (TOST), including unusual market maker activity and in-the-money opening trades. Plus, the panel explores: • Premarket options trading: early volume trends, wider bid-ask spreads and execution challenges. • Mike's Meta collar adjustments and his reasoning for buying back short calls. • Active options trading in Nvidia, Apple, CoreWeave, Tesla and other leading names. • VIX activity, sector rotation and options pricing around the upcoming midterm elections. Mark also spotlights A Leg To Stand On (ALTSO), the charity helping children with limb disabilities—and the "cool kids" behind this episode's title.

Stocks are bouncing back, but volatility isn't ready to settle down. On this episode, Mark Longo, Andrew "The Rock Lobster" Giovinazzi and Mike Tosaw break down the market rebound, lingering concerns about AI stocks and the options activity heating up ahead of earnings and the midterm elections. The crew explores Cleveland-Cliffs' earnings-fueled surge and the short-term call trading chasing further upside. Plus, they examine unusual options activity in Equinox Gold, a November VIX straddle and the busy options tape in Nvidia, Tesla, Amazon, CoreWeave and more. In the Strategy Block, Uncle Mike explains why perfectionism can undermine your trading—from handling covered-call assignments and missed rallies to taking profits when you're close to your target. And between the market analysis and trading lessons, a Monopoly trivia battle sparks a debate over race cars, top hats and who would dominate a showdown among the network's hosts.

Unusual options activity in a Brazilian meat giant and the growing appetite for options-based ETFs serve up plenty to discuss on this episode. Mark Longo, Henry Schwartz from Cboe and Mike Tosaw from St. Charles Wealth Management break down market rotation, pressure on AI and semiconductor stocks, and another busy session for options traders. Henry joins from Cboe's trading floor with insights into defined outcome ETFs, downside buffers, covered call income strategies and the FLEX options powering many of these products. Uncle Mike explains how collars fit into his approach to portfolio risk management. In the Odd Block, the panel investigates massive JBS call activity that looks very different after examining the underlying trade data, a long-dated Under Armour put roll and fresh call buying in Fermi. Plus, VIX options activity, Nvidia and CoreWeave in the most-active rankings, and a listener showdown featuring Portillo's, Archer Aviation, Fermi and Lucid Motors.

Unusual options activity in Canadian Solar and First Solar takes center stage as a quiet session for the major indexes gives way to busy trading in individual stocks. On this episode, Mark Longo, Andrew Giovinazzi and Mike Tosaw break down surprisingly long-dated Canadian Solar (CSIQ) put buying and a burst of First Solar (FSLR) options activity following an analyst upgrade. Could the First Solar trades be part of a calendar spread built around earnings? The crew also examines VIX upside calls, options volume in SPY, QQQ and IWM, and the latest action in Nvidia, AMD, Micron, Meta, Apple and Tesla. Plus, Uncle Mike delivers an AC/DC-inspired Strategy Block on sticking with your trading plan, respecting risk and learning from experienced traders instead of listening to naysayers. We wrap up with the earnings and CPI outlook, bonds, and a listener showdown featuring Portillo's, Archer, Fermi and Lucid.

AI stocks take a beating, energy rallies and the S&P 500's sideways grind has Uncle Mike channeling Rodney Dangerfield's Caddyshack stockbroker routine. On this episode of The Option Block, Henry Schwartz of Cboe and Mike Tosaw of St. Charles Wealth Management join us to break down the technology selloff, options activity in Nvidia, Oracle, Micron and Tesla, and the strength in Apple and Palantir. They also examine VIX and VVIX, September options volume trends, and the growing role of ETF, index and FLEX options. In the Odd Block, Henry investigates aggressive put buying in EquipmentShare (EQPT), an unusual customer-to-customer call cross in Erasca (ERAS), and complex call rolls in Hut 8 (HUT). Uncle Mike explains how diversification and covered calls are helping his portfolio navigate sharp differences between sectors and individual stocks. Plus, the panel discusses Treasury yields, oil, geopolitical headline risk and SPX options positioning around the midterm elections—and why volatile markets demand discipline with trade sizing.

Unusual call activity lights up Pacific Biosciences and United Microelectronics as tech stocks climb and volatility retreats. Mark Longo, Andrew Giovinazzi and Mike Tosaw break down the options market, debate potential trillion-dollar IPO valuations and take a strange detour into secret Russian plague-lab headlines. On this episode: • NVIDIA and Tesla battle for the top spot in single-stock options activity, with updates on Meta, Apple, AMD and other active names. • PACB's rally draws large December call trades. • Long-dated UMC calls raise questions about whether traders are buying upside or selling premium. • VIX and VVIX retreat as the panel weighs volatility calls, inexpensive puts and potential election risk. • Mike explains how covered call ladders can help investors gradually exit concentrated, appreciated stock positions while collecting premium. • The crew shares what they're watching next in Treasury yields, equities and volatility.

Stocks turn from red to green during the show, but the unusual options activity offers plenty of its own surprises. Mark Longo, Henry Schwartz of Cboe and Mike Tosaw of St. Charles Wealth Management break down the market reversal, VIX and VVIX, and the options trades catching their attention. In the Odd Block, the panel digs into a sizable January call purchase in Fermi (FRMI) despite the stock's steep decline, speculative upside call buying in eToro (ETOR), and aggressive call sweeps in Uniti Group (UNIT). They also explore: Heavy options activity in QQQ and IWM, plus the latest single-stock trading. Henry's takeaways from the Robinhood Summit, including extended options trading hours, automated trading and prediction markets. Mike's outlook for the S&P 500, Treasury yields and selling silver puts. The debate over Nvidia's stock buyback and whether listeners expect more upside. An unusual story about an investor passing up dividends to avoid crossing an ownership disclosure threshold. Plus, the panel shares what it's watching heading into the next session.

Nvidia's stock buyback sparks a debate on The Option Block: is it a sensible use of cash, or a warning sign near the highs? Mark Longo, Andrew Giovinazzi and Mike Tosaw also discuss rising yields, the market's resilience and the busiest names on the options tape. In the Odd Block, they examine unusual call activity in Alamos Gold ($AGI) and Aemetis ($AMTX). Then Mike walks through the adjustments he made to a Meta ($META) collar and explains how the position changed as the stock moved. Plus, a seven dwarves trivia question gives this episode its magical opening.

A sharp intraday reversal sends Mark Longo, Mike Tosaw, and Cboe's Henry Schwartz scrambling to keep up with the options tape. They discuss the swings in SPX, VIX, SPY, QQQ, and IWM, along with the pressure that rising interest rates and oil prices could put on stocks. Henry also brings back a curious idea from a Cboe quant conference: the "options manifold." Then, in the Odd Block, he digs into unusual call activity in Unity (U), Banco Bradesco (BBD), CCC Intelligent Solutions (CCC), and Papa John's (PZZA), including a trade that shows why a print at the bid may not tell the whole story.

A powerful tech rally sends META, AMD, Intel, Nvidia and other major names surging as Mark Longo, Mike Tosaw and Andrew Giovinazzi examine what is fueling the market's renewed enthusiasm for the AI trade. The hosts break down heavy options volume in SPY, QQQ, IWM and VIX, including notable activity in VIX puts. They also analyze unusual options trades in MGM Resorts and Novo Nordisk before exploring how Mike managed a protective collar in META during the stock's dramatic rebound. Plus, the panel discusses interest rates, bond-market sentiment, geopolitical risk and what traders should watch throughout the week.

A milestone episode calls for a little nostalgia, a little market chaos, and plenty of options talk. On the 1500th episode of The Option Block, Mark Longo is joined by "Uncle" Mike Tosaw from The Option Block and Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz from Cboe to look back at the remarkable run of the show while breaking down the latest action across the options markets. The crew discusses the market reaction following the latest Fed decision, strength in technology stocks, moves in VIX and volatility, and the options activity lighting up names including Nvidia, Tesla, AMD, Micron, Intel, Apple and more. Then it's time to get weird in the Odd Block with unusual options activity in Ouster (OUST), 3D Systems (DDD) and Ginkgo Bioworks (DNA), along with a massive VIX options trade that catches the panel's attention. Plus, the guys revisit memories from 1500 episodes of The Option Block, hear from longtime listeners who have been around since the iPod days, and discuss what they'll be watching next across equities, bonds, oil, volatility and the broader options markets. It's a special 1500th trip Around the Block.

Cheap calls are on the menu as Mark Longo, Andrew "The Rock Lobster" Giovinazzi, and Mike "Uncle Mike" Tosaw dive into unusual options activity in Dave & Buster's (PLAY) and Banco Bradesco (BBD). Is somebody betting on a turnaround in PLAY ahead of earnings? And when it comes to these cheap stocks, are you better off buying the calls or just owning the shares? The crew also breaks down a surprisingly resilient market as Treasury yields climb and traders brace for the Fed. Plus, they examine heavy VIX options activity and the latest options action in NVDA, AAPL, TSLA, META, GOOGL, INTC, MSFT, AMZN and MU. Then Uncle Mike heads to the Strategy Block to explore using covered calls on bond ETFs like IEF to potentially generate additional income.

FLEX mysteries, cyber attacks and Romanian AI are lighting up the latest Option Block. On this episode, Mark Longo is joined by Uncle Mike Tosaw and Cboe's Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz to break down the latest action across the options market. The crew digs into a mysterious burst of near-dated FLEX options activity in Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ), unusual call buying in Romanian AI software name UiPath (PATH), and a massive upside options trade in Boston Scientific (BSX) following its cyberattack woes. Plus, we examine Apple's big move following its foldable iPhone news, unusual bullish AAPL options activity, rising volatility in VIX and VVIX, the latest action in SPX, IWM and QQQ, and what traders should be watching heading into inflation data and the next Fed meeting.

Forget nonfarms — the options market has plenty of other things to keep traders busy. On this episode of The Option Block, Mark Longo, Uncle Mike Tosaw and Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz from Cboe break down a surprisingly strong market rally heading into the jobs report, the latest options volume trends, and some unusual activity lighting up the tape. The crew digs into eye-catching options flow in biotech name Alumis (ALMS) and drone maker Draganfly (DPRO), including some intriguing call activity as both names attract attention. They also examine unusual action in Element Solutions (ESI). Plus, we discuss the latest action in VIX, SPY, IWM and QQQ, a red-hot day for names including Robinhood, Palantir, Tesla and NVIDIA, the continued evolution of binary options and prediction markets, and whether unusually favorable options skew is creating opportunities for investors to hedge some high-flying stocks.

We're kicking off the week with drones, drunkards and plenty of unusual options action on this episode of The Option Block. Mark Longo is joined by Andrew "The Rock Lobster" Giovinazzi from Option Pit and "Uncle" Mike Tosaw from St. Charles Wealth Management to break down the latest moves across the options markets. On this episode, we discuss: A red start to the week and what the VIX is telling us The latest action in Tesla, NVIDIA, Apple, Micron and other heavily traded names Some surprising activity in small-cap options A wild surge in Draganfly (DPRO) calls as drone stocks light up the tape Aggressive put buying in Revolve Group (RVLV) The upcoming earnings volatility picture for Dell, Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Five Below, Snowflake and Lululemon Using index puts to hedge a stock portfolio Whether low volatility and stocks near their highs make this an attractive time to consider portfolio protection What the crew is watching as we move beyond the dog days of summer Plus, W.C. Fields, Dean Martin, Johnny Carson and a surprisingly difficult round of legendary-drunkard trivia It's another packed episode of options activity, strategy, market analysis and questionable humor on The Option Block.