Podcast
The Option Block
Hosted by The Options Insider Radio Network · EN
The Option Block All-Star Panel breaks down the latest developments in the options market, analyzes unusual options activity, explains cutting-edge options strategies, answers listener questions and much more. Whether you're an active options trader or just getting started in the options market, The Option Block will keep you informed and entertained.
53episodes
Episodes
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The Option Block 489: POETs, Psychedelics and Broken HNGEs
6d ago00:55:26Tap to summarizeOn this episode of The Option Block, we break down the latest action in the options market, including what's driving the major indices, the latest moves in VIX, another big month for options volume, and activity in some of the market's most-watched names. Then it's time to get weird in the Odd Block with unusual options activity in Compass Pathways (CMPS), Hinge Health (HNGE), and POET Technologies (POET). We dig into psychedelic options flow, a Hinge trade that wasn't quite what it first appeared to be, and a sea of short-dated POET calls lighting up the tape. Plus, we revisit a previous Chime (CHYM) trade after the stock's huge earnings move. We also discuss the latest action in AMD, AMZN, PLTR, INTC, MSFT, MU, TSLA, AAPL, SpaceX, NVDA and more. Featuring: Mark Longo, Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz and "Uncle" Mike Tosaw.
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The Option Block 488: Putting Lipstick on SPCE Pigs
1w ago00:57:11Tap to summarizeMarkets roared back to start the week as earnings optimism, cooling oil prices, and renewed geopolitical hopes sent stocks sharply higher while volatility took another hit. On this episode of The Option Block, Mark Longo is joined by Uncle Mike Tosaw and Andrew "The Rock Lobster" Giovinazzi to break down the biggest stories shaping the options market. This episode includes: A rally fueled by Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet and the broader AI trade Is the "Lag Seven" becoming the "Mag Seven" again? Why VIX plunged back into the 15-handle What traders should watch ahead of SpaceX's first earnings report The latest unusual options activity in Hartford Financial (HIG) Speculative call buying returns to Virgin Galactic (SPCE) Strategy Block: Momentum trading versus buying the dip—which style fits you? Around the Block: SpaceX earnings, AI spending, rates and what could drive markets next Plus, the panel debates AI capital spending, volatility, market leadership, and whether investors are simply "putting lipstick on SPCE pigs."
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The Option Block 1487: Giving Blood and Scalping Dollars
2w ago00:59:58Tap to summarizeMarkets are whipsawing, tech stocks are making monster moves, and The Option Block crew is back to break down all the action. On this episode of The Option Block, Mark Longo is joined by "Uncle" Mike Tosaw from St. Charles Wealth Management and Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz from Cboe — fresh from giving blood at Grand Central — to discuss another wild stretch for the options market. The crew breaks down the sharp post-Fed reversal, the market's ongoing battle around key levels, elevated dispersion across stocks and sectors, and the incredible post-earnings surge in Microsoft. They also dig into the latest options activity in NVIDIA, Micron, Meta, Tesla, AMD, Intel, Apple and more. Then it's time to get weird in the Odd Block as Henry highlights unusual options activity in Firefly Aerospace (FLY), Bit Digital (BTBT) and T1 Energy (TE), including some intriguing upside call activity and a few trades that leave the crew wondering why traders didn't just buy the stock. Plus, we look ahead to Apple and Amazon earnings, discuss the latest action in VIX and the major index ETFs, and explore what could shake up the markets next. It's another packed episode of The Option Block — with a little blood donation and dollar scalping thrown in for good measure.
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The Option Block 1486: Moves Like Jagger
2w ago00:55:01Tap to summarizeMick Jagger may have studied economics, but this week the panel tackles the market's biggest economic questions. Is Apple becoming the new AI winner while the rest of the Mag 7 struggles under massive capital spending? Are AI infrastructure costs finally catching up with Big Tech? And could the return of single-stock futures actually matter this time? Mark Longo is joined by Andrew "The Rock Lobster" Giovinazzi and Uncle Mike Tosaw to break down another busy week in the options markets, including: Why Apple continues making new highs while many AI leaders stumble The growing debate over massive AI spending by Microsoft, Meta, NVIDIA, OpenAI and others Whether the "Magnificent Seven" are becoming the "Lag Seven" The launch of CME's new single-stock futures contracts Key earnings to watch from Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and more Unusual options activity in CoStar Group and Trimble Strategy Block: Using synthetic covered calls versus cash-secured puts Around the Block: The panel's outlook heading into a pivotal Fed and earnings week
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The Option Block 1485: The Twin Terrors of AI and UTIs
3w ago01:01:38Tap to summarizeA brutal selloff swept through the markets as concerns over AI spending, earnings, and geopolitical uncertainty rattled investors. Mark Longo is joined by Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz from Cboe and special guest "The Black Hatted" Dan Passarelli from Market Taker Mentoring to break down the biggest stories driving the options market. This episode explores the market reaction to disappointing earnings from Tesla and Alphabet, rising volatility as the VIX climbs back toward 20, unusual options activity in Micron, Universal Technical Institute (UTI), LSB Industries (LXU), and Nokia, plus the ongoing debate over whether markets are finally beginning to price geopolitical risk. You'll also hear: Tesla and Alphabet earnings reactions AI infrastructure spending and CapEx concerns VIX, SPY, QQQ, and Russell 2000 options activity Massive unusual options flow in Micron Bullish call buying in UTI and LXU Nokia earnings and post-earnings options trading Earnings season strategies and time spreads with Dan Passarelli Around the Block: what the panel is watching next
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The Option Block 1484: Bathroom Drinking and Options Trading
3w ago00:58:12Tap to summarizeOn today's episode, Mark Longo, Andrew Giovinazzi and Mike Tosaw dive into another wild mix of market analysis, unusual options activity, earnings season, volatility, and plenty of laughs. The show kicks off with memorable trivia ranging from W.C. Fields' famous "bathroom library" to a surprising piece of World War II history before shifting into the biggest stories driving the options market. This episode covers: Why markets continue to shrug off geopolitical headlines The coming wave of Big Tech earnings and why Alphabet could set the tone for AI stocks Oracle's collapse and what it may signal for AI spending Apple, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Tesla, Netflix, SpaceX and Palantir VIX activity and whether volatility is finally finding support Unusual options trades in ONON, NOV and CLYM Covered call management after expiration Rolling winners, adjusting losing positions and avoiding perfectionism Earnings previews for Alphabet, Tesla, Intel, American Airlines and more
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The Option Block 1483: Bargain Hunting in the Options Market
4w ago00:59:51Tap to summarizeIs the tech correction finally giving options traders a bargain hunter's paradise? On this episode of The Option Block, host Mark Longo is joined by Uncle Mike Tosaw of St. Charles Wealth Management and Cboe's Henry Schwartz (The Flowmaster) to dissect a choppy, red-tinged market. Together, the panel searches for deals, analyzes massive unusual blocks, and discusses whether the AI/chip trade has finally peaked. On The Trading Block Market Round-up: Mark Longo guides the team through the SPX flirts with the 7,600 magnet, a slipping Nasdaq, and VIX cash vacillating around the 16 handle. The Chip Sell-Off: Mike Tosaw breaks down why blockbuster earnings from Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) triggered a massive wave of "sold to you" across AMD, Nvidia, and Micron. SpaceX Breakdown: Trading well below its IPO price, Henry Schwartz details the bizarre 330 call options activity and explains how double-levered ETFs use these deep out-of-the-money options for risk management. The New Number Three: Apple solidifies its lock on the #3 spot in options volume. Plus, a preview of earnings for Netflix and Alcoa. The Odd Block (Unusual Options Activity) Papa John's (PZZA): A massive roll-up in the August 40/45 vertical call spreads. Is someone picking the bottom in pizza volatility? Henry Schwartz dives deep into the Cboe data. Cerebras Systems (CBRS): Mark Longo points out heavy volume in the July 31st 360 calls for this newly listed AI/semi player. DNOW Inc (DNOW): A customer unloads over 5,900 of the September 14 calls. Why writing these juicy calls might be a genius "line in the sand" play. The Mail Block & Around the Block Extended Options Hours: Henry Schwartz gives an exclusive update on the pending rollout of pre-market single-name options trading. Mike Tosaw shares what he's keeping on his trading radar for the rest of the week, from bank earnings reactions to the next wave of mega-cap tech reports.
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The Option Block 1482: War Vol Returns as SPCX Falls
Jul 1300:56:07Tap to summarizeIn this Monday edition of The Option Block, Mark Longo, Uncle Mike Tosaw, and Andrew Giovinazzi break down the lighter-than-expected market reaction to escalating headlines, China's mysterious domestic oil consumption cuts, and the massive wave of bank earnings hitting the tape this week. The crew dives deep into the options tape to track surging volume in the VIX July and October cycles, alongside heavy single-name trading in NVIDIA (NVDA), Tesla (TSLA), Apple (AAPL), and the post-IPO fire sale in SpaceX. Plus, unusual activity lights up biotech name Agenus (AGEN) after securing a $340M colon cancer trial, and a short-term pop hits Shake Shack (SHAK). In the Strategy Block, Uncle Mike breaks down an educational, risk-managed way to scale into SpaceX using an August 1x2 ratio put spread—buying the 110 put and selling two of the 100 puts to create a heavily discounted entry point. What's inside this episode: The Trading Block: Market reaction to Persian Gulf tensions, oil hitting 1-week highs, and VIX volume surges. The Odd Block: Frenzied call buying in Agenus Inc. (AGEN) and short-term weekly targets in Shake Shack (SHAK). The Strategy Block: How to use a 1x2 ratio put spread to lower your break-even point on highly volatile stocks. Around the Block: Pre-earnings straddle pricing for JPMorgan (JPM), Citi (C), Bank of America (BAC), and Goldman Sachs (GS).
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The Option Block 1481: Wild VIX Spreads and Crazy Biotechs
Jul 900:56:05Tap to summarizeMark Longo, Uncle Mike Tosaw, and Henry Schwartz (The Flow Master) dive right into the record-breaking June options volume and dissect some highly unusual trading activity across VIX and biotech sectors. In this episode, the panel covers: The Trading Block: A look at the market shrugging off geopolitical tensions in Iran. Plus, analyzing the mind-boggling 1.6 billion contract volume from June 2026, driven by massive surges in ETF, equity, and index options. Wild VIX Action: Breaking down an extraordinary, massive November VIX put spread (1x6 trade) and a massive November call strip (strikes ranging from 65 to 95). What are the big portfolio hedgers bracing for? The Odd Block: Spotting unusual options activity in under-the-radar biotechs and tech names, including heavy call volume in Iovance Biotherapeutics (IOVA), October call sweeps in urban air mobility player EHang (EH), and aggressive layering into Aug 20 calls for Sotera Health Company (SHC). Around the Block: Predictions for the S&P 500 as it sits just 75 points away from all-time highs, what to watch for over the weekend, and a look at Cboe's new XSP prediction/binary contracts.
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The Option Block 1480: America 250 and the Revenge of KLAR!!!!
Jun 2500:59:34Tap to summarizehost Mark Longo is joined by Henry Schwartz from Cboe and Mike Tosaw from St. Charles Wealth Management to break down the wildest trends shaking up the options market as we wrap up the first half of 2026. The crew dives headfirst into the massive tech market crosscurrents following Micron's blockbuster earnings release. Is the tech wreck fading, or are single-name equity options setting up for a major fade? Plus, the team analyzes a surprising spike in the VIX driven entirely by SPX upside FOMO positioning. In this episode's Trading Block and Odd Block segments, the panel uncovers questionable, high-volume flow in some very unusual names: Bumble (BMBL): Checking back in on the land of ladies looking for love. Why are traders suddenly buying up the August $3 calls on this beaten-down name? Klarna (KLAR): A massive institutional call-selling sweep hits this buy-now-pay-later fintech giant. Is it delta hedging or a short-term volatility play? Chime Financial (CHYM): A deep look into a massive, wide-collar strategy using low-delta puts and calls ahead of August earnings. The Silver Saga: Mike Tosaw addresses the live chat backlash after hesitating to pull the trigger on his famous $40 SLV put claim. Around the Block: The team previews what to expect from market volume, oil prices, and crypto/MSTR volatility heading into the upcoming America 250 holiday week.
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