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.
47episodes
Episodes
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The Option Block 1483: Bargain Hunting in the Options Market
1w 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
1w ago00:56:07Tap 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
2w ago00:56:05Tap 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!!!!
4w ago00:59:34Tap 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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The Option Block 1479: Biotech Calls, Pizza Puts & SpaceX Tears
Jun 2200:58:39Tap to summarizeOn today's episode, host Mark Longo and the all-star panel break down a fascinating "ho-hum" macro day that is hiding massive, wild swings under the surface of individual single-name equities. First, the crew tests their wits with an official geography question from a 1980s Trivial Pursuit deck that leaves everyone questioning the data. Then, Mike Tosaw and Andrew Giovinazzi dive deep into the trading floor to look at the massive rotation into small caps (IWM), unusual vertical action in September VIX options, and why the tech giants (MSFT, GOOGL, AMZN) are shedding serious weight from their recent all-time highs while AI chip darlings like SanDisk (WDC) and Micron (MU) steal all the oxygen in the room. On the Trading Block & Odd Block: SpaceX Tears: Andrew's mama, Mama Lobster, is in mourning as SpaceX plunges roughly 11% in a single session. Is the air coming out of the IPO bubble, or is the premium vastly underpriced for single-leg buyers? Biotech Calls (ERAS): Heavy upside call buying hits the October 20 lines for Erasca Inc. Andrew breaks down why this early-stage oncology player is seeing big institutional accumulation. Pizza Puts (PZZA): Massive volume hits the August 25 puts for Papa John's. The panel breaks down why the entire restaurant and fast-food sector is getting squeezed eight ways from Sunday. Fiserv (FI): The continuation of the massive July 40 put saga. Is paper finally getting assigned on this "stair-step" downward trend? The Strategy Block: Mike Tosaw breaks his own golden rule of spreading to discuss why the extreme volatility and massive price extensions in SpaceX make a rare, compelling case for buying single-leg options instead of spreads.
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The Option Block 1478: Talking SPCX and Dodging Assassins
Jun 1800:58:59Tap to summarizeOn this truncated holiday edition of The Option Block, host Mark Longo is joined by panelists Mike Tosaw of St. Charles Wealth Management and Henry Schwartz of Cboe to break down a wild, high-volume week in the options market. The crew dives deep into the absolute blockbuster debut of SpaceX options, putting up a staggering 1.8 million contracts on day one—roughly 5X the historic 2012 Meta IPO record. The panel adjusts those numbers for "options inflation" compared to 2012's average daily volume (ADV) and analyzes the extreme upside skew, crashing implied volatility, and how retail traders are playing the action. Plus, Mike Tosaw gives his take on the new Fed chair's shift in guidance policy and details why he's keeping an eye on silver (SLV) put options. Finally, the team breaks down unusual activity in Butterfly Network (BFLY), Allot Limited (ALLT), and QuantumScape (QS).
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The Option Block 1477: Who Sank Our Battleship?
Jun 1500:57:28Tap to summarizeThe market is throwing a massive party following a surprise Middle East deal and Elon Musk's highly anticipated SpaceX IPO. The major indices are ripping higher, and the VIX is crashing hard—briefly touching a 15 handle. But is this explosive rally a "done deal," or are the markets setting up for a sharp reversal? In this episode, Mark Longo, "Uncle" Mike Tosaw, and Andrew "the Rock Lobster" Giovinazzi kick things off with a bizarre 1980s history trivia challenge before diving headfirst into the madness across the equities and options landscape. On the Block: The Trading Block: Breaking down a wild 2% surge in the S&P and a massive 3% rip in the Nasdaq. Plus, a look at crashing crude, collapsing volatility (VIX & VVIX), and Mama Lobster's exclusive allocation of SpaceX shares. The Odd Block: Bizarre, questionable, and "no-bid" options activity in Fiserv Inc. (FISV) after their CEO abruptly jumps ship, and massive call buyers loading the boat on a seemingly impossible weekly strike for Morgan Stanley (MS). The Strategy Block: Uncle Mike breaks down a comprehensive case study using a 1-by-2 ratio spread as a powerful stock repair and risk-management strategy for skyrocketing AI plays like AMD. Around the Block: What to watch during a truncated holiday week, upcoming FOMC minutes, and what the future holds for the new Fed Chair.
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The Option Block 1476: SPCX Poised to Rock the Options Market
Jun 1100:57:00Tap to summarizeOn this episode of The Option Block, Mark Longo is joined by "Uncle" Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management) and Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz (Cboe) for a lively discussion covering the biggest stories driving the options world. This episode dives into: Why SPCX could rock the options market The enormous anticipation surrounding the SpaceX listing and its upcoming options launch Whether selling volatility after hot IPOs is actually a winning strategy Massive SPX intraday swings and what they mean in historical context VIX hovering above 20 and what elevated volatility means for traders Record-breaking options volume across SPY, SPX and QQQ Oracle's post-earnings collapse and continued AI spending concerns Big moves in Apple, Nvidia, Intel and Micron Unusual options activity in UNIT and LifeZone Metals Cboe's upcoming XSP binary options launch Plus plenty of classic Option Block banter, market insights and listener questions.
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The Option Block 1475: Skeletor's Revenge on the Markets
Jun 800:54:49Tap to summarizeBy the power of volatility! The markets unleashed their inner Skeletor this week as traders grappled with a sharp Friday selloff, renewed Middle East tensions, surging volatility, and another furious round of AI-fueled stock action. Host Mark Longo welcomes Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management) and Andrew Giovinazzi (The Option Pit) for a wide-ranging discussion covering everything from He-Man trivia and Masters of the Universe nostalgia to Broadcom, Micron, Nvidia, Intel, Apple, SpaceX, VIX, and the relentless AI trade. The panel debates whether Friday's selloff was simply a healthy pullback after a historic rally, examines the latest volatility action, breaks down unusual options activity in Equinox Gold (EQX) and American Battery Technology (ABAT), and explores how traders may use options to approach the highly anticipated SpaceX IPO. In this episode: Skeletor's impact on modern markets Friday's selloff and Monday's rebound VIX, volatility, and market sentiment AI valuations and the semiconductor trade SpaceX IPO expectations Unusual options activity in EQX and ABAT Nvidia, Tesla, Apple, Intel, Micron, and more Listener favorites and market outlook Can the bulls reclaim all-time highs, or is Skeletor just getting started? Tune in and find out.
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The Option Block 1474: Rise of the Phone Zombies
Jun 400:57:47Tap to summarizeZombie phone brands are back from the grave. This episode of The Option Block dives into the surprising resurgence of Nokia and BlackBerry as traders chase AI-fueled momentum, while Broadcom suffers one of the largest market-cap wipeouts in history. Mark Longo, Henry Schwartz (Cboe), and Uncle Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management) break down the latest options activity, unusual trades, market rotation, volatility trends, and the continuing explosion in options volume. You'll also hear discussion on: Broadcom's post-earnings collapse Nvidia's latest rally Micron's wild ride above 1,000 Nokia and BlackBerry's AI-fueled comeback Record-setting options volume in May Small-cap and Russell 2000 strength The end of the Pattern Day Trader rule Unusual activity in NextNav, BlackBerry and 10X Genomics SpaceX IPO excitement and what it could mean for options traders
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