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.
43episodes
Episodes
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The Option Block 1479: Biotech Calls, Pizza Puts & SpaceX Tears
1w ago00:58:39Tap 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
2w ago00:58:59Tap 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?
2w ago00:57:28Tap 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
3w ago00:57:00Tap 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
3w ago00:54:49Tap 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
4w ago00:57:47Tap 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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The Option Block 1473: Exploding Space Stocks
Jun 100:56:49Tap to summarizeThe S&P 500 hits fresh all-time highs while options traders unleash record-setting volume across the market. On this episode of The Option Block, Mark "The Voice of Options" Longo, Andrew "The Rock Lobster" Giovinazzi and "Uncle" Mike Tosaw examine the resurgence in software stocks, the speculative boom in space-related names, massive moves in Micron, Oracle, Microsoft, Palantir and Nvidia, plus unusual options activity in Virgin Galactic and Taseko Mines. The team also discusses VIX below 16, new highs in the market, earnings season, copper demand, AI-driven rallies and the elimination of the Pattern Day Trader rule. Other topics in this episode included: 🔹 Record options volume 🔹 Space stock speculation 🔹 AI and software resurgence 🔹 Micron options frenzy 🔹 Virgin Galactic unusual activity 🔹 VIX analysis 🔹 Earnings preview 🔹 Strategy Block with Uncle Mike
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The Option Block 1472: SPACEX, SHIELDS AND Weird OI Anomalies
May 2800:57:24Tap to summarizeThe market is hitting brand new all-time highs, but the options landscape is flashing some highly unusual signals. In this episode of The Option Block, Mark Longo, Uncle Mike Tosaw, and Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz break down the wild, speculative environment driving the latest sea of green. The panel dives deep into the upcoming, historic SpaceX IPO—discussing what traders can expect from its highly anticipated options debut, potential volume records, and the structural listing criteria. Plus, the team breaks down a massive, inexplicable 1.55 million contract open interest anomaly in the Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD), and a massive post-earnings call option explosion in Snowflake (SNOW). On the Docket: The Trading Block: The market pushes north of 7,500 while VIX and VVIX get their legs cut out from under them. What does an inverted put/call skew in 55% of tech names tell us about current market frothiness? The SpaceX Countdown: Anticipating the June IPO. Will SpaceX options instantly usurp Tesla and Nvidia at the top of the volume charts? The Odd Block: Massive call buying and vertical spreads in Snowflake (SNOW) ahead of its monster 40% post-earnings move. Weird OI Anomalies: Breaking down a multi-million contract data glitch in the Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD) and heavy bullish rolls in ASP Isotopes (ASPI). Around the Block: Flatlining put demand in the SPX, a look at silver (SLV) channeling at the 70 level, and why Mike is keeping a close eye on his massive Palantir (PLTR) holdings.
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The Option Block 1471: Forget AI…It's All About Cheese Balls!!!
May 2100:58:31Tap to summarizeNVDA earnings are in the books… and the market barely blinked. The crew breaks down the post-earnings reaction, volatility collapse, VIX drifting lower, bond market swings, fuel cell madness, Hyperliquid upside, and unusual options activity lighting up names like PURR, BLDP, UTZ and more. Plus: Is the market still running on AI hype… or has the great pivot to cheese balls officially begun?
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The Option Block 1470: The Swimsuit Issue of the Options Market
May 1800:56:43Tap to summarizeThe indices might be flashing red, but the Option Block crew is bringing the heat. In this episode, Mark Longo, Uncle Mike Tosaw, and Andrew "The Rock Lobster" Giovinazzi dive into market weekend head-fakes, the tech vs. energy sector tug-of-war, and why a certain famous swimsuit issue used to flood the trading floors like clockwork. 🔥 EXCLUSIVE LISTENER PROMO: Want a trading platform built by option traders, for option traders? Join TastyTrade, Investopedia's Best Platform for Options Trading 2026! Open and fund a new account using code DOUBLE2026 by May 31st, 2026, and earn a Double Commission Rebate up to $3,000 total on your stock and ETF options trades for your first 30 days. Head to tastytrade.com/insider to claim your rebate! The guys break down massive volume spikes in the QQQs, an explosive earnings season sitting at a 130% straddle outperformance, and unusual activity cooking in some wild single-name tickers. On The Docket: The Trading Block: Analyzing a volatile Monday open, VIX hovering near 18, and how the markets are digesting the ongoing Middle East tensions. The Hot Seat: Massive volume in the tech space—tracking giant movement in NVIDIA, Tesla, Apple, and Alphabet, plus a look at Micron's massive whipsaws. The Earnings Block: Sneak peeks at what to expect from upcoming prints including Home Depot, Lowe's, Target, Walmart, and the highly anticipated NVIDIA report. The Odd Block: Pulling back the curtain on unusual option activity in AmpliTech Group (AMPG), Petrobras (PBR), and newcomer T1 Energy (TE). The Strategy Block: Uncle Mike revisits the underrated power of utilizing put spreads to neutralize vega, manage theta, and efficiently hedge your portfolio.
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