This Week in Futures Options

Hosted by The Options Insider Radio Network

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Episodes

523

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Gold, crude oil, corn, soybeans and more - with so many tradeable products the futures options market is an intimidating place. How can you possibly keep track of the latest trading activity across so many different products? Don't worry - we've got you covered. Welcome to This Week in Futures Options - the program designed to help active futures options traders stay on top of this ever-changing marketplace. Each week we'll break down the top trades, hot products, volatility explosions and much more. Whether you're an experienced veteran or a newcomer looking to separate the wheat from the lean hogs, This Week in Futures Options has the information you can't find anywhere else...

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September 11, 2026Episode 51344 min

TWIFO 513: The Revenge of Single Stock Futures

Single stock futures are back—and this time the market may be ready for them. On this episode of This Week in Futures Options, Mark Longo welcomes Tim McCourt, Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Equity, FX and Alternative Products at CME Group, for a deep dive into the return of single stock futures. They discuss what makes this new generation of single stock futures different, the role of the Magnificent Seven, growing retail participation, cash settlement, capital efficiency and the push toward nearly around-the-clock equity trading. Tim also breaks down the early response to CME Group's standard and micro single stock futures, how traders are using them around earnings, and whether options on single stock futures could eventually be next. Plus, we analyze the latest action across the futures options markets, including energy, metals, crypto and a closer look at some interesting Nasdaq options activity.

September 3, 2026Episode 5121 hr 4 min

This Week in Futures Options 512: Equities Don't Care About Skyrocketing Energy

Crude oil is skyrocketing, equities are ripping higher...and apparently the stock market just doesn't care. On this episode of This Week in Futures Options , host Mark Longo is joined by Dan Gramza of Gramza Capital Management to break down a wild week across the futures options markets. They discuss the surprising disconnect between surging WTI crude oil and bullish equity markets, what's really driving the move in energy, and whether anxiety surrounding the Middle East is more important than actual supply concerns. They also explore the latest options activity across the E-mini S&P 500, WTI crude oil, soybeans, silver and gold, including unusual upside call activity, changing volatility and skew, soybean strength, and some eye-opening trades in the precious metals markets. Plus, Dan shares his outlook for equities, crude oil, agriculture and metals as traders head into a critical stretch for the markets.

August 27, 2026Episode 51128 min

TWIFO 511: Nasdaq Rocks as the Ags Roll

On this episode of This Week in Futures Options, Mark Longo breaks down a surprisingly active week across the CME Group markets, with the Nasdaq and agricultural products taking center stage. We kick things off with the Movers & Shakers Report, including big moves in wheat, corn, natural gas and Bitcoin, along with weakness across crude oil, heating oil and platinum. Then we turn to the Nasdaq following NVIDIA earnings, where options activity is heating up across short-dated strikes as traders position for the next move in tech. We examine the most active calls and puts, zero-day activity, downside positioning and some intriguing longer-dated upside action. From there, it's time to get our hands dirty in the ag markets, where corn is coming off three-year highs amid massive options volume. We break down what's driving the move, the dramatic upside skew, volatility across the term structure and the strikes attracting the most attention. Finally, we head into Chicago wheat, where another strong rally is generating interesting options activity, aggressive call skew and some notable call spreads and ratio spreads.

August 20, 2026Episode 51050 min

TWIFO 510: Intervention Week!

It's Intervention Week on This Week in Futures Options as markets react to a wild mix of policy moves, geopolitical risk and shifting expectations across the futures landscape. Host Mark Longo is joined by Bobby Iaccino, Co-Founder and Chief Market Strategist at Path Trading Partners, to break down the latest action in futures and options across gold, silver, equities, crude oil, natural gas and more. On this episode, we discuss: The intervention-fueled moves shaking up markets Gold's latest rally and heavy call activity Whether gold could have significantly more upside ahead Why silver remains one of the trickiest markets to trade Growing downside hedging in the S&P 500 Whether "buy the dip" has fundamentally changed bear markets AI spending, the Fed and geopolitical risk as market catalysts Why crude oil may not be the biggest problem in energy right now The growing importance of diesel and refinery capacity What the options market is signaling about WTI crude Natural gas seasonality and a surge in options activity The Nasdaq selloff and whether traders are already positioning for more downside Why Jackson Hole could provide the market's next major catalyst Plus, we examine the hottest options activity across CME Group's futures markets and discuss where volatility and skew may be pointing next.

August 14, 2026Episode 50956 min

TWIFO 509: The Mother of All Dead Cat Bounces

On this episode of This Week in Futures Options, host Mark Longo is joined by Carley Garner of DeCarley Trading for a trip through a futures market full of rallies that may not be quite as bullish as they appear. Carley makes the case that some of the biggest moves in crude oil, silver and other markets may be little more than dead cat bounces. We dig into the latest futures options activity across metals, energy and equities, including the unusual positioning showing traders heavily short natural gas while asset managers are historically long S&P futures. We also break down: Why Carley remains skeptical of the rallies in silver and gold The latest options activity and volatility in crude oil Why extreme short positioning in natural gas has Carley looking at calls What record-long positioning could mean for the S&P More unusual vertical spreads popping up in equity index options Why grain rallies may still be opportunities for the bears The latest options flow in corn following the crop report

August 7, 2026Episode 50851 min

TWIFO 508: It's All About Weird Verticals

Weird vertical spreads are popping up all over the futures options markets this week! Host Mark Longo is joined by Scott Bauer of Prosper Trading Academy to break down the latest options activity across the CME Group markets, including some unusual 500-point Nasdaq verticals, massive put activity in WTI crude oil, strange spreads in silver and gold, and the latest action in natural gas. They also discuss the surge in out-of-the-money Nasdaq calls, whether crude oil volatility may be getting too cheap, the renewed strength in precious metals, CME Group's return to single stock futures, and much more.

July 30, 2026Episode 5071 hr 2 min

TWIFO 507: Crude and Equities Roar and Whimper

Crude oil takes another wild ride while equities whipsaw around earnings, the Fed, and geopolitical uncertainty on this episode of This Week in Futures Options. Mark Longo is joined by Dan Gramza of Gramza Capital Management to break down the latest action across the futures and futures options markets. They discuss the dramatic reversal in crude oil, the outlook for the major equity indices following a volatile week for tech, unusual December upside options activity in the Nasdaq-100, and what the options market is signaling in natural gas. Plus, single stock futures are back! Mark and Dan discuss CME Group's new single stock futures on names including NVIDIA, Tesla, and Apple, why previous attempts at SSFs struggled in the U.S., and whether this new generation of products could finally catch on. They also examine the big move in the Japanese yen, central bank intervention, and the latest options activity across FX. It's another packed tour of the movers, volatility, skew, and unusual options activity lighting up the futures markets this week.

July 24, 2026Episode 50651 min

TWIFO 506: Feeling Apocalyptic

Are markets starting to price in the unthinkable? This week on This Week in Futures Options (TWIFO), Mark Longo and Russell Rhoads dive into one of the most fascinating weeks we've seen across the futures options landscape. Energy markets continue their explosive rally as crude oil surges back above $90, equity markets stumble, volatility begins to stir, and traders place some of the most unusual gold options trades we've ever seen. The hosts analyze massive WTI crude oil put spreads, aggressive call buying, downside hedging in the S&P 500, the evolving relationship between VIX and equity volatility, and the extraordinary December gold option structures featuring 10,000, 15,000 and even 20,000 strike calls. In this episode: Movers & Shakers across CME Group markets Why energy continues to dominate futures trading Unusual WTI crude oil options activity S&P 500 downside hedging and volatility positioning Is VIX sending the right signal? The most bizarre gold options trades of the year What extreme options positioning may be telling traders

July 17, 2026Episode 50555 min

TWIFO 505: Wild Equities, Raging Rates and Surprising Crypto Puts

On this episode, we are joined by Mike Tosaw of St. Charles Wealth Management to analyze the biggest futures options stories from around the globe. In this episode: The week's biggest Movers & Shakers across metals, energy, agriculture and equity indexes Is silver finally becoming a buying opportunity after its sharp selloff? Gold, wheat, crude oil and the commodity contracts making the biggest moves Mike's outlook on the S&P 500 and whether equities are building a base for another breakout Why interest rates and the 10-Year Treasury could become the dominant market story in the months ahead A deep dive into the massive options activity in Treasury futures Bitcoin and Ether futures options, including Mike's surprisingly bullish Bitcoin options strategy despite his long-held skepticism toward crypto The hottest futures options trades, unusual activity and volatility trends from CME Group

July 9, 2026Episode 50451 min

TWIFO 504: A wild week in Energy, Ags, FX, Equities and More

In this episode, Mark Longo and Carley Garner of DeCarley Trading dig deep into the data using the CME Group TWIFO tool to explore major volatility shifts, unexpected open interest spikes, and unique options trading strategies across multiple asset classes. What's Inside This Episode: The Movers & Shakers Report: A surprising look at the top gainers and losers over the last two weeks. Why did oats quietly take the #1 spot on the light side, and what triggered the Nikkei (in Yen) to plummet 14.8% to the dark side? Energy (Crude Oil & Natural Gas): A breakdown of WTI crude oil navigating Middle East geopolitical headlines, shifting call skews, and high-volume short-dated options. Plus, Carley explains why Natural Gas (the "Widowmaker") might be prepping for a 70–80 cent liquidation drop and how to play it with cheap puts. Equities (NASDAQ & S&P 500): Is this a "Teflon market" driven purely by AI complacency, or are we tracking a technical pattern mirroring the early 2026 meltdown? The hosts dissect a heavy round of 30k NASDAQ call options and the logistics of trading symmetrical butterflies in high-dollar indices. Foreign Exchange (FX & Japanese Yen): The Yen hits a 40-year low against the USD. Carley breaks down why FX options are surprisingly cheap, the probability of a Bank of Japan (BOJ) intervention, and how to structure low-risk micro/mini futures combinations. Agricultural Markets (Corn & Livestock): Grains get a temporary boost from weather rallies and Chinese buying rumors. Discover why the team is leaning short on Dec corn with long puts, and why live cattle charts are flashing ominous warning signs reminiscent of the 2014 macro blow-off top.