This Week in Futures Options

Hosted by The Options Insider Radio Network

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Episodes

533

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Nov 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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November 6, 2026Episode 5211 hr 1 min

TWIFO 521: Equity and Energy Armageddon?

Is the sell-off in stocks and energy signaling something bigger—or creating another buy-the-dip opportunity? On TWIFO 521: Equity and Energy Armageddon? , host Mark Longo welcomes Dan Gramza of Gramza Capital Management to break down a turbulent week in futures options. From the tech-led equity rout to plunging crude oil prices, they examine the market outlook, volatility shifts and options activity across CME Group's equity index and energy markets. Topics include: S&P 500 and Nasdaq options: Heavy volume, short-dated puts and surprisingly ambitious upside calls amid the sell-off. Russell 2000 options: Far out-of-the-money December upside spreads return for more size. WTI crude oil: Rising volatility, shifting skew and profit-taking in downside puts as oil tumbles. Natural gas: Winter demand, a potential bottom and persistent interest in December puts and January upside calls. What comes next: Dan's outlook for market stabilization and the price action he wants to see before calling a recovery. Plus, this week's biggest futures movers, from surging Class III milk to sharp declines across energy and technology. Explore the reports discussed on the show: https://www.cmegroup.com/twifo

October 30, 2026Episode 5201 hr 2 min

TWIFO 520: Hogs, Stocks, and Trend Followers Get Slaughtered

Lean hogs are crashing, stocks are stumbling, and crude oil's reversals are hammering trend followers. Mark Longo welcomes Carley Garner of DeCarley Trading for a breakdown of the volatility, unusual options activity, and trading strategies across livestock, energy, equity indexes, and precious metals. On this episode: • Lean hogs get slaughtered: A sharp selloff sparks a volatility surge. Carley discusses potential margin-call pressure and using protective puts with long futures. • Natural gas heats up: More than one million options contracts trade as heavy speculative shorts, winter weather risk, and unusual December put activity take center stage. • Crude oil whipsaws traders: Why trend-following systems are struggling—and how Carley is approaching a potential reversal in WTI. • Stocks stumble, small caps rally: Alphabet's earnings fallout pressures tech while the Russell 2000 attracts attention, including an unusual upside call spread. • Silver and gold send mixed signals: The hosts examine silver downside puts, gold's shifting correlations, and whether precious metals still offer a flight to safety. Plus, options skew, volatility changes, collars, and the risks of selling cheap options in unpredictable markets.

October 22, 2026Episode 51950 min

TWIFO 519: Crude Soars While Stocks, Nat Gas and Ags Turn Bloody

Mark Longo welcomes Dr. Russell Rhoads of Kelley School of Business at Indiana University to break down the futures options activity, volatility shifts and skew changes behind these diverging markets. On this episode: • Natural gas plunges as options volume tops 1 million contracts. Are traders taking profits on puts, positioning for a rebound or rolling their downside exposure? • WTI crude approaches $100, with active trading in December 110 calls and 85 puts as election and geopolitical risks loom. • Nasdaq futures tumble amid concerns about AI spending, sending traders toward downside protection even as far out-of-the-money calls attract substantial volume. • Chicago wheat slides, but call premiums remain elevated. What does the options skew reveal about upside risk? • Russell explores small-cap seasonality and the case for pairing long small-cap exposure with a bearish technology outlook. Plus, the Movers and Shakers report highlights the biggest gains and losses across CME Group markets.

October 15, 2026Episode 51840 min

TWIFO 518: Clash of the Titans: Crude vs. Gold vs Equities

Crude oil is rallying, gold is fighting to regain its safe-haven status, and equities are feeling the pressure. On this episode, we welcome Scott Bauer of Prosper Trading Academy to break down the clash across futures options markets as inflation concerns, geopolitical risk and the AI selloff shake up trading. We explore shifting put activity in S&P 500 options, a battered small-cap market and an eye-catching December Russell 2000 call trade. Then we turn to WTI crude oil's push toward $100, elevated energy volatility and unusual options spreads reaching into December 2027. Plus, can gold sustain its rebound? We examine aggressive upside strikes, Scott's preference for defined-risk spreads and whether traders are returning to gold for protection. We wrap up with corn options, heavy December activity and the prospects for a move toward $5.

October 9, 2026Episode 51740 min

TWIFO 517: The Storm Rages On in Equities, Energy and Metals

Wild Nasdaq swings, headline-driven crude oil moves and a potential seasonal rebound in gold keep futures options traders on their toes. Carley Garner of DeCarley Trading joins Mark Longo to break down the action across CME Group's energy, metals and equity index markets. On this episode of This Week in Futures Options: • Gold's changing safe-haven behavior, elevated options premiums and Carley's outlook for a relief rally. • Silver's pullback and how its volatility compares with gold. • WTI crude oil's competing forces: sharp headline-driven rallies and a persistent downtrend. • Unusual activity in December crude oil puts targeting a dramatic decline. • Natural gas seasonality, weather risk and heavy trading in near-term puts. • An Equities Spotlight covering E-mini Nasdaq whipsaws, active 0DTE options and a December call spread accumulating throughout the week.

October 2, 2026Episode 51653 min

TWIFO 516: Ag Meltdown, Equity Whipsaws and Crude Oil Skullduggery

What's driving the selloff in agricultural futures—and what are equity and energy options traders positioning for next? Mark Longo and guest Kevin Green of the Schwab Network explore the latest futures options trades, volatility shifts and market developments across CME Group markets. In this episode: • Equity whipsaws: E-mini S&P 500 options activity, short-dated expirations and weak market breadth beneath the mega-cap rally. • Corn selloff: USDA grain stocks data, harvest pressure and increased options volume. • Soybeans and soybean meal: Supply concerns, export demand, changing skew and active downside puts. • Crude oil skullduggery: WTI put spreads, shipping incentives and Kevin's questions about reported Strait of Hormuz oil flows. • Natural gas: A sharp weekly decline, winter demand and the potential for weather-driven volatility. • Copper: Production disruptions, supply constraints and the risks posed by rising yields.

September 25, 2026Episode 51554 min

TWIFO 515: Tech Explodes and Crude Sinks While the 10-Yr Yield Soars

What happens in futures options when Treasury yields climb, technology stocks rally and crude oil falls? Mark Longo and Mike Tosaw of St. Charles Wealth Management dig into the activity across CME Group markets. They examine the surge in 10-year Treasury yield and a sizable roll in 10-year note puts, then turn to options activity in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100. In energy, they break down WTI crude's decline, the interest in crude puts and calls, and a sharp move higher in natural gas. Mike also looks at the technology rally through Meta, AMD and Micron.

September 17, 2026Episode 51449 min

TWIFO 514: Fed Frenzy, Crude Concerns and Copper Craziness

The futures options markets are digesting a turbulent Fed week, and there's no shortage of action across equities, energy and metals. On this episode of This Week in Futures Options, host Mark Longo is joined by Scott Bauer of Prosper Trading Academy to break down the latest activity across CME Group's futures options markets. They examine the post-Fed swings in Nasdaq and E-mini S&P 500 options, including the continued dominance of short-dated trading and unusually heavy put activity across the equity index complex. Then it's off to crude oil, where elevated volatility, changing skew and active downside strikes are creating some intriguing setups. The conversation also turns to copper's continued rally and growing upside options interest, plus the latest action in gold following the Fed decision. Along the way, Mark and Scott discuss gamma exposure and dealer positioning, the popularity of 0DTE options, futures trading in the CME Challenge, and whether traditional relationships between gold, equities and crypto are beginning to shift.

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.