2018 Year-in-Review:

• Ags/Soybeans
• Nat Gas
• Equities/Russell
• Metal/Gold
• Cyrpto

Futures Options Feedback: Listener thoughts and musings

• Question from Jamal A. Lee - Thoughts on chance of BTC options listing in 2019?
• Question from Shasha3 - Biggest surprise of 2018? Any crazy expectations for next year?
• Question from Tarles - Concrete plans to bring back RVX in 2019? Seems like market makers would be interested in more volatility offerings these days?
• Question from C Tauck - Is this market whipsaw enough to make people rethink purely passive investing? Maybe they will consider an active allocation or perhaps even hedging themselves in 2019?
• Question from BBoy2 - What is the technical definition of a skew trade?
• Question from Burns - Is buying a call actually the best way to get long stock in this market?

Topics this week include:

• Rates
• Crude/WTI
• Equities/Russell
• Metals/Gold

Futures Options Feedback: Listeners take over

• Comment from MailManDan5 - I'm a buyer at $2,250. Know that market all too well. If it wants to fiddle down there I'll play ball, else it's not a great time to get back into crypto. Hopefully too many people didn't waste their time in 2018 on what was clearly a 2017 boon. Little piece missing here. Gold is rising now that #BITCOIN is falling. Little switch up in store of value happening here. Any bigger investors that decided to take the crypto plunge still playing it like it's a stock - it goes down enough and then pull out and reinvest elsewhere
• Comment from Giorgio - Volatility in the Euro/USD futures options is making OTM puts very cheap. Time for a quick risk reversal?
• Comment from Austyn41 - Good shows today. The experienced and animated host makes it very entertaining and interesting to listen to.

Topics this week include:

• Soybeans
• Crude Oil
• Nat Gas
• Equities
• Metals/Gold
• Crypto/Bitcoin
• Winners: KC Wheat, Iron Ore, Palladium
• Losers: Nat Gas, Rough Rice, E-Mini Russell 2000

Futures Options Feedback: Listeners take over

• Question from JLN7 -Is it safe to write calls in nat gas again?
• Question from Mainev -Didn't quite catch the logic of the guest last show re: equities strangles. How would selling strangles help you rebalance your equities portfolio? Thx for this. Also enjoying Options Playbook.
• Question from Neal J. - Does put-call parity work the same for futures options as it does for equity options? Thank you for all your free content.
• Question from Brandon Elliot - Have any good rules of thumb when trading the term structure in seasonal products like corn?
• Question from Oytrate - What is a reason that someone would write ITM covered calls? Seems like a waste of time to me since you're capping all of your upside.
• Comment from Kelly Lef - Thought the user tip to exercise deep ITM calls to save on the spread was a good one. So I checked a few of my stock replacement positions that had gone ITM. Turned out the spreads were fairly similar to the spread on the underlying stock index so the any savings were pretty small. Not really worth the hassle to go through the exercise process. Maybe I'm just trading a more liquid index than that listener or am I missing something?

Today's special guest co-host is Russell Rhoads, Formerly Dr. VIX and current Head of Derivatives Research at the Tabb Group.

Topics this week include:

• Crude Oil/WTI
• Nat Gas
• Equities
• Metals/Gold/Copper
• Ags/Soybeans

Futures Options Feedback: Listeners take the reins

• Question from Elleneals - Given the skew setup in equities with calls being cheaper than puts from a vol perspective why would you ever buy a collar? Why doesn't everyone always sell the skew and use bullish risk reversals? The market seems to be set up for it.

Today's guests are Jeff White, Executive Director, Energy Products & Services at CME Group and John Seguin, Former CME Member and Head Futures Coach for Market Taker Mentoring.

Topics this week include:

• Nat Gas
• WTI
• Crude
• CME OPEC Watch Tool
• Equities
• Crypto

Futures Options Feedback: Listener questions and comments

• Comment from Georgio - We need some options on #CMEG BTC futures.
• Comment from Mark Brant - Nat Gas skew is still way to the calls but a risk reversal could be on the horizon!
• Question from ChevCR - Is there ever a time when equity call skew is higher than put skew?

Topics this week include:

• Energy/Crude
• Equities
• Metals/Gold
• Rates
• Ags

Futures Options Feedback: Listeners take over

• Question from Mate7 - Good talk on ex. and settle on last show. I'm looking over the CME website option specs pages and I don't see many American style contracts. Why does CME use so many European contracts? Are they against early exercise?

Today's guests are Steve Stasys, Senior Director Agricultural Products, CME Group and Jared Caplan, Head of Commodities Trading, Akuna Capital.

Topics this week include:

• Ags
• Soybeans
• Corn
• Hogs (#hoglove)
• Nat Gas
• WTI

Futures Options Feedback: Listener questions and comments

• Question from NN76 - Found your show when searching for info on hog options. Like the #hoglove. Any tips for someone thinking about diving into these markets for the first time? I know they're pretty crazy.

A deep dive into metals:

• Gold
• Silver
• Aluminum
• Copper

Plus, equities and crude

Futures Options Feedback: Listeners take the reins.

• Comment from Romansray - Crypto is a myth.
• Question from Delman - Those Russell buy-write indices you discussed on the last show. What are the tickers? Can I trade them directly? Are there options listed?
• Question from Talerico - Does the use case for weekly options differ by product. So a crude weekly use differs from metals and from ags?

Today's CME hot seat guest is JB Mackenzie, Managing Director, Futures & Forex at TD Ameritrade

Topics this week include:

• Equities
• Crude
• Metals/Gold
• Rates

Futures Options Feedback: Listeners take the reins

• Question from Taylor N. - Do most FCMs offer the ability to go delta neutral easily on their platform? Or do you still have to go through the hassle and risk of legging?
• Question from Mystrio - Are we done? Is this beginning of the end of the bull?

Topics this week include:

• Equities (What is going on?)
• Crude/WTI
• Metals/Gold

Futures Options Feedback: Listeners have their say

• Comment by DCVic - Hey Nick good call on puts and gold futures. Thx.
• Comment from Angel - Looks like bitcoin is the digital flight to quality after all. No selloff with equities.
• Question from Matteo - I'm selling monthly put options on the eMini. So I'm short options and short premium. But I'm collecting time decay. So does that mean I'm actually long theta? Help I'm confused. Also an update please on bitcoin options? Thank you so much.

Topics this week include:

• Energy/Crude
• Equities
• Metals/Gold
• Rates
• Ags

Futures Options Feedback: Listeners take over

• Question from Mate7 - Good talk on ex. and settle on last show. I'm looking over the CME website option specs pages and I don't see many American style contracts. Why does CME use so many European contracts? Are they against early exercise?

Topics This Week Include:

• Crude
• Rates
• Equities
• Metals
• Ags
• Crypto

Futures Options Feedback: Listener questions and comments

• Question from Cambel: Oh no! Did the millennials kill cheese? Are they coming for fluid milk next?
• Question from Inlo: Is it only possible to exercise a FOP that has the same month as the underlying future? If I’m long an April CL future do I also need an April put option? Or can I exercise a May CL option on a April CL future?
• Comment from Olivetrader2: I like the Thursday show, actually. I was supposed to be downtown but I couldn't go. Listening to your show instead.
• Question from Sam Harris: Question for TWIFO. Hello Nick, Mark and Sean. Fun program. I particularly like the research guests since they usually bring up topics that are new to me. I was talking with a friend recently about exercise and settlement (nerds, I know). He brought up an interesting time frame to exercise an option - when it goes ITM and the spread is simply too wide. Exercise may actually be the cheaper option.
• Question from Mizander: Why exercise future option early? Doesn't seem make much sense?

Topics this week include:

• FX
• Metals/Gold
• Crude/WTI
• Equities
• Crypto<

Futures Options Feedback: Listener questions and comments.

• Question from Leo Orland: What is the base mining/production cost for gold? Are we approaching that level?
• Question from Tatlas: Love Vol Views and TWIFO. I miss the Two-fer Fridays with both shows. Keep up the crude info. Have a somewhat basic question. Can I trade options on WTI/Brent or just futures. Thx again.
• Question from One0761: Are we in the mist of a major correction.

Topics this week include:

• Rates
• Crude/WTI
• Metals/Gold
• Equities/RVX
• Ags

Futures Options Feedback: Listeners take the reins

• Question from Nittles - Maybe Nick can talk about what the Euro pit was like back in go-go 90s when rates were rocking under Greenspan?
• Comment from John C David -Trade Wars & Loss of Farmers' Soy & Other Agriculture Exports?! American Economy Slowing: Trade Imbalance/Tax Cuts 4 Wealthy Companies/Individuals (Reducing Tax Revenues)/Exploding Deficits! Trump/GOP Failed Policies Is Cutting Medicare/Medicaid/SS/CHIP. Trump/GOP Hurting Farmers!
• Question from EggsOver - What's the biggest derivatives market outside the U.S.?
• Question from Charlie Cott - Is QuikVol the same as QuikSkew or something else? Are they all available in QuikStrike?
• Question from Tamavil - Does it make sense for an active trader to become a member of the exchanges anymore or are those days gone?
• Question from JLSmith - How important is OI when you're trading options? Are there other indicators that you focus on instead?

Topics this week include:

• Crude
• Metals/Gold
• Equities/RVX
• Crypto/Bitcoin

Futures Options Feedback: Listener questions and comments

• Question from George Pat - You say equity put skew isn't interesting. I find it pretty fascinating because it's a barometer for the market's demand for protection and income. I'm in for more equity skew.
• Question from Ron S6 - What's your suggested minimum account size to start trading options?

Topics this week include:

• Equities/Russell
• Crude/WTI
• Gold/Silver/Copper
• Crypto/Bitcoin
• Ags/Corn

Futures Options Feedback: Listener questions and comments

• Question from Varga - Which strategy should futures options traders learn about and focus on first?
• Question from BelaRussian - I'm long futures options and they are ITM. If I want to exercise it now as oppose to selling them, I can do that any time it is ITM right? Aren't futures traded in American style option when one can exercise it if it is ITM?

Topics this week include:

• Equities
• Russell/EMini
• Crude
• Crypto

Futures Options Feedback: Listeners have their say

Options question of the week: We talked about crypto derivatives at the @BlockchainVoice Conference. So this week we want to know which Crypto product you'd like to see listed on a major venue next.

• 72% - Bitcoin Options
• 8% - Ripple Options/Futures
• 15% - Ether Options/Futures
• 5% - Litecoin Options/Futures

Listener questions and comments

• Comment from Ledger8: Enjoyed your panel on crypto derivatives. Good job hitting the big points. But I was disappointed that #bitcoin options don't seem to be on the radar anytime soon. The CME rep made it sound like we won't see them listed this year. Bummer!
• Question from Allani: I trade a fair amount of EMini S&P options. I'm eyeing the Dow but don't see a significant amount of volume there. I've heard you mention this before on the TWIFO program. Why do you think the S&P contract generates so much more interest than the Dow contract? After all Dow is probably quoted more in the media than the S&P?

This episode was originally posted on August 28th, 2017

Topics this week include:

• S&P and other indexes
• Silver and Gold
• Crude Oil
• Winners: Copper, Soybean oil
• Losers: Lean hogs, corn

Futures Options Feedback: Listener questions and comments

• Question from Sho Odwa -Hi! Which website publishes real-time commodity options quotes
• Comment from Allan -I would have thought KC Wheat would be the winner?
• Question from NN0M -Why did Tosaw put on a two year collar in silver? Why that time frame?
• Question from ReallyG -Love your #podcasts! Question: market profile displays limit orders. Is there a service that displays stop orders? Just wondering

Question from TheBiggers: Calls are typically more bid in futures options than equity options. So does it stand that collars are more effective in futures options?

Topics this week include:

• Crude
• Equities/S&P
• Metals/Silver
• Bitcoin/Crypto

Futures Options Feedback: Options question of the week

We're talking about #Crypto #Derivatives at the upcoming @BlockchainVoice Conference (register at http://VoiceOfBlockChain.com). So this week we want to know which #Crypto product you'd like to see listed on a major venue next.

• 72% - Bitcoin Options
• 8% - Ripple Options/Futures
• 15% - Ether Options/Futures
• 5% - Litecoin Options/Futures

Listener questions and comments:

• Comment from Umesh - (SEC rejecting Bitcoin ETFs) May be they only like to trade futures #BTC
• Comment from Apex Trading - Good. I have several wells and the low gas price has been sucking!
• Question from Lil Danger - First selloff, then NVDA, now SEC rejects bitcoin. Is the bloom off the crypto rose?
• Comment from LVers - Hogs please.
• Question from Splitsville - Why is long put/covered call a "collar" while short put/long call is a "risk reversal?" Never understood that one.

Topics this week include:

• Crude/WTI
• Ags/Soybeans
• Equities
• Metals/Gold
• Bitcoin/Crypto

Futures Options Feedback: Listeners take the reins

• Comments on the U.S./China soybean battlefield
• Ned Brown has comments on the switch from soybeans to sugar cane
• Keifer says don't expect business to come back to the U.S. once the tariff is lifted.
• Liz O. wants to know where to find all of Blu's research (Right here!)
• Wild Tiger likes the July options review
• XRP Please: Thanks for the hard work to build XRP liquidity

Today we are joined by:

• Mike Tosaw from St. Charles wealth management
• Sean Smith, Managing Director of Derivatives Licensing at FTSE Russell
• Ron Bundy, CEO of Benchmarks, North America at FTSE Russell

Topics this week include:

• Equities
• Indices/Russell
• Crude/WTI
• Metals/Silver
• Winners: Oats, Nat Gas, Iron Ore
• Losers: Rough Rice, WTI, Lumber

Futures Options Feedback: Listeners weigh in

• Question from Dolamite - What's the best way to harvest the higher levels of volatility in the Russell 2000?
• Question from Leevy - Is this a favorable environment for metals collars - looking at mostly gold and silver not copper or industrial.

Our featured guest in this episode is Blu Putnam, Chief Economist at CME Group.

Topics this week include:

• Crude/Brent/WTI
• Equities/Russell
• Ags/Soybeans
  • Question form Robinar - La nina or el nino? Which one is good for U.S. Ags? I always forget.
• Gold/Metals
• Bitcoin/Crypto

Topics this week include:

• Crude
• Ags/Soybeans
  • Question from LLN9 - Are beans calls showing any hope for an upside move in next six months?
• Bitcoin/Crypto

Futures Options Feedback: Listener questions and comments

• Question from HLC - I have a couple of FOPs that are going to expire deep in the money but covered by the underlying long future position. When should I expect the long position to disappear from my account so I can hedge accordingly? Would I have the position till EOD Friday or is Thursday the last day? Or it would disappear from my account anytime during Friday?
• Question from Joanna Lan - What kind of courses do they offer at the CME institute? Are they all in-person or online?
• Question from Da Brezner - Nick from QuikStrike has suggested being long gold with a hedge. Is he just suggesting being long the futures with a long put hedge or just long gold deltas through something like a risk reversal and then having a long put kicker?

Topics This Week Include:

• Silver/Gold
• Crude
• Equities/Russell

Futures Options Feedback

• Question from Daniel - Saw what looked like a gold fly in the TWIFO report but Nick from QuikStrike said he didn't see it in the block reports. Why is that? Are all trades not reported in the block trade reports?
• Question from Yancy - I heard it said that there are 20 active names and about 75 tradeable names in the equity options market for retail and that's about it. How does it shake out in futures options?

Topics this week include:

• Crude
• Equities/Russell
• Metals/Gold
• Ags/Soybeans

Futures Options Feedback: Listeners weigh in

• Comment from L Sert - Missed Nick on the show. What's his thought on the big $150 crude prediction?
• Question from P Kell - Looking at CME TWIFO page and trying to figure it out. What do the numbers in the 25D and 25D QuikSkew columns mean? Apologize if you've answered this before but just discovered the show.