• HOST: MARK LONGO, OPTIONS INSIDER MEDIA GROUP
• CO-HOST: SEAN SMITH, FTSE RUSSELL

WHAT WERE THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS THIS WEEK?

EQUITIES

• MARKETS BACK IN RALLY MODE AFTER A CRAZY LAST WEEK 
• VIX 18.25 - DOWN 2.5 FROM LAST SHOW 
• VVIX: 101.5 - DOWN 9 FROM LAST SHOW
• VXX: 27 - DOWN 1.5 POINTS FROM LAST SHOW 
• RVX: 21.40 - UP 1.3 PTS FROM LAST WEEK 
• VIX/RVX SPREAD - 3.15 UNCHD FROM LAST WEEK
• WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE RUSSELL 2000?

METALS

• Silver
• Gold 

CRUDE OIL 

FUTURES OPTIONS FEEDBACK 

• QUESTION FROM JANISUS: Do you agree with eric’s assertion on the last show that volatility is returning across all asset classes?
• QUESTION FROM HJ76: Why is Russell 2000 getting beaten up so badly lately? What are the options volatility and skew predicting going forward?
• QUESTION FROM GARY: Great chat with the crypto mom! I’m loving this network. After speaking with her what do you think our chances are of seeing options and an etf in the near future?
• QUESTION FROM MIGHTY TACO: What determines a shift vs. a slide on a skew curve?

• HOST: MARK LONGO, OPTIONS INSIDER MEDIA GROUP

WHAT WERE THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS THIS WEEK?

EQUITIES

• VIX 17 - UNCHD FROM LAST SHOW 
• VVIX: 100 - DOWN 3 FROM LAST SHOW
• VXX: 25.8 -  DOWN .7 POINTS FROM LAST SHOW 
• RVX: 20.1 - DOWN 4.1 PTS FROM LAST WEEK 
• VIX/RVX SPREAD - 3.1 WIDER BY .5 POINT FROM LAST WEEK

Is Higher Volatility Making a Comeback?

METALS

Gold Option Volatility May Have Hit Bottom and Could Begin Trending Upward.

CRUDE OIL 

• Oil rises further above $60, Jackson Hole summit in focus.

FUTURES OPTIONS FEEDBACK 

• QUESTION FROM JACKTI: Can you do a rundown of GBP/USD option activity from this week. Thanks for this program. I wish it was every day. 
• QUESTION FROM AVALANCHE: What’s up in the wheat pit these days? Big volume with the trade war? Put love? Call love?
• QUESTION FROM TLTT: Have we seen any more love to wti skew given recent price rally?

• HOST: MARK LONGO, OPTIONS INSIDER MEDIA GROUP
• CO-HOST: SEAN SMITH, FTSE RUSSELL
• CME HOTSEAT GUEST: RICK ROSENTHAL - DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, FTSE RUSSELL INDICES - Cboe

EQUITIES

• VIX  21.60 - UP 4 FROM LAST SHOW 
• VVIX: 113 -  UP 13 FROM LAST SHOW
• RVX: 24.25 - UP OVER 3.5 PTS FROM LAST WEEK
• VIX/RVX SPREAD - 2.65 - TIGHTER BY .35 POINT FROM LAST WEEK
• EARNINGS SEASON DRIVING MORE VOLUME IN MICRO EMINI FUTURES

WHAT WERE THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS THIS WEEK?

CRUDE OIL 

• OIL FALLS AGAIN TODAY AFTER TAKING A DRUBBING YESTERDAY

AGS 

• CORN ANNIHILATED THIS WEEK

FUTURES OPTIONS FEEDBACK 

• QUESTION FROM DORN2: Any updates on premium harvesting strats in the russell 2000 right now? - Is put selling still the way to go?
• QUESTION FROM ITMTIM: Has RVX ever dipped below VIX? Thx for such a fun show. Especially enjoyed the recent #hoglove. 
• QUESTION FROM PRIME3: Are there any plans to bring back RVX? Seems like a great time to have a product on russell 2000 volatility?
• QUESTION FROM NELLY:  Does the big recon have any impact on russell 2000 volatility?

• HOST: MARK LONGO, THE OPTIONS INSIDER MEDIA GROUP

CRUDE OIL

• Down 10% on the week coming into Thursday. 
• That followed a session in which the futures closed at $51.09 a barrel, the lowest level since Jan. 14.
• Futures fell as much as 5.8% Wednesday to seven-month lows after American crude stockpiles posted a surprise increase. The loss sent the resource tumbling into bear market territory. Having extra supply dilutes prices, while fears of a global recession added to worries that demand may slow.  
• EIA Lowers World Oil Demand Forecast Again
• Oil Regains Ground as Saudis Discuss Crude-Market Intervention

METALS - GOLD

• Good week - Up 5.21% coming into Thursday.
• Gold's ride hinges on rates.
• For gold prices to head for $1,600 or higher, it will take a few more rate cuts from the Fed.
• Global tensions still matter for gold, but with the trade war in play, global tensions are now correlated with economic expectations and, thus, rates.

METALS - SILVER

• Silver is having another rock'em sock'em week. Silver prices book largest daily rise in 3 years on Wednesday.

 EQUITIES

• VIX  17.65 - UNCHANGED FROM LAST SHOW 
• VVIX: 100 - DOWN 6 FROM LAST SHOW
• RVX: 20.6 - UP 1 POINT FROM LAST WEEK 
• VIX/RVX SPREAD - 3 - WIDER BY 1 POINT FROM LAST WEEK 
• Earnings season driving more volume in micro e-mini futures.
• Micro E-mini Equity futures traded 5 consecutive days over 1M contracts, reaching a record high of 1.4M contracts on August 8. Liquidity continues to build as market participants turn to Micro E-Mini futures for greater precision and flexibility in managing risk.
• Notable options trading in Russell indexes.

FUTURES OPTIONS FEEDBACK 

• QUESTION FROM STI6RY: Big move in iron ore this week off the trade war. Much options action out there?
• QUESTION FROM JACK: What about a weekly skew report on twifo? Biggest changers from week to week?
• QUESTION FROM NMEDIA: Much on with beans this week
• QUESTION FROM LILBIGGS: What’s your most memorable thing you’ve learned from doing this show?
• QUESTION FROM ELLES: Any more firmness to the wti skew this week?

• HOST: MARK LONGO, THE OPTIONS INSIDER MEDIA GROUP
• CO-HOST: SEAN SMITH, FTSE RUSSELL

EQUITIES

• VIX  17.65 (13.90) - UP NEARLY 4.5 FROM LAST SHOW - 
• HIT A HIGH OF 15.44 EARLIER THIS WEEK
• VVIX: 106 (91.5) -  UP 21 FROM LAST SHOW
• RVX: 19.65 (17.15) - 15.80 -  UP 3.85 
• VIX/RVX SPREAD - 2 (3.25) - TIGHTER BY .75 (wider by half a point from last week)
• Earnings season driving more volume in micro e-mini futures.
• Micro E-mini Equity futures traded a record high of 919.6K contracts ($13.5B notional) on July 31 as market participants looked to efficiently manage risk amid the FOMC rate cut announcement.

Russell US Equity Indices Reconstitution Results

• The Reconstitution event itself culminated in one of the highest trading volume days in US equity shares in the last year.  The Nasdaq Closing Cross, for instance, witnessed a record 1.279 billion shares, worth $42.59 billion, executed within 1.14 seconds2.
• Russell 3000® market capitalization hit an all-time high of $31.7 trillion on Reconstitution day, up 3% from a year earlier.
• Large caps led the charge.  The Russell 1000® gained 6.1% from last year’s rebalance through May 10, during which time the Russell 2000® posted a 5.5% decline.  At Reconstitution, Russell 1000® market cap was $29.3 trillion versus $28.2 trillion a year earlier.
• The technology sector emerged as the main driver of these gains, rallying nearly 40% since last year, abetted by big contributions from the consumer staples and healthcare sectors.
• The largest five companies in the Russell 3000® universe stood unchanged from 2018’s Reconstitution, but their rank order is rearranged.  
• Visa, at ninth place with $351.2 billion market cap, is the only new Top 10 entrant in this year’s Reconstitution, superseding Bank of America.
• Why Reconstitution matters

METALS - SILVER

• Silver options continue to grow in volume. July has seen two of the top ten all-time highest trading days, including over 33K contracts traded on July 19. 

FUTURES OPTIONS FEEDBACK 

• QUESTION FROM DORN2: Any updates on premium harvesting strats in the russell 2000 right now?
• QUESTION FROM NLENT: Why aren’t there options on the Russell 3000?
• COMMENT FROM FENS: I’m with you guys that join market functionality is really kind of scary. What happened to price discovery?
• QUESTION FROM JACK TRENT: Any interesting options action in hogs with the big down move this week?
• QUESTION FROM CLAMAGNE: Thank you for talking futures options every week. I wish more people followed your lead. I have a question about the volatility skew of crude oil. I heard your recent episodes where you mentioned there wasn’t much interest in an upside movement. Why do you think wti call skew has remained relatively week despite the big move down in crude oil futures?