This Week In Futures Options

Topics this week include: Crude Iron Ore Soybeans Futures Options Feedback: Questions, comments, and more Last week's Options Question of the Week: With VIX circling the drain, where are you looking for your next volatility fix? 39% - Nasdaq 100 16% - Russell 2000 20% - Commodities 25% - Single Names Listener questions: Listeners share what's on their minds Question from Tanney9: What do you guys think of lack of OI in UUP? Is there another way to play the US$ that I I'm missing? Comment from Michael C. Khouw: Here is how they compare: Question from Jack S: Doesn't WTI go out 5 years? Question from Nils - Am I looking at quickskew graph correct? Top line goes up = call Vol goes up? Bottom line goes up = put Vol goes up? TWIFO Flash Poll: What do you think of the planned launch of cash-settled #Bitcoin futures later this year I Can't Wait! I'm Not Interested! I'm Somewhat Curious I'm Waiting for Ethereum

This week the CME hot seat guest is Ron Bundy, CEO Benchmarks North America, FTSE Russell. Topics this week include: Russell 2000 Crude Oil Interest Rates Futures Options Feedback: Listeners weigh in. Options Question of the Week: With $VIX circling the drain, where are you looking for your next #Volatility fix? Nasdaq 100 - $QQQ Russell 2000 Commodities-Oil, Gold,etc. Single Names (AMZN, etc.) Listener Questions and Comments: Question from J Randall - S&P skew is pretty standard at this point. How do the other major indexes like NASDAQ and Russell compare? Steeper? Are the puts as rich? Question from NN02 - Crude still lining up for bullish risk reversals here or has that ship sailed? Comment from Tim D. - My crazy product vote is crude because it is crazy! Question from Andrew - How long are the reports live during the show?

Today's CME hotseat guest is Matt Bradbard, Director of Alternative Investments, RCM Topics this week include: Where is the vol? New Zealand Dollar (our surprise product of the week) Crude Oil Corn Futures Options Feedback: Polls, questions, comments and more! TWIFO Flash Poll: Which Options product had largest % change in open interest over the past week? 50% - Soybeans 25% - Emini Nasdaq 100 8% - Copper 17% - Live Cattle Questions and Comments: Comment from LilChech - My vote for crazy CME product is oats. Who trades oats? Question from Eve4 - You talked gold collars a few eps back. Silver has been selling off. Is this a good time for a silver collar? Question from Antim - How far out can I go in most CME options? Can I go out as far as a LEAP? Question from BulzEye7 - Are options worth it for day-traders? Or just for swing-traders? Comments on Bitcoin - What could go wrong? Re: CFTC approves options trading in Bitcoin. Can you short BTC?

Today's special guest is Tim McCourt, Global Head of Equity Products at CME Group. Topics this week include: Russell Index Ags Soybeans Corn Futures Options Feedback Flash Poll There is some volatility rocking in the ags this week. Which product would you say is on your radar, or perhaps in your portfolio? Soybeans Corn Wheat Other Listener questions and comments: Question from Nicker - Which major index is the most volatile? Question from Eve4 - You talked gold collars a few episodes back, silver though has been selling off. Is this a good time for a silver collar? Question from Andrew - Can you short Bitcoin BTC?

Topics this week include: Crude Gold Reuters takes a page from TWIFO Silver Being jaunty Futures Options Feedback: Listeners take over Options question of the week. Let's get back to basics. #Options are great way to get long (bullish) exposure to stocks & futures. What's your fav way to go long? Long Call/Call Spread Short Put/Put Spread Stock(Future) Replacement Bullish Risk Reversal ANOTHER Options question of the week: Everyone is talking about #Bitcoin #Volatility these days. Where do you stand on #Bitcoin after last weeks aggressive downturn? 19% - Too Volatile - I'm out 09% - I'm still bullish 41% - I want #Bitcoin #Options 31% - I'm sick of #Bitcoin Listener questions and comments: Question from Ely - Are collars generally easier to put on in futures options due to the different skew than equity options? Comment from JBiggs - I think lumber is probably the craziest. Who actually trades that stuff outside of hurricane season? Question from KBX32 - What is the cheapest way to hedge my portfol

Topics this week include: Crude/WTI Gold Corn Futures Options Feedback: Listeners take over the show Options Question of the week: Let's get back to basics. #Options are great way to get long (bullish) exposure to stocks & futures. What is your favorite way to go long? Long Call/Call Spread Short Put/Put Spread Stock(Future) Replacement Bullish Risk Reversal Listener questions and comments: Question from Andre - USO, WTI or XLE? Which is the best way to play a bullish rise in oil? Maybe with a straight call vertical 2-3 months out? Comment from Morgan - How many bitcoins does it take to buy 1000 tulips? Question from LJC6V - Is gold looking good for a collar here? Maybe 2-3 months out? Question from Fundconcept - Do you think the rise of activist shareholders pressuring oil giants to mitigate climate change can make an impact? Question from Engin9 - What are the most unique options in the CME product suite?

Topics this week include: Corn Crude Oil/WTI Flash Poll: Crude Oil is taking a beating. Is the selloff overdone or is it a sign of things to come. Where do you think WTI will be at the end of 2017? Around here (40-45) Much lower (lower than 38) A little higher (50-55) Much higher (above 55) Futures Options Feedback: Listener questions and comments Question from Ian Wagner: Hey TWIFO. I'm confused about gold options. Is there an options contract that tracks the future that is liquid? Question from Ron Switzerland: What do you think about vol before the next USDA reports in corn? Question from Mr. Bugato: What's paying the rent this week? QOTW: Everyone is talking about #Bitcoin #Volatility these days. Where do you stand on #Bitcoin after last weeks aggressive downturn? Too volatile, I am out I am still bullish I want #Bitcoin #Options I am sick of #Bitcoin

Topics this week include: E-Minis Rates - Question from Allan German - What happened in rates options this week with the Fed? Crude Futures Options Feedback: Polls, questions, answers, and more! With $VIX giving up the ghost - which products are you hoping will provide new sources of #Volatility for your #options trading? 33% - Crude Oil (WTI, etc.) 20% - Metals ($GLD, $SLV, etc.) 20% - FX (GBP/USD, etc.) 27% - Indv. Equities-$TSLA, etc. Listener questions: Question from Meravol - Interesting piece in current Modern Trader about selling breakeven strangles. Have you seen? What are your thoughts of this technique? Is it me or are there new techniques for selling strangles all the time that always tend to blow out? Are you not better off selling IC or IB due to limited risk? http://www.futuresmag.com/2016/08/23/strangles-breakeven-pricing Question from Tim Vickers - Do you put out a Quickskew report or anything like that? Comment from LennyK - Dude Bitcoin. How nice it would have been to have a put this we

This week's CME Hotseat guest is Sarah Linane, E*Trade Senior Futures Specialist This week, the panel discusses: From Stocktwits The 3 BEST performing assets this year: Lean hogs $HE_F +23% Palladium $PA_F +22% Nasdaq-100 $QQQ +20% The 3 WORST performing assets this year: Orange juice $OJ_F -32% Sugar $SB_F -29% The $VIX -21% Other hot topics: Crude Weekly expiration options Gold Futures Options Feedback: What do you want to know? With $VIX giving up the ghost - which products are you hoping will provide new sources of #Volatility for your #options trading? Crude Oil (WTI, etc) Metals ($GLD, $SLV, etc) FX (GBP/USD, etc) Indv. Equities-$TSLA, etc. Listener questions and comments: Comment from Production One‏ - That was a blast! Thx Nick and Mark for the bitcoin blockchain and bacon love! Try the MVP Burger at the Rio sports book in Vegas! Question from John Morgan - Are futures options priced the same as regular options from a commission standpoint? Is it the same ticket charge plus price per contract

Topics this week include: Silver Platinum Crude Futures Options Feedback: What do you want us to talk about? Comment from Production One‏ @MarkClydeBrant: Bellies! Comment from f ili p @FContangotrader: What about bitcoin,no love? Comment from Elmman: Can you talk more FX? GBP/USD and EUR/USD. Question from Lezen: Which product has the hottest weekly options? Question from LJack: Heard you mention CME direct? Is it a broker?

Topics this week include: Crude/WTI and gold. Futures Options Feedback: Listener questions and comments Question from Olivetrader1: During the last show you mentioned defending a straddle. That means buying futures as soon as we are trading under the put and selling futures as soon as they are trading above the call, or is there more room for execution. Comment from FContangotrader: I cannot wait to start trading options on corn and Bitcoin. Question from Bobter: Can you trade options outside of U.S. trading hours? Question from LV56: I am mostly trading futures intra-day to scalp a few ticks - primarily S&P, crude and gold. I am interested in options but I do not see how to apply them to my trading style. Is there a way to use options for very short term intra-day tick scalping?

Today, Mark and Nick are joined by Matt Bradbard, Director of Alternative Investments, RCM Alternatives. Topics this week include: Crude Oil Gold Futures Options Feeback: Listener questions and comments Question from Andy Sullivan - You guys buying this rally in WTI, or are the options telling a different story? Question from Jingles6 - Dudes! You're missing out on the hot new commodity trend, Cryptos rule everything around us! A $10,000 investment in Gold in July 2010, is now worth $9,981. A $10,000 investment in BitCoin is now worth $201,553!

We're going back into the TWIFO archives to bring you a best of episode. This one was a fan favorite: How to Trade Commodity Volatility.

This week in the CME hot-seat we have special guest Dan Passarelli, Market Taker Mentoring. Topics this week include: WTI What's the word on the street for futures traders? Aggressive return to old skew? Fed week came and went Treasuries Eurodollars Futures Options Feedback/Weekend Flash Poll: These are crazy times for all markets from commodities to equities and volatility. Which crazy level will we hit first? VIX Below 9 SPX Above 2500 WTI Below 40 AAPL Above $160 Listener questions: What do you want to know? Question from Paul - Mark, What is your take on the timing of an investment in silver right now? I just got out of the market and I am thinking of investing in silver - either the traditional options or an ETF that tracks physical bullion like SLV or SIVR. I am leaning towards SIVR for its lower expense ratio. Question from Lawrence T. - You guys (I think it was Nick) talked about rent a while back. You should make that into a regular segment or report. Maybe who is paying the rent report? Questio

Topics this week include: WTI Gold Soybeans Futures Options Feedback Listener questions and comments Question from LlillyPod - What is up with Soybeans? Good collar territory again? Comment from Tommi - I think WTI weeklies struggle because producers are focused on the longer portion of the curve. Question from Neil Avere - Can you rundown Quikskew again. Still not really sure how to read it. Comment from Stallon - Why so much concern about low crude volatility? We are just in a new volatility regime for crude right now. Just because crude Vol is low does not meant that selling it is not a winning trade. Seeing the same thing in broad equity volatility right now.  

Topics this week include: WTI Gold Futures Options Feedback: Listener questions and comments Question from Silvan - Does Quikstrike actually quantify the rent? So you could collect X rent in product Y if you sold it, etc. Also how do I read that quickskew graph? Not sure I'm looking at it correctly. Question from Meravol - Interesting piece in Modern Trader about selling breakeven strangles. Have you seen? What are your thoughts of this technique? Is it me or are there new techniques for selling strangles all the time that always tend to blow out? Are you not better off selling IC or IB due to limited risk? Comment from Tom S. - The barrel of oil question was cute. Maybe worth a show about the actual delivery process?

Originally posted on January 23, 2017, this "Best Of" This Week in Futures Options features Blu Putnam Chief Economist of CME Group. Topics in this episode include: The election, inauguration WTI/Brent spread QuikStrike Future Options Feedback: Listener questions and comments Question from Jeff Myers: What is the prediction for platinum options? Question from Eddy: Is the trade in crude more cautious right now, or are the bulls all in? Is it an all-in trade? Question from Sean: When it come to currency options, is there a market, like Euro, that trades more smoothly?  

Topics this week include: WTI/Crude Oil Gold Skew Futures Options Feedback: Listener questions and comments Question from Andrew L. - On the note of your oil sulfur question here is another weird one that's been bugging me. If I buy a contract for a barrel of oil and take delivery do I actually get the barrel? Question from SillyPuddy - I am a newly minted FO approved trader but yet to make my first trade. What product and strategy is your go to for noobs. Question from NoizeFun - Can we get a silver recap on the show this week? Plz?

In the CME hot seat for this episode, we have Tim McCourt, Global Head of Equity Products, CME Group. Topics this week include: QuikSkew Index Options Crude Oil/WTI Futures Options Feedback: Listener questions and comments Question from A Joban - When are we gonna have weeky options expiring on every day of the trading week? So affectively I am asking when are we gonna have daily options? Question from StockAce - Does the CME Futures Institute offer options education as well? If not, can you recommend any good outlets that do futures options education? Question from AM85 - How can you guys tell, when you are looking at the reports, if a trade is opening or not? Thanks and love the show - wish it was daily.

This week we have special guest Andrew Giovinazzi. The gang discusses: S&P/E-Mini Skew Skew WTI Futures Options Feedback: Listener questions and comments Question from ALV13 - What the heck makes crude sweet? Slightly off topic but its always bothered me. Question from Henry VII - How closely related are the fundamentals of ES and ES Mini options vs. SPY and SPX? Are the volatility, skews, OIs and the rest always very similar or do they sometimes trade as their own products? Question from Burton - Man these FO symbols are killing me. Z for Dec, etc. Why don’t they just start from A and go alphabetically through the months? I can never remember these things. Any tips for a new convert?