Option Block 353: Crazy Combos and the Great Open Interest Debate

Trading Block:  A volatile day on the street - S&P got as low as 1952. VIX cash ticking up nearly one handle. Gold a big mover today - to the delight of Uncle Mike Tosaw. It’s time for the Trading Patterns guessing game again - this time with GLD!  Lumber Liquidators (LL) gets crushed, down over 20% today. Options volume already 10x ADV on new that they are cutting 2014 earnings outlook. Sprecher calls for market-wide purge for order types. Chicago Fed joins the HFT conversation calling for curbs. 

Odd Block: Calls roll in Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO), closing combos trade in CBS Outdoor Americas Inc. (CBSO), call buyers trade in Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. (GT), dividend trade calls trade in Freeport McMoRan Copper (FCX)

Xpress Block: A reminder at IdeaHub for futures is out. Please be aware that firms are trying to rein in exposure fees.

Mail Block: Listener questions and comments

• Question from Nico Belle: Am I correct in assuming that open interest refers to the number of contracts that are available for exercise on a particular strike and not just the trading volume seen on the strike?


• Question from Rick: What does the term spot refer to? Also how is change calculated? These terms are used with unusual activity. Thank you, Rick


• Question from T Jon: Hey all stars - great show Mark and the gang. Please say hi to Uncle Mike, the rock lobster and the viceroy for me. I enjoy all of their segments including the strategy block. On a recent episode Uncle Mike referred to selling put spreads to help finance the cost of a longer term put. Can he explain his methodology for this strategy - if he buys a six month ATM put is he also selling ATM put spreads against it for a straight up calendar? Or is he selling OTM put spreads and going for diagonals? What frequency is he doing this on - weekly? Monthly? Does he ever combine the short put (spreads) with a short covered call essentially turning it into a long term put vs a short term strangle (plus)? Question for viceroy as well - what is your favorite question you’ve ever been asked at one of your seminars? Mark - thanks again for this great show. Your network will always have a home on my iPhone.

Around the Block: On Thursday: weekly jobless claims, May wholesale inventories as well as Fed talk: Stanley Fischer, Vice Chair of the Fed Reserve, gives his first speech (financial reform in Cambridge, MA) and KC Fed President Esther George (economy and monetary policy in Oklahoma). Problems in Portugal: parent of Portuguese banks delayed payments on some short-term debt.