Option Block 264: Swimming in a Sea of Green

Trading Block: A sea of green across the board. S&P crosses 1700 mark on strong manufacturing data. Unemployment claims at a 5.5 year low. Activision and LinkedIn earnings after the bell. CME reports a 27% rise in quarterly profits, still down 4%.

Commodity rundown: metals, nat gas, coffee, etc.  It's number day again - The Options Industry Council (OIC) announced today that total options contracts traded in July was up 5.81%. Average daily volume for the month was up 1.00%. Year-to-date volume up 1.93%. Equity options volume up 4.39%. Average daily volume for equity options in July slightly off of last year’s contracts by 0.35%. Year-to-date equity options volume up only 0.16%.

Odd Block: Calls trade in SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), calls trade in Nvidia Corporation (NVDA), puts trade in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (EEM), and fly trades in Oil States International (OIS).

Xpress Block: A very busy, non-expiration day at OX.

Mail Block: We have such curious listeners!

• Question from MMax - Can you give us an update on mini-options?
• Question from George Roop, Nashville, TN - Can you explain why the hosts take such a dim view of USO? It's really one of the few viable ways for retail to make longer-term bullish bets on oil.

Around the Block: Non-farms in the crosshairs. CBOE earnigns tomorrow before the open. Groupon 8/7, Disney 8/6, Nvidea 8/8, Tesla 8/7 after.