The Option Block: Holiday Havoc, iRobot Reversals, and Year-End RMDs

The All-Star Panel is back to wrap up the year! Host Mark Longo, Uncle Mike Tosaw, and The Rock Lobster Andrew Giovinazzi dive into a festive but frantic market to break down the latest unusual activity and essential year-end strategies.

The Trading Block:

• Market Sentiment: How the holiday season is warping typical market movements and what to expect from the "Santa Claus Rally."

• Unusual Activity in iRobot ($IRBT): Breaking down the latest heavy flow in the robotics space.

• Gap ($GPS) Check-in: Analyzing the recent retail trades as the year comes to a close.

The Strategy Block:

• Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs): Uncle Mike breaks down the critical deadlines and pitfalls for traditional IRAs. Don't let the IRS take a bigger cut than necessary.

• Holiday Trading Hours: Insights on the best (and worst) times to put on trades when liquidity is thin.

Around the Block:

• Favorite Christmas Movies: The team debates the holiday greats. Is A Christmas Story still the king, or does Elf take the crown? Plus, thoughts on the stop-motion nostalgia of Rudolph.

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The All-Star Panel convenes for the final Thursday of 2025! Host Mark Longo is joined by Henry "The Flowmaster" Schwartz (Cboe) and "Uncle" Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management) to break down a wild year-end session.

• The 15 Billion Milestone: Henry Schwartz predicts when the 15,000,000,000th options contract of 2025 will trade.

• Silver's Historic Run: Mike Tosaw discusses the "thief in the night" move in SLV as it hits new highs, and why he's finally fading the metal.

• Market Rotation: A look at the aggressive move back into tech (XLK, Micron, Palantir) following cooler CPI data.

• DJT "Skullduggery": We analyze suspicious call buying in DJT (Trump Media) immediately preceding a 40% jump on fusion merger news.

• Leslie's Inc (LESL): Why is someone grabbing thousands of calls in a stock that has dropped 95% this year?

• Ticker Autopsy: A look back at the failed $210k bet on IPA (now HYFT).

Mark Longo, Uncle Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management), and Andrew 'The Rock Lobster' Giovinazzi (The Option Pit) break down the final full trading week of 2025. This high-stakes episode covers the shocking conclusion to the '80s Trivia Challenge, explosive VIX and index flow, and a crucial year-end Tax Strategy discussion.

The dramatic conclusion of the year-long contest: Uncle Mike vs. The Rock Lobster. The hosts sweat it out in a high-pressure round of Sports & Leisure trivia. Find out who claims the point and if the "Chicago Politics" conspiracy theories hold up!

The VIX Cash index is rallying off recent lows. Is this December different from years past? The Rock Lobster confesses his VIX Puts strategy was his "worst product" of the year due to being a "Greedy Pig" and not monetizing the downside swings. The panel also looks at key single-name movers like Apple (AAPL), Broadcom (AVGO), and a roaring Tesla (TSLA).

Detailed analysis of today's hottest option: The dirt-cheap Dec 15th VIX Puts for $0.04. Plus, a look at the massive flow in SPY (SPY) and SPX (SPX) index options, confirming the zero-day trend, alongside surprising upside action in the QQQ (QQQ) Calls.

Uncle Mike provides essential guidance on year-end tax strategies. He details how to use Tax Loss Harvesting to offset gains and reminds traders about the Wash Sale rules. A must-listen segment covers the Mark-to-Market rule for 1256 Contracts (like SPX options) before the December 31st deadline.

The team forecasts whether Silver (SLV) can continue its historic run into 2026. Plus, predictions on if the SPX can hit new All-Time Highs before the new year.

On this crucial post-Fed episode, hosts Mark Longo, Uncle Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management) and Henry 'The Flowmaster' Schwartz (Cboe) deliver expert options trading analysis and strategy.

The team breaks down the dramatic Oracle (ORCL) plunge, the latest VIX and index (SPX, SPY, QQQ) volatility, and Henry Schwartz's insights into unusual options flow.

Plus, a deep dive into the newly launched Cboe MAG 10 index options and market predictions for the highly anticipated Santa Claus Rally.

The hosts also investigate unexpected options activity in names like Sentinel One (S), Rocket Labs (RKLB), and Honda Motor Corp (HMC).

Tune in for essential year-end market strategy!

Today, The Option Block dives into the most important topics for active traders: options trading strategies and detailed market analysis. Host Mark Longo, joined by co-hosts Uncle Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management) and Andrew Giovinazzi (The Option Pit), focuses on VIX trends and how to profit from a changing volatility landscape.

We break down the anticipation for the upcoming Federal Reserve announcements and provide key insights into their potential impact on the options market. Plus, get an in-depth analysis of unusual options activity in stocks like Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD) and TMC.

• Market Analysis: Intricate trends in the VIX and strategies for dealing with general market volatility.

• Trade Breakdown: Unusual activity in WBD and TMC options flow.

• Upcoming Earnings: Key insights and options trading strategies for major reports from Oracle and Broadcom.

• Forward Look: A final roundtable on what to watch for in the trading days ahead, especially concerning Fed decisions.

Don't miss this essential guide to navigating the current options market landscape.

In this episode of The Option Block, host Mark Longo (The Options Insider Media Group) and our expert panel deliver a crucial breakdown of the current options market trends. We dive deep into analyzing unusual options activity, dissecting key index volumes across VIX, SPX, IWM, and QQQ. Our discussion features insights from Uncle Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management) and Henry Schwartz (Cboe Global Markets).

We cover volatility signals and the explosive growth of binary and prediction markets, debating their future on major exchanges. Plus, we get an exclusive look at new CBOE products and market events. Don't miss our detailed options analysis on individual stocks, including Meta, Gap, United States Antimony Corp, and Intuitive Machines Inc.

⏱️ Episode Timestamps & Key Topics

• 02:15 | Market Sentiment & VIX Activity Analysis

• 08:40 | Index Options Volume Breakdown (SPX, IWM, QQQ)

• 14:55 | Individual Stock Deep Dive: Meta, Gap, United States Antimony Corp, Intuitive Machines Inc.

• 23:10 | The Binary Markets Debate: Should they be listed on everything?

• 32:00 | Focus on New CBOE Products and Upcoming Market Events

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In this episode of the Option Block, the hosts bring you deep into the world of options markets, analyzing recent unusual trading activities and examining how these moves might play out. Mark Longo and co-hosts Uncle Mike Tosaw from St. Charles Wealth Management and Andrew Giovinazzi from The Option Pit discuss significant movements in the VIX, SPY, and other major indices. They analyze specific stock activities, from Knight Swift Transportation Holdings to iRobot, and speculate on the future of these stocks. The show also offers strategic advice on hedging strategies and a glimpse into upcoming earnings reports. The episode wraps up with a focus on how current economic indicators, such as precious metals prices and bond market moves, impact the options market.

HOST: Mark Longo, The Options Insider

CO-HOST: Mike Tosaw, St. Charles Wealth Management

CO-HOST: Andrew Giovinazzi, The Option Pit

In this episode, we cover a wide range of topics, including unusual activities in the options market, such as trades in JBS NV (a Brazilian meat processing company), B2Gold Corp, and Ecopetrol. Additionally, we discuss the market's current dynamics, particularly focusing on the recent rally in tech stocks and precious metals. The episode also features a lively segment of 80s trivia and ends with Uncle Mike Tosaw's annual Thanksgiving advice along with forward-looking market strategies.