In this post-Christmas episode of The Hot Options Report, Mark Longo breaks down a high-stakes, shortened trading week. While the holiday session started light, volume poured into the heavy hitters by the closing bell. We go "around the horn" from Broadcom to Nvidia, tracking the dominant option chains and the "0DTE" expiration trades that won (and lost) the day.

• #10 Broadcom (AVGO): Opening call action at the 352.5 strike. Did the late-day rally save the bulls?

• #9 Amazon (AMZN): A 232.5 call battle. We analyze the 40-cent premium and why the "Amazonians" were left wanting more.

• #8 AMD: 54,000 contracts on the 215 calls as the stock sits a penny shy of the strike.

• #7 Netflix (NFLX): 94.5 calls seeing heavy volume for just a dime.

• #6 Meta: A rough day for the 665 calls as Facebook's successor slips.

• #5 MicroStrategy (MSTR): "The Monster" reverses losses. Why the 160 call sellers are the big winners today.

• #4 Apple (AAPL): 128,000 contracts on the 275 calls. A deep dive into the 30-cent premium trap.

• #3 Palantir (PLTR): The Trade of the Day. We break down the 190 puts that turned 41 cents into a $1.29 windfall.

• #2 Tesla (TSLA): 3.15 million contracts. A massive sweat for the 480 call sellers as Tesla dips 2%.

• #1 Nvidia (NVDA): The undisputed king of the tape with 3.25 million contracts. We look at the 192.5 call frenzy.

• Intraday vs. Closing: Why "writing it into the close" was a dangerous game for call buyers this Friday.

• Winning Put Spreads: A look at how Palantir's volatility offered the best ROI on the board.

• 0DTE Dynamics: Analyzing the decay of cheap "lotto ticket" premiums in a post-holiday environment.

• Free Options Data: Get the professional-grade data mentioned in the show for free at HotOptionsReport.com .

• Options Insider Pro: Join the community, get the Pro Trading Crate, and access the upcoming Vol Death Match 2.0 at TheOptionsInsider.com/Pro .

• Mobile App: Access the full Radio Network on iTunes and Google Play .

In the final Volatility Views of 2025, host Mark Longo is joined by Russell Rhoads (Dr. VIX) and Michael Listman (UVXY Trader) to dissect a wild year in the markets. From the "Santa Claus Rally" to the crushing of the VIX, we break down what traders need to know heading into 2026.

• Volatility Review: A look at the S&P 500 hitting all-time highs and the recent "volatility execution." Why did the Santa Rally take so long to arrive?

• UVXY Deep Dive: Michael Listman breaks down the UVXY reverse split mechanics. We discuss why liquidity is the best argument for UVXY and how to manage the "beta slippage" game.

• The Pairs Trade: Exploring the strategy of pairing UVXY vs. SVXY (or SVIX) to capture slippage while managing directional exposure.

• VIX Term Structure: Why the current curve is "steep" and what a 5-point premium in February futures says about 2026 market expectations.

• VIX Options Flow: Analyzing the "Jan 17 Puts" and the mysterious ongoing activity in the VIX 200 strike puts.

• The Crystal Ball: The team places their final VIX cash predictions for the first week of January 2026.

• The "VIX Wizard": Why volatility arrives precisely when it means to (and how to monetize puts before they expire).

• Reverse Split Strategies: Does a 1-for-5 or 1-for-10 split actually change the trade?

• The "Weekend Trade": Russell's strategy for holding UVIX/UVXY over the weekend to catch volatility events.

• Russell Rhoads (Dr. VIX): Follow him on X/Twitter @RussellRhoads .

• Michael Listman: Follow him on X @UVXYTrader or visit UVXY.pro .

• Options Insider Pro: Get the Pro Trading Crate and join the Vol Death Match at TheOptionsInsider.com/Pro .

• TastyTrade: Check out advanced tools for options and futures at TastyTrade.com/podcasts .

In this episode of Options Boot Camp, your drill instructors Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli dive back into the trenches to tackle a recurring nightmare for retail traders: why "perfect" vertical spreads sometimes result in losses. Following up on a "horror story" from a previous episode involving Marvell (MRV), the team breaks down the mechanics of spread books, broker liquidations, and the hidden risks of trading around major events.

• The Marvell Meltdown: A deep dive into a listener's trade where a winning call vertical on MRV resulted in a loss due to after-hours volatility and broker liquidation.

• The Reality of Vertical Spreads: Why the P&L diagram is only half the story. We discuss why vertical spreads often perform worse than expected prior to expiration and the role theta plays in the final payoff.

• Legging vs. Spread Orders: When should you attempt to "leg out" of a spread? Dan and Mark discuss the risks of delta exposure when breaking apart a vertical in a fast-moving market.

• Broker Routing & PFOF: How Payment for Order Flow and specific broker "spread books" (like Robinhood's) can impact your execution quality, especially in illiquid names.

• Market Maker Psychology: What determines the width of a bid-ask spread? Dan explains how volatility risk and liquidity determine the "toll" you pay to enter and exit a trade.

• Mail Call: The team answers listener questions about avoiding spreads during earnings and the rise of prediction markets (binary betting).

• 00:00 – Introduction and The Quintuple Content Palooza

• 03:15 – Follow-up: The Marvell Vertical Spread Disaster

• 07:45 – The pros and cons of "Legging" out of a trade

• 12:20 – Tips for dealing with unresponsive brokers during liquidations

• 16:30 – Market Taker Question: What drives the Bid-Ask Spread?

• 21:10 – Prediction Markets: Is it a trade or a bet?

• 25:40 – Silver and Crypto: The Question of the Week

Special thanks to our sponsor: TastyTrade.com/podcasts

Welcome to today's episode of The Hot Options Report—your essential guide to options trading and stock market analysis as we head into the holiday break. Host Mark Longo breaks down the day's market volatility, concentrating on the top options trades and key stock movements driving the tape before the holiday.

In this episode, we dive into the massive trading volumes and unusual activity seen across the leaderboard, including a historic day for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and the continued dominance of Tesla (TSLA) and Nvidia (NVDA).

• The NVO "Pill" Pop: Novo Nordisk shares surged following the landmark FDA approval of the oral version of Wegovy. We analyze the explosion in call volume and what this fundamental shift means for the GLP-1 "Weight Loss War" heading into 2026.

• Tesla (TSLA) Sentiment: Tesla remains the undisputed king of the tape as it pushes toward key psychological levels. We break down the massive open interest and the "Santa Rally" positioning ahead of the highly anticipated January delivery report.

• Nvidia (NVDA) & The China Pivot: With reports circulating about a green light for specific AI chip shipments to China, Nvidia is seeing a massive influx of aggressive call buying. Is the "AI Trade" finding a second wind for the new year?

• Broad Market Check: Is the market gift-wrapped for a year-end surge? We look at the sentiment reflected in the major index options chains amidst thin holiday liquidity and record highs for the S&P 500.

• Unusual Activity Spotlight: We track the "Hot Trades" of the day, including surprising volume in names like MicroStrategy (MSTR) and Robinhood (HOOD).

• Year-End Positioning: A look at why traders are rolling positions and selling premium to capture holiday decay.

Tune in for detailed insights into each options trade, the macro drivers behind today's tape, and the vital implications for active traders.

Get more options data, charts, and analysis at: TheHotOptionsReport.com

In this episode of Volatility Views on the Options Insider Radio Network, Mark Longo and Dr. Russell Rhoads dive into the shifting landscape of volatility as the final full trading week of 2025 comes to a close.

While much of the market is heading into holiday "hibernation," geopolitical tensions are lighting up the commodity space. The team breaks down why Energy CVOL is pinning the needle to the upside while Treasury and FX volatility are being "taken to the woodshed."

• The Venezuela "Brouhaha": How intensified pressure and crude embargoes are reviving Energy CVOL (WTI) and driving it to weekly highs.

• Commodity Volatility Split: A deep dive into the aggregate CVOL levels for Metals, Ags, and the broader Commodities complex vs. the dying volatility in Fixed Income.

• The VIX Term Structure: Analyzing the current curve and what the "post-Fed" environment means for the remainder of 2025.

• Vol Products in Focus: Performance updates and trade analysis for SVXY, UVXY, and VIX futures.

• Looking Ahead to 2026: Anticipated market movers and volatility catalysts for the new year.

• Listener Mailbag: Russell and Mark answer your questions regarding volatility products and specific trading strategies.

Episode Summary: It's the most volatile time of the year! In this Holiday Hot Options Special, Mark Longo and Nick Howard (creator of QuikOptions) break down the massive institutional moves closing out 2025. We dive deep into the top 10 most active options chains—including the heavy hitters like Nvidia (NVDA), Tesla (TSLA), and Broadcom (AVGO)—to see how the "smart money" is positioning for the January 2026 opening.

We analyze the unusual activity and volume surges in the following names:

• The Big Three: Nvidia, Tesla, and Apple.

• Semiconductor Heat: Broadcom (AVGO) and AMD.

• Growth & Momentum: Palantir (PLTR), Netflix (NFLX), Meta, and Amazon.

Nick Howard walks us through how to use thehotoptionsreport.com to stay ahead of the holiday whipsaws:

• Advanced Data Filtering: Finding the signal in the year-end noise.

• Custom Watchlists: How to track the "Santa Rally" candidates in real-time.

• Earnings Retrospective: Reviewing past earnings moves to project 2026 volatility.

• Visualizing the Market: Will QuikOptions be adding Heat Maps soon?

• Scanning for Gold: How to find the specific "Hot Option" in a sea of strikes.

• IBIT & ETF Scans: Dealing with non-stock symbols in the scanner.

• Access the Tool: thehotoptionsreport.com

• The Options Insider Network: theoptionsinsider.com

Episode Summary: Bitcoin is entering the holiday stretch with a fight for the $90,000 handle following the Fed's final interest rate cut of 2025. Host Mark Longo breaks down the high-stakes leverage building in the crypto markets. We analyze the "sell-the-open" pattern hitting U.S. sessions, the massive open interest in Bitcoin futures, and why the $85,000 floor remains the most critical support level for the end-of-year "Santa Rally."

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.

Check out more from The Options Insider: TheOptionsInsider.com

• Follow us on Twitter: @Options