The Volatility Crush Doesn’t Mean What You Think

by Jeff Bishop | Nov 9, 2020 | Editorial, Options Trading

  Lower volatility means higher stock prices right? I mean, that’s what we’re told. After uncertainty got sucked out of the market, this is one factor I believe it’s important to focus on. Right now, I’m not cheering on the nosedive in the S&P 500 volatility...

Option Contracts Record Could Spell Trouble for Markets

by Jeff Bishop | Jun 21, 2020 | Editorial, Options Trading, Total Alpha

  Friday’s options market set a new record—and you probably missed it. Open interest (the number of open option contracts) for June expiration started the day at 381,360,325, beating the prior record of 380,000,000 set in 2011. That’s incredible given that we’re...

How much gold can you fit in a 747 jet?

by Jeff Bishop | May 2, 2020 | Editorial, Options Trading, Total Alpha

$500 million…or 9 tons if you like. In an effort to save its nation, Venezuela raided its vaults to pay Iran for assistance it desperately needed to prop up the failing petrostate. That goes to show you the lengths people are willing to go to get their hands on...

How To Pick The Right Options Every Time

by Jeff Bishop | Apr 28, 2020 | Editorial, Options Trading, Total Alpha

Has this ever happened to you? You have high conviction on a trade so you decide to trade options because they give you more bang for your buck.  You place the trade, the stock does exactly what you thought it would do, but you end up losing money anyway.  Nothing is...

Earnings Faceplant But Here’s Your Profit Plan

by Jeff Bishop | Apr 16, 2020 | Editorial, Options Trading, Total Alpha

Banks didn’t give investors a lot to cheer about this earnings week.  Most of them saw profits slashed by 40%, 50%, or even more.  In other words…   Buckle up, cause we’re in for a rough ride!   But overall, the market has moved from completely oversold to...

[Read] – This Is Why The Market Turns This Week

by Jeff Bishop | Apr 13, 2020 | Editorial, Options Trading, Total Alpha

Typically, I’m not one to get ahead of myself. But I can’t in good conscience not say something. As I poured through stock charts with coffee in hand… it started to jump off the page.  After double-checking my work, I knew I was onto something… For weeks I’ve...