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VIX 16.91 -0.78 (-4.61%)
VIX 16.91 -0.78 -4.61%
Dow (DJX) 107.34 +0.48 +0.45%
Nasdaq (NDX) 1936.22 +3.98 +0.21%
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Latest ONN Columns

Volatility Overlays by Jud Pyle

Bearishness in Arcelor Mittal (NYSE: MT)
Three-legged strategy in the steel producer calls for later-term downside
Bearing down on Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL)
A roll-out suggests at least one investor wants to maintain bearishness in the airline name
Out-of-the-money call roll in AMR Corp. (NYSE: AMR)
Afternoon options volume in AMR suggests bullish investor rolled out and up
Allegheny Energy (NYSE: AYE) roll suggests bullishness
Morning option trade in the electric utilities name calls for potential later-term upside
Call roll-up in Petrohawk (NYSE: HK)
Petrohawk call action during morning trading suggests investor rolled bullish position
Buying upside in Fortune Brands (NYSE: FO)
Shares of the home furnishings company climbed more than 2% on Monday, and one call buyer expects further upside
Longer-term bullishness in MetLife (NYSE: MET)
Shares of MetLife are down today, but heavy call buying is pushing up the price of some call options
Calling for new highs in Allergan (NYSE: AGN)
Investor buys OTM calls on a bet that the drug manufacturer could reach new 52-week high
Rolling out and up in Automatic Data processing (NYSE:ADP)
Investor rolls front-month call position out to later series, maintains bullishness
Bullish roll-out in eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY)
Options action in the online auction house suggests one investor is not ready to let go of near-term long calls
Betting on near-term upside in SunTrust Banks (NYSE: STI)
Call buying action during afternoon trading suggests one investor is bullish on the regional bank
Longer-term protection play on Allstate (NYSE: ALL)
Bearish investor expects downside in the life insurance company

The Practical Options Trader by Jared Levy

The VIX dips below 17
The VIX moves to a new annual low as the volatility differential shrinks.
"Backwardation" ... good for the United States Oil Fund (USO)?
Jared breaks down the concepts of contango and backwardation.
Pall Corp. (NYSE: PLL) earnings debriefing
PLL pulls back after its earnings results
Pall Corporation (NYSE: PLL) earnings play
Analyzing a potential collar play ahead of Pall Corp.'s earnings report.
Is the VIX Too Low or the SPX Too High?
The VIX is dropping and the S&P is rallying - sound familiar?
Is the S&P 500 Still Cheap?
The SPX has gained over the last six days after a strong February. Is it still a buy?
Trading Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS) ahead of earnings
Winter weather, consumer spending, and other factors that may impact Staples earnings.
Selling Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) after earnings jump
Finding the best medicine for a bullish trade in Autodesk
Lowe’s Companies (NYSE: LOW) reports strong earnings
Lowe's reports fiscal year loss but bounds higher out of the gate - why?
Expiration actually means added liquidity
Gaining perspective on options expiration and volatility
Buy Las Vegas Sands into earnings?
Potential bull put spread strategy for Las Vegas Sands
Trading out of a Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) bull put spread
Looking at Google's price action and options ahead of expiration Friday

Buy and Trade by Kevin Cook

Nike Set to Tee Off: Bearish Put Ratio in Play
One investor prepares for potential slice, hazard to $65
Goldman Bullish on Biotech Names ALXN, ONXX
M&A surge to continue as big pharma heads toward “patent cliff”
Is AIG Still A Buy?
Recent asset sales embolden, but leave questions
Copper as PhD, Iron Ore as Undergrad
Thinking slowdown? Emerging markets’ appetite for materials says "Still hungry"
Facet Biotech (FACT) Wins Big in Abbott, Biogen Battle
Biotech bull trains steams on with M&A action
Biotech ETF Surges Again: The FBT and InterMune (ITMN)
Equal-weighting for the future of medicine wins every time
Solar Stocks Burned by J.P. Morgan: FSLR, ENER, ESLR
Second decade of 21st century not shining yet for alternative energy
InterMune (ITMN) Bulls Waiting on FDA
Trading halted ahead of review, what are investors thinking?
InterMune (ITMN) Shares Hang on FDA
Playing the “make or break” event with options
Emerging Markets Drive Global Recovery: CAT & ETN
Industrial manufacturers thrive on EM growth revolutions
Science, Emotion, Costs of Healthcare Debate
One family’s story of putting a price on life
Kill Speculation, Kill Risk Management
US regulators may jeopardize the biggest free market

Need-to-Know Basis by Beth Gaston Moon

Merck (MRK) options trader opens an eight-way trade
Expecting high volatility, Merck traders open a complex spread
Bank of America (BAC) traders stay bullish
Rolling a front-month call to the May series to follow earnings, expiration
Qualcomm (QCOM) traders head for the exits
A complex April option spread (combined with stock) equals a guaranteed loss
Microsoft (MSFT) sees impact of Fed waiting, expiration
Volatility is drying up as people wait on sidelines for Fed decision
Unearthing bullish plays in eBay (EBAY), Ford (F)
The Stock Screener finds investment possibilities based on price action, P/E ratio
A Goldman Sachs (GS) bear gets aggressive
An options trader expects quick and dramatic downside in the brokerage heavy-hitter
LEAPing into technology stocks Dell (DELL) and Oracle (ORCL)
Long term put-selling positions in Dell and Oracle suggest expectations for continued strength in big technology.
Bullish stock screen discovers plays in Las Vegas Sands (LVS), Abercrombie (ANF), and more
Investors think Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is poised for a pullback
A complex option trade suggests a pullback in the tech stock
Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) may have support
Put sellers expect limited downside in the pharmaceutical giant
Betting on downside in Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS)
While Las Vegas Sands shares rally higher, a put buyer hopes for future downside
Bullish outlook in Freeport-McMoRan (FCX)
Call spread buyers look for upside in the next few months

Sidewinder by Karla Yeh

Protective Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI) option play
Midday option trade alert: Pitney Bowes put buying
Calling for upside in Arch Coal (NYSE: ACI)
Arch Coal morning options action suggests bulls are fired up
Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) put buying
Morning option trade alert on Union Pacific in-the-money puts
Bullish call action in Lincoln National (NYSE: LNC)
Morning option trade alert: Lincoln National calls cross out of the gate, action seems bullish
Call selling in A.K. Steel (NYSE: AKS)
Morning option trade alert: A.K. Steel in-the-money call sellers
Moderate bearishness in Sketchers USA (NYSE: SKX)
Morning option trade alert: Sketchers bear call spread
April-heavy call volume in Unitedhealth Group (NYSE: UNH)
Afternoon option trade alert: UnitedHealth Group call action suggests bullishness
Xerox (NYSE: XRX) to rally in near-term?
Morning option trade alert: Xerox call buyers
Call selling in Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN)
Morning option trade alert: Investors likely call for limited upside in clothing retailer
Bullishness in St. Jude Medical Inc. (NYSE: STJ)
Morning option trade alert: St. Jude Medical options action out of the gate
Monster Worldwide (NYSE: MWW) call buying not necessarily bullish
Midday option trading alert: Monster Worldwide (NYSE: MWW)
Call action heats up in Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX)
Morning option trade alert: Boston Scientific call buyers

The OptionsHouse Angle by Steve Claussen and George Ruhana

A change for option market makers?
How removing the "60/40" rule might impact the options-trading community.
Options activity spikes on InterMune (ITMN)
A look at heavy call volume in InterMune (ITMN) ahead of FDA meeting.
Ford Motor (F) passes Toyota (TM)
The tables turn in the auto industry.
Trading Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) Options Post Earnings
Netflix spikes on earnings results, spurring call traders into action.
What Should Hank Greenberg Do with AIG options?
Ways option traders can play the latest developments in AIG and Goldman Sachs (GS)
What to do with the collapse of implied volatility in stocks like AIG
Citigroup is Repaying TARP – So Why the 5% Drop?
Steve Claussen does the math of Citigroup’s TARP-repayment plan
Thoughts on the Transactions Tax Bill
Is Nancy Pelosi's take on the transaction tax bill fair?
A-Power (APWR) Seeing Heavy Call Trading
Investors may be rolling out call positions to a later series
Volatility Update
The VIX moves lower despite some broad-market weakness
VIX of the VIX
An in-depth look at the VIX, and the corresponding complex trades.
Option Plays in Amazon (AMZN)
Kindle maker Amazon poised to be a hit, but don't forget about Apple's tablet computer.

ONN Updates

ONN Experts In the News guest appearances by our team

Jud Pyle quoted in The WSJ – Contrarians Pounce on Boston Scientific
ONN.tv Chief Investment Strategist Jud Pyle was quote in the WSJ Tuesday, talking about BSX. Continue reading » - March 16, 2010
Jud Pyle- Fox Business, Toyota Chief: Electronics Not to Blame
Jud Pyle of Peak6 Investments and Matt McCormick of Bahl & Gaynor on Toyota's hearings. Continue reading » - February 26, 2010
Jared Levy- Fast Money Final Call
Navigating market volatility, with Jared Levy, Peak6 Investments senior derivatives specialist. Continue reading »
Jared Levy- Fast Money Sector Trade: Wireless Wars
Insight on RIMM and Apple on the foreign stage, with Jared Levy, PEAK6 Investments. Continue reading »
Jared Levy- CNBC After Hours Action
A check on the afterhours action, with Jared Levy, Peak6 Investments. Continue reading »
Kevin Cook On Rate Hikes, IBM (IBM), and Potash (POT)
Kevin discusses the Fed rate hikes, IBM, and Potash on Fox Business. Continue reading » - February 19, 2010

Options Physics

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Options Physics Pro

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Market Summary

VIX 16.91 -0.78 -4.61%
Dow (DJX) 107.34 +0.48 +0.45%
Nasdaq (NDX) 1936.22 +3.98 +0.21%
S&P 500 (SPX) 1166.21 +6.75 +0.58%

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Sym Opt Vol Price Dly Chg
MDCO 24,117 9.83 1.57
CLX 37,274 64.64 0.69
PLCM 27,899 33.14 2.70
PBI 11,170 24.48 0.39
VHC 8,957 6.29 0.70

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OptionFinder

Stocks vs. Options: Which generates better returns?

Plug in your stock idea to find options trades offering a potentially better ROI.

Learn more about the OptionFinder