Some action in one of the old high-flyers. NetEase (NTES) is up 84 cents to $34.75 after Citigroup raised its target from $35 to $50! Raised estimates as well. NTES is up and 8,600 calls traded, compared to about 3000 puts. Sep 40 calls are the most actives. Today’s 6,300 contracts includes ... Read more

As we well know, VIX is not the only measure of Fear in town. CSFB has one too, based on the skew of the SPX options board. Can we glean anything when the two tell different stories? Jason Goepfert suggests yes. So CSFB created a new index that compares the premiums in calls versus puts, di ... Read more

Interesting day in the VIX yesterday as it popped as much as 7% or so before settling up 4%. VXX underperformed as we noted, and closed down 1.25%. Which translates into a blah day in the VIX futures, which held pretty steady. But that didn't stop the VIX call speculators. Again. As Andrew notes ... Read more

Here's some interesting options action for you, via Schaeffer's. Traders have flocked during the past week to buy call options on Repros Therapeutics Inc. (RPRX). During the past five days, option players on the International Securities Exchange (ISE) have bought to open 8,689 calls on RPR ... Read more

You know those calendar quirks in the VIX I often mention? The early action today provides a good example. We have a VIX up 7% or so as I type. Which sounds reasonable given the weak market. But at the same time we see VXX up only about .40%. Again, VXX is a perpetual 30 day VIX future. On an ... Read more

The best time of year to own options is right about.........now. Seriously, by one measure I used for my book. I compared median/mean IV's for each cycle to typical realized volatility in the SPX for that same cycle. I don't want to be specific because I'd rather you first buy my book and t ... Read more

So the he said/she said/he said saga behind why Moneyball:The Movie got scrubbed continues. This, from Deadspin. The Sony Pictures executive who pulled the plug on Moneyball says that Steven Soderbergh changed the original script because he didn't want anything in the movie that didn ... Re ... Read more

Looks like TheStreet has not missed a beat since giving Lenny the heave ho. Enter Ron Insana, fresh off his wildly successful stint as a fund of funds maven. This, from Michael Commeau. I’ve always viewed Ron as a pretty thoughtful and even-handed guy, so I was pretty baffled at what I ... Read more

So now we know CNBC's formula for success. Dennis Kneale's comic stylings at night, followed by Amanda Drury's Australian Open blouse in the morning. And to think, you have all convinced me not to watch any more Bubblevision. Apparently she was on loan from CNBC Asia all week. As she was t ... Read more

So I'm looking at AAPL and seeing options volatility at 9 month lows in the mid 30's. And the stock right around recent highs. I'm thinking it's a nice time to buy some options gamma with a bearish tilt. So I bought some puts on the 145 line and shorted OTM's on a ratio. Still paid a little ... Read more