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Trading Block: A decent selloff in VIX cash, but is the unknown still lurking? Greece stumbling toward salvation, but the worst is not over yet. Apple over 500 -- up 2%. What's been causing this move to the upside? A few earnings after the bell: LPSN, SGEN. Odd Block: Unusual activity in NetApp, Inc. (NTAP), Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (LYV), and Seattle Genetics, Inc. (SGEN). Xpress Block: Tim Navabi helps to explain "Estimated Commisions" when closing out short positions. Around the Block: Upcoming earnings: Zenga - 2/14 (The love following Facebook's IPO continues), GM 2/16, Marriott -2/15, NVDA - 2/15 and TESLA - 2/15. What's the best way to incorporate weeklies into ones’ current model? Read >

Trading Block: Apple is back to the races following the Nortel patent news -- up 10% post earnings and vol popping to the upside. Groupon down 14% - AGAIN. Cisco earnings were decent, but is the worst over? CBOE announces record volume numbers - stock shrugs in response. Activision out after the bell - now trading close to $13. LinkedIn after the bell as well. Tis the season to trading earnings long premium. Odd Block: Unusual activity in IROBOT, (IRBT) AMDOCS LTD - (DOX), and a RENN review from Jan 30. Xpress Block: Jon Grigus talks Facebook, its upcoming IPO, and poses the question "What will Facebook's closing price be on the first day of trading?" LISTENER QUESTION If a brokerage says the fee for option assignment is $20, is that per share, per contract (100 shares) or per order? So if I have 10 contracts of 100 shares each, do I pay 2000, 200, or 20 assuming they are all assigned? Around the Block: Upcoming earnings: GM 2/16 - Marriott 2/15 - NVDA 2/15 - TSLA 2/15. A final rundown of the earnings that came out today. Read >

Trading Block: Is it too risky to actively short volatility in this environment? Andrew thinks that, from a volatility point of view, all things are pointing in the same direction. Earnings plays. What's the deal with Amazon? Chipotle, or stealth Apple, is nothing but classy. Andrew gives taqueria recommendations in San Francisco. All is right in the world, so it's time to buy stocks. Odd Block: Unusual activity in Zynga, Inc., Facebook is spreading the love. Xpress Block: John Grigus discusses the IPO process, and the confusion around when the stock will actually trade. Tax season updates on 1099's. Around the Block: Non-farms payrolls released on Friday before the open. Andrew suggests an ADP indicator. Earnings still coming out: Activision, CBOE, CSCO, Groupon. Read >

Trading Block: Apple blows the doors off earnings again – long premium going into earnings was the way to play it. JC Penney up $6.50 today, but is it best to still keep a short position? Netflix on the comeback trail? Odd Block: Unusual activity in Deutsche Bank AG (DB) and DeVry Inc. (DV). Xpress Block: Tim Navabi breaks down the recent activity at OX. Have the recent round of earnings and a move to the upside started to lure back degenerate premium sellers back to Netflix? Have people continued to dive back into the short end of Google? Strategy Block: In this rare opportunity, Mark Sebastian takes over the strategy block to discuss what he thinks about the VIX. Around the Block: Keeping an eye on Ford and Apple - again. Very interesting to see oil still around the 100 mark - gold and silver are also moving. Earnings: Jan 31 - Amazon, Feb 1 - Chipotle (stealth Apple), Exxon Mobile & UPS - next week. Read >

Trading Block: Ho hum day on the street, but VIX makes it below 20 after much dancing in the area. Looking at a sleepy creep up of the general markets and for a dedicated selling of volatility. Uncle Mike's patience has paid off in Ford. Mark rolls in the Wheel of Fun. The gang fixes the issues with weeklys, but are the exchanges listening? Playing around in earnings season. Kodak throws in the towel and declares bankruptcy. Odd Block: Unusual activity in Safeway, Inc. (SWY). Strategy Block: Uncle Mike takes us through win-loss ratios. High probability does not equal guaranteed money. Premium selling is not an annuity; you still have to prepare for risk. Around the Block: Earnings dominating the horizon. Read >

Trading Block: Another mild day on the street. Apple hits a new high ahead of earnings, riding high on iPad 3 rumors. Apple's new high comes in spite of the fact that Android finally eclipsed IOS in the mobile market over the holidays. Netflix was up 14% today despite opting out of ultraviolet program. Is the widowmaker back? Nuance, perhaps a stealth play going into CES. Odd Block: Unusual activity in Perfect World Co., Ltd. (PWRD). Xpress Block: John Grigus runs the OX desk this week and discusses year-end topics, such as closing out worthless securities and most importantly, taxes. Listener Questions: Option margin Around the Block: Biotech and pharmaceutical stocks are lighting up the screens. Kodak closed and $0.40. What is their future? Looking forward to Alcoa. Lots of earnings and retail sales coming up. Read >

The Option Block all stars look back on trends, headlines, and crazy trades from 2011, as well as look forward to what might happen in 2012 Read >

Trading Block: A weak rally going into the holiday -- not too much going down on the street except for the continued annihilation of volatility. GLD and GVX ended the year down. Not much movement otherwise given the time of year. Odd Block: A look back at some usual activity from the past, including GLD and Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI). Xpress Block: Rob K talks about straddles and strangles given the fact that volatility has been crushed lately. Around the Block: The bulk of the holiday weekend has already come out. Have a happy holiday! Read >

Trading Block: SPY and other expirations on ETFs--close out your shorts! More put buyers are rolling into VIX - even the Journal is starting to pick up on it. Given this erratic movement, how risky is hedging the VIX? GLD put options, a relatively inexpensive option if you still need to hedge you're GLD downside. A Reuters article debating and discussing the sideways movements of the market, which gained popularity of the site recently, recommended straddles as a way to play with market. Should it even be allowed to recommend straddles without following it up with the appropriate discussion on gamma scalping? RIMM earnings after the close – at-the-money straddle trading $1.75 with one day to go. Odd Block: Unusual activity in Walgreens Co. (WAG), Credit Suisse Group (CS), and an activity review from November 17Louisiana-Pacific Corp. (LPX). Xpress Block: John Grigus from OX discusses the Van Eck ETFs and Sears (SHLD), which came out with a re-org. The December futures contracts will go off and stop trading at 8:30 CST. Strategy Block: Mike Tosaw talks about diagonal spreads and the diagonal butterfly given the weekly options being the great fascination of the retail world and gives us his two cents. Around the Block: An update on RIMM - that straddle still not paying the bills, trading about a dollar lower. Will VIX continue to decline? Will the market head north from here? Read >

Trading Block: VIX cash back above 30, how long can it last? MF Global disaster continues to get worse, with no clue as to where customer money is. Customers are making additional margin payments because their funds at MF Global are frozen. This disaster may have ramifications for years to come. Metals/commodity rundown -- volatile gold and silver. Ford brought their dividend back after five years. Odd Block: Three-legged spreads. Unusual activity in Yahoo!, Inc. (YHOO) andLiz Claiborne, Inc.(LIZ). Plus, an update on last week's activity review: RIMM and Darden Restaurants (DRI). Strategy Block: Uncle Mike Tosaw discusses the simulated index concept and how to relate it to higher income and higher net worth individuals. How to use a life insurance policy if you exceed your retirement plan contribution level. Around the Block: The ongoing turmoil in the Eurozone is continuing to keep the VIX in limbo. RIMM earnings next week. Walgreens producing very high vol levels. Read >