Silver prices were up over 5% last week as WallStreetBets switched its focus from stocks like GME and AMC, to silver and stocks like SLV and PSLV. As you can see in the chart below SLV surged on Thursday directly to the $25 strike, only to pin that level into Fridays close. $25 just happens […]
Market Analysis
Weaponized Gamma Reloaded
The latest options data revealed that equity option call buying surged this week, blowing out the previous record week. Shown in the chart below is the total number of contracts bought to open netted against contracts sold to close. This suggests that traders on net did not elect to close out of their long calls […]
When YOLO goes “YOL-Oh No!”
Summary: Issue: SpotGamma believes that current markets reflect a great amount of risk and face the prospect of a violent drawdown. This is due to the following: Hedging: Low levels of options-based hedging. Short-Selling: Low levels of stock shorting. Speculation: High levels of margin used to buy stocks. Remedies: SpotGamma levels continue to be […]
Call Walls & SG Combo Strikes
Lets all Sell Puts?
Investors have turned to put options as a way to generate income. Strategically this can be a great strategy, but what does it mean when the MAJORITY of put options are SOLD instead of BOUGHT? In other words: the majority of traders are now using put options as income as opposed to insurance. The circled […]
1/20/20 Nomura Update
From ZH: Earlier today we discussed last week’s “very large” options expiration, which as SpotGamma calculated sparked a ~50% reduction in single stock gamma, which on one hand has left markets vulnerable to short-term volatility but on the other – as Nomura’s Charlie McElligott poetically put it – sparked a “gamma unchlenching” as evidenced by […]
WM Rally Due?
Waste Management (WM) may get a bid with an infrastructure package, and we note that the 120 strike is concentrating in size. The stock is currently at $115, and has held that level more or less since October. We think hedging around options positions may give it a boost up into $120. You can see […]
SpotGamma 1/18/21
We noted to subscribers on Thursday & Friday that we thought markets were entering a period with the potential for high volatility. This was due to Friday’s very large 1/15 options expiration which resulted in a ~50% reduction in single stock gamma as seen below. This creates volatility because as large options positions expired, are […]
TEVA $12 Pin & Release?
TEVA is up about 10% the last several days, with a lot of gamma concentrated at the $12 strike. Most of this (~60%) expires Friday, 1/15. We therefore have compression under the key level of $12 as out of the money calls decay and keep a lid on TEVA prices into 1/15 expiration. Our EquityHub […]
GME Ran Out of Options Strikes
GME stock closed at 31.58 today, +57%. This was a bit off its high of $38.38, or 90%. This stock traded 589k calls today, >375k of which expires in 2 days. Amazingly the stock “ran out” of call strikes, with the highest strikes being $40. Traders used that 1/15 expiration, $40 strike call to trade […]