Markets are pricing a roughly 70% chance of a rate hike at the September 16 FOMC, and August CPI is the last inflation print the Fed sees before deciding. A look at what the option market is implying, the gamma setup into Friday’s expiration, and the three scenarios that matter.
dealer gamma
Gamma Guy with tastylive: Options Positioning Pins the Index While Tech Names Make Moves
Brent Kochuba, founder of SpotGamma, broke down September OPEX positioning, 0DTE flows and cheap IWM hedges on tastylive Tuesday, September 8.
Oracle Earnings Preview: $638B AI Backlog vs. an 11.5% Options Implied Move
Oracle reports fiscal Q1 2027 after the close on Thursday, September 10. The September 11 options are pricing an unusually large move, dealer gamma is tilted positive below current prices, and CPI lands before Friday’s open.
AI Infrastructure Runs Hot into September
August closed with robust corporate earnings, and nowhere was that clearer than in the AI trade stocks. Last week’s standout report came from Dell (DELL), which jumped 16% after beating estimates and raising guidance. Dell is a leading server provider for AI data center infrastructure. Its results echoed what Nvidia (NVDA) showed a week earlier: […]
Broadcom is the Next AI Focused Catalyst
Fundamentals Broadcom (AVGO) is the most important remaining AI hardware earnings report of the week, providing investors with a different read on AI spending compared to Nvidia. Nvidia tells us about demand for general-purpose GPUs, while Broadcom tells us about custom AI accelerators, networking, hyperscaler silicon programs, and the increasingly competitive threat to Nvidia from […]
Software Earnings Reignite Risk Appetite
Market sentiment was mixed last week following NVDA earnings and Jackson Hole. While NVDA’s solid outlook pushed the market to within inches of all-time highs, Warsh’s hawkish tone seemed to increase the probability of a September rate hike. Throughout August, the S&P 500 has closed in a narrow 2.6% band (SPX 7,600 – 7,800). The […]
NVDA Earnings: The Options Market May Be Underpricing This Move
NVDA reports Wednesday after the close with the options market pricing a 5.5% move — below its 7.4% average realized move over the last 12 quarters. Dealers are short gamma above $220, call skew sits at the 81st percentile, and a distorted term structure opens up a calendar spread setup.
Volatility Has Compressed. What Happens Next?
The S&P 500 pulled back slightly last week, and the market’s recent volatility compression phase appears ready for a reset. With earnings season largely over, both index and single stock volatility have dropped from the elevated levels that prevailed earlier this summer. Our pre-market Founder’s Note on Friday explained how substantial short-options positions cleared with […]
How Traders Can Play Low Volatility Environments
The S&P 500 has spent much of the summer grinding steadily higher to achieve record highs. Meanwhile, implied volatility has reset toward yearly lows for both major indices and many single stocks. When options become this cheap, the price of volatility itself can open new trading opportunities. The Term Structure chart reveals current SPX at-the-money […]
Welcome to the Summer Melt-Up
The S&P 500 delivered a high octane four-day run last week, establishing all-time highs with a 6% rise from weekly lows. Shifting interest rate expectations, easing Middle East tensions, and strong corporate earnings powered the dramatic rally. The sharp surge brought out notable divergences across the tech space. Software outperformed the broader market, with strong […]