The markets are showing a splash of green as we break down a wild week in trading with The Flowmaster Henry Schwartz (Cboe Global Markets) and Uncle Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management). From the unprecedented 20% weekly surge in Silver to the aggressive rotation out of Mag 7 tech and into Biotechs and Small Caps, this episode covers the critical moves every options trader needs to know. Plus, we look ahead to a heavy earnings week and reveal the panel's official 2026 VIX Crystal Ball predictions.

The Trading Block: The "Meme-ification" of Silver

• The Silver Surge: Why Uncle Mike thinks Silver has officially entered "meme stock" territory after a staggering 20% move in one week.

• Market Rotation: Is the Mag 7 reign over? We discuss the rotation into the Russell 2000 (IWM) and the energy sector.

• Volatility Check: VIX comes back to earth toward the 15 handle, but the VVX remains "frothy" at 98.

The Odd Block: Unusual Activity in Small-Cap Tech and Bio

• Ardelyx (ARDX): Aggressive call buying in this biotech after a legal dismissal. Is there a clinical catalyst on the horizon?

• T1 Energy (TE): A massive sweep in the February 10 calls. Why Henry is keeping a "steely gaze" on alternative energy.

• Clearway Energy (CWEN): Unusual March 40 call buyers as the clean energy sector sees a resurgence.

The Mail Block: The 2026 VIX Crystal Ball

• The panel places their official bets on where the VIX will close on December 31st, 2026.

Around the Block: Earnings & Geopolitics

• Earnings Watch: Initial results from Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and Taiwan Semi (TSM).

• Looking Ahead: Previewing moves for Netflix (NFLX), United Airlines (UAL), Intel (INTC), and Charles Schwab (SCHW).

• The Global Picture: Keeping an eye on Venezuela, Iran, and the upcoming STA Conference in Chicago.

Kick off the second full trading week of 2026 with Mark Longo (The Options Insider Media Group) and Uncle Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management) as they navigate a market that seemingly "doesn't give an F" about geopolitical turmoil. From potential military interventions to the Fed chair vs. the President, the panel breaks down why the S&P 500 continues to climb a wall of worry while the VIX remains suppressed.

In this episode, we break down:

• The Trading Block: A look at the "Mad New Year" so far. Why is the VIX ignoring the headlines? Plus, a deep dive into the massive volume in Tesla ($TSLA), Nvidia ($NVDA), and the return of the Feb 15 VIX puts.

• The Odd Block: Unusual activity in newcomers Standard Lithium ($SLI) and Amprius Technologies ($AMPX). Is someone getting "AMP'd" up for a breakout?

• Smurfette Returns: We revisit the corrugated packaging play Smurfit WestRock ($SMURF). Is the Feb 50 call a smart overwrite or a speculative gamble ahead of earnings?

• Strategy Block: Uncle Mike discusses the current bond environment and why it might finally be time to look at covered calls on $IEF or $TLT for extra yield.

• Around the Block: What to expect from the official kickoff of earnings season with the big banks (JPM, WFC, BAC) reporting later this week.

The first Thursday of the new trading year is here, and the panel is back to break down a wild start to 2026. From record-breaking volume milestones to unusual activity in AI beauty tech and defense drones, the team dives deep into the forces shaping the market this week.

• The Trading Block: Mark Longo (The Options Insider), Uncle Mike Tosaw (St. Charles Wealth Management), and the Flowmaster Henry Schwartz (Cboe) review a mixed start to the session. While the S&P 500 struggles for direction ahead of the jobs number, small caps (IWM) are off to the races—up 5% year-to-date.

• 2025 Year in Review: Henry Schwartz provides an exclusive data deep dive into the sixth straight record-breaking year for options.

  • Average Daily Volume (ADV): Nearly 61 million contracts.

  • The 15 Billionth Contract: Henry reveals he tracked down the exact moment the milestone occurred—a spread in CoreWeave on the day after Christmas.

  • Strike Proliferation: The industry has officially topped 2 million individual strikes available for trade.

• Odd Block: Things get weird with unusual activity in:

  • Caesars Entertainment (CZR): Heavy put volume and long-dated March 33 calls.

  • Oddity Tech (ODD): A massive $640k bet on April 50 calls for this AI-driven beauty company.

  • Vision-Wave (VWA): Bullish drone play with volume 16x the norm following geopolitical defense headlines.

• Mail Block: The team discusses how to track the growth of new retail accounts and why "buying the dip" continues to be a dominant, albeit debated, strategy.

• Around the Block: Predictions for the upcoming Supreme Court tariff decision, a preview of financial earnings (JPM, BAC, GS), and why the "Mag 10" equal-weighted index is the new one to watch.