Core Viewpoint - Amazon (AMZN) is identified as a suitable candidate for an iron condor strategy due to its stock being positioned between the 50 and 200-day moving averages and exhibiting high implied volatility at 36.72% compared to a twelve-month low of 22.95% [1] Group 1: Iron Condor Strategy - An iron condor strategy is designed to profit from a decrease in implied volatility while keeping the stock within a specified range [3] - The maximum profit from an iron condor is limited to the premium received, while the maximum potential loss is also capped, calculated by the difference in strike prices of the long and short options minus the premium received [3] - The strategy combines a bull put spread and a bear call spread, allowing traders to profit from time decay while expecting minimal movement in the stock price [4] Group 2: Trade Details - For the December 19 expiry, the proposed trade involves selling the $200 put and buying the $190 put for the bull put spread, and selling the $250 call and buying the $260 call for the bear call spread [4] - The iron condor is expected to generate approximately $1.80 per contract, equating to $180 of premium, with a profit zone ranging between $198.20 and $251.80 [5] - The maximum risk in this trade is calculated as $820, leading to a potential return of 13.14% when dividing the premium by the maximum risk [5]

Group 1 - The stock of Concentrix Corporation (CNXC) is experiencing significant attention due to high implied volatility in the options market, particularly for the Dec. 19, 2025 $22.5 Call option [1] - Implied volatility indicates the market's expectation of future price movement, suggesting that investors anticipate a significant change in Concentrix's stock price, potentially due to an upcoming event [2] - Concentrix currently holds a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell) in the Business – Services industry, with no analysts increasing earnings estimates for the current quarter over the last 60 days, resulting in a decrease in the Zacks Consensus Estimate from $3.31 to $2.93 per share [3] Group 2 - The high implied volatility surrounding Concentrix may indicate a developing trading opportunity, as options traders often seek to sell premium on options with such volatility, aiming to benefit from time decay [4]

Core Viewpoint - Investors in Axos Financial, Inc. should closely monitor the stock due to significant movements in the options market, particularly the high implied volatility of the Jan 16, 2026 $32.2 Call option [1] Group 1: Implied Volatility - Implied volatility indicates the market's expectations for future stock movement, with high levels suggesting potential significant price changes or upcoming events that could lead to a rally or sell-off [2] - The current high implied volatility for Axos Financial options may signal a developing trading opportunity, as options traders often seek to sell premium on such options to capture decay [4] Group 2: Analyst Insights - Axos Financial holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) within the Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry, which is in the top 30% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Axos Financial's current quarter earnings has increased from $1.98 per share to $2.01 per share, indicating positive sentiment among analysts [3]

Company Overview - UFP Industries, Inc. (UFPI) is currently experiencing significant attention from investors due to high implied volatility in its options market, particularly the Jan 16, 2026 $65 Call option [1] - The company holds a Zacks Rank of 5 (Strong Sell) within the Building Products – Wood industry, which is positioned in the bottom 6% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] Analyst Sentiment - Over the past 30 days, no analysts have increased their earnings estimates for UFP Industries for the current quarter, while two analysts have revised their estimates downward, leading to a decrease in the Zacks Consensus Estimate from $1.14 per share to $1.06 [3] Options Market Dynamics - The high implied volatility suggests that options traders are anticipating a significant price movement for UFP Industries shares, which could indicate an upcoming event that may lead to a substantial rally or sell-off [2][4] - Options traders often seek to sell premium on options with high implied volatility, aiming to benefit from the decay of the option's value if the underlying stock does not move as much as expected by expiration [4]

Core Insights - Investors in SouthState Bank Corporation (SSB) should monitor stock movements due to high implied volatility in the options market, particularly the Dec. 19, 2025 $35 Call option [1] Company Overview - SouthState Bank is currently rated as Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) within the Banks – Southeast industry, which ranks in the top 7% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the last 60 days, four analysts have raised their earnings estimates for the current quarter, resulting in an increase of the Zacks Consensus Estimate from $2.23 per share to $2.29 [3] Market Sentiment - The high implied volatility suggests that options traders anticipate significant movement in SouthState Bank shares, potentially indicating an upcoming event that could lead to a major price change [2][4] - Options traders often seek to sell premium on options with high implied volatility, aiming to benefit from the decay of the option's value if the underlying stock does not move as much as expected [4]

Core Insights - Investors in PTC Inc. should monitor stock movements due to significant activity in the options market, particularly the Jan 16, 2025 $125.00 Call, which has high implied volatility [1] Group 1: Implied Volatility - Implied volatility indicates the market's expectation of future price movement, suggesting that a significant event may be anticipated that could lead to a major price change [2] - High implied volatility in options often signals that traders expect a substantial move in the underlying stock, which could be due to an upcoming event [2] Group 2: Analyst Opinions - PTC currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) in the Computer - Software Industry, which is in the top 22% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 60 days, two analysts have raised their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while three have lowered theirs, resulting in a net increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate from $1.57 to $1.68 per share [3] Group 3: Trading Strategies - The high implied volatility may indicate a developing trading opportunity, as seasoned options traders often seek to sell premium on options with high implied volatility to capture decay [4] - The goal for these traders is for the underlying stock to not move as much as initially expected by expiration [4]

Core Insights - Investors in Iridium Communications Inc. (IRDM) should monitor stock movements due to significant activity in the options market, particularly the April 17, 2026 $2.50 Put, which has high implied volatility [1] Company Analysis - Iridium is currently rated as Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) within the Satellite and Communication industry, which is positioned in the bottom 35% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 60 days, no analysts have raised their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while five analysts have lowered their estimates, resulting in a decrease in the Zacks Consensus Estimate from earnings of 26 cents per share to 24 cents [3] Options Market Insights - The high implied volatility surrounding Iridium shares suggests that options traders anticipate a significant price movement, which could indicate an upcoming event that may lead to a substantial rally or sell-off [2][4] - Seasoned options traders often seek out options with high implied volatility to sell premium, aiming to benefit from the decay of options value as expiration approaches, hoping the underlying stock does not move as much as expected [4]

Earnings Reports - This week features earnings reports from major companies including Nvidia (NVDA), Home Depot (HD), Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT), Lowes (LOW), Palo Alto Networks (PANW), Medtronic (MDT), and PDD Holdings (PDD) [1] Implied Volatility - Implied volatility tends to be high before earnings announcements due to market uncertainty, leading to increased demand for options [2] - After earnings announcements, implied volatility typically decreases back to normal levels [3] Expected Price Movements - The expected price range for stocks can be estimated by summing the prices of at-the-money put and call options, using the first expiry date after the earnings date [3] - Specific expected price movements for the week include: - TCOM – 6.2% - HD – 4.4% - PDD – 6.7% - MDT – 3.8% - BIDU – 7.8% - NVDA – 7.7% - PANW – 7.6% - LOW – 5.1% - TGT – 9.9% - WMT – 5.1% [4] Trading Strategies - Option traders can utilize expected moves to structure trades, with bearish traders selling bear call spreads and bullish traders selling bull put spreads or looking at naked puts [5] - Neutral traders may consider iron condors, ensuring short strikes remain outside the expected range [5] - It is advisable to use risk-defined strategies and maintain small position sizes when trading options over earnings [6] High Implied Volatility Stocks - A stock screener can identify stocks with high implied volatility, using filters such as total call volume greater than 5,000, market cap greater than 40 billion, and IV rank greater than 50% [7]

Core Insights - Investors in Bath & Body Works, Inc. (BBWI) should monitor stock movements due to high implied volatility in options, particularly the Nov 21, 2025 $17.50 Call [1] Company Overview - Bath & Body Works currently holds a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell) within the Retail – Miscellaneous industry, which is in the top 36% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the last 60 days, one analyst has raised earnings estimates for the current quarter, while three have lowered theirs, resulting in a consensus estimate decrease from 42 cents to 40 cents per share [3] Market Sentiment - The high implied volatility suggests that options traders anticipate significant price movement for Bath & Body Works shares, indicating potential upcoming events that could lead to a rally or sell-off [2][4] - Options traders often seek to sell premium on options with high implied volatility, aiming to benefit from the decay of options value if the stock does not move as expected [4]

Core Viewpoint - Investors should closely monitor Farmers National Banc Corp. (FMNB) stock due to significant movements in the options market, particularly the high implied volatility of the Dec 19, 2025 $2.50 Call option [1] Company Analysis - Farmers National Banc is currently rated as Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) within the Banks – Midwest industry, which is in the top 11% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 30 days, two analysts have raised their earnings estimates for the current quarter, resulting in an increase of the Zacks Consensus Estimate from 42 cents per share to 47 cents [3] Options Market Insights - The high implied volatility suggests that options traders are anticipating a significant price movement for Farmers National Banc shares, potentially indicating an upcoming event that could lead to a major rally or sell-off [2][4] - Seasoned options traders often seek to sell premium on options with high implied volatility, aiming to benefit from the decay of the option's value if the underlying stock does not move as much as expected [4]