Core Viewpoint - The discussion focuses on a conservative trading strategy for AMD, leveraging elevated implied volatility while avoiding the upcoming earnings report, which could introduce additional market volatility [2][3][5]. Group 1: Trading Strategy - The proposed trade involves selling an out-of-the-money put vertical, specifically the 210 strike put, to increase the probability of success in a bullish scenario [4][5]. - The trade aims to collect approximately $250 per spread, with a break-even point set at $207.50, which is about 6% below the current share price [5][6]. - The probability of the short 210 strike being out of the money at expiration is estimated to be around 60% [6]. Group 2: Market Context - AMD shares have experienced significant growth, up about 80% year-to-date, contributing to elevated implied volatility levels in the market [2]. - The overall market has shown considerable fluctuations, impacting AMD's stock performance, which was previously down over 1% before recovering to a 2% gain [1][5]. - The current market conditions are described as choppy, making a conservative approach more appealing for traders [7][8].

Core Insights - The earnings season has commenced with major companies such as Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM), JP Morgan Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), Bank of America (BAC), Goldman Sachs (GS), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), and American Express (AXP) set to report their earnings this week [1] Group 1: Earnings Reporting - Companies reporting earnings include TSM, JPM, WFC, BAC, GS, JNJ, and AXP [1] Group 2: Stock Screener Usage - The Stock Screener can be utilized to identify companies with significant option volume and upcoming earnings [2] - A specific scan can be conducted to find companies with total call volume greater than 1,000 and market capitalization exceeding 10 billion, with earnings dates between October 13 - 17 [3] Group 3: Trading Strategy Example - An example trading strategy involves using an iron condor for TSM, which profits from a drop in implied volatility while keeping the stock within a specified range [5] - The iron condor consists of a bull put spread and a bear call spread, with specific strike prices for options sold and bought [6] - The total premium generated from the iron condor is approximately $1.50 per contract, equating to $150 [6] Group 4: Profit Zone Calculation - The profit zone for the iron condor ranges between $278.50 and $321.50, calculated by adjusting the short strikes with the premium received [7]

Core Viewpoint - Investors should closely monitor First Horizon Corporation (FHN) stock due to significant movements in the options market, particularly the high implied volatility of the Jan 16, 2026 $3 Put option [1] Group 1: Implied Volatility - Implied volatility indicates the market's expectation of future stock movement, with high levels suggesting potential for a significant price change or an upcoming event that could trigger a rally or sell-off [2] - The current high implied volatility for First Horizon options suggests that traders anticipate a notable price movement [4] Group 2: Analyst Sentiment - First Horizon holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) in the Banks - Southwest industry, which is in the top 30% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 30 days, two analysts have raised their earnings estimates for the current quarter, increasing the Zacks Consensus Estimate from 44 cents to 45 cents per share [3]

Core Viewpoint - Investors should closely monitor Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (MMC) stock due to significant implied volatility in the options market, particularly for the Dec 19, 2025 $135.00 Call option [1] Company Analysis - Marsh & McLennan currently holds a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell) within the Insurance - Brokerage industry, which is in the top 38% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 60 days, no analysts have raised their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while four analysts have lowered their estimates, resulting in a decrease in the Zacks Consensus Estimate from $1.81 to $1.80 per share [3] Options Market Insights - The high implied volatility suggests that options traders anticipate a significant price movement for Marsh & McLennan shares, potentially indicating an upcoming event that could lead to a major 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 Viewpoint - The earnings season is commencing with significant reports from major banks and tech companies, indicating a pivotal week for stock performance [1]. Earnings Reports - Key companies reporting this week include Bank of America (BAC), Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM), JP Morgan (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), Citigroup (C), Morgan Stanley (MS), Goldman Sachs (GS), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), and ASML Holdings (ASML) [1]. Implied Volatility - Prior to earnings announcements, implied volatility tends to be high due to market uncertainty, leading to increased demand for options [2]. - After earnings announcements, implied volatility typically decreases 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 [3]. - Expected price movements for specific stocks are as follows: - Monday: FAST – 5.6% - Tuesday: C – 5.6%, GS – 5.6%, JNJ – 3.3%, JPM – 5.0%, WFC – 5.3% - Wednesday: ASML – 7.9%, BAC – 5.0%, MS – 5.1% - Thursday: IBKR – 6.5%, ISRG – 8.7%, SCHW – 5.7%, TSM – 6.8% - Friday: AXP – 5.3%, SLB – 5.5% [4]. Trading Strategies - Traders can utilize expected price movements to structure their trades, with bearish traders selling bear call spreads and bullish traders selling bull put spreads or using naked puts [5]. - Neutral traders may consider iron condors, ensuring short strikes remain outside the expected range [5]. Risk Management - It is advisable to employ risk-defined strategies and maintain small position sizes when trading options over earnings [6]. - A full loss from a trade should ideally not impact the portfolio by more than 1-3% [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 over 40 billion, and IV rank above 60% [7].

Core Viewpoint - Investors in Birkenstock Holding PLC should closely monitor the stock due to significant movements in the options market, particularly the high implied volatility of the Oct 17, 2025 $22.00 Call option [1] Company Analysis - Birkenstock Holding PLC currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) in the Shoes and Retail Apparel Industry, which is positioned in the bottom 31% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 60 days, four analysts have raised their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while none have lowered their estimates, resulting in a flat Zacks Consensus Estimate of 40 cents per share for the current quarter [3] Options Market Insights - The high implied volatility surrounding Birkenstock Holding PLC suggests that options traders are anticipating 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 the option's value if the underlying stock does not move as much as expected by expiration [4]

Core Insights - Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. (KD) is experiencing significant attention from investors due to high implied volatility in its options market, particularly the Jan 16, 2026 $10.00 Call option [1] - The current Zacks Rank for Kyndryl Holdings is 5 (Strong Sell), indicating a negative outlook within the Technology Services industry, which ranks in the top 37% of Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 60 days, no analysts have increased their earnings estimates for Kyndryl, and one analyst has revised the estimate downward, leading to a consensus estimate decrease from 36 cents to 35 cents per share for the current quarter [3] Options Market Analysis - The high implied volatility suggests that options traders are anticipating a significant price movement for Kyndryl Holdings 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 [4]

Group 1 - The stock of BCP Investment Corporation (BCIC) is experiencing significant attention due to high implied volatility in the options market, particularly for the Oct 17, 2025 $2.50 Call option [1] - Implied volatility indicates the market's expectation of future price movement, suggesting that investors anticipate a significant price change or an upcoming event that could lead to a major rally or sell-off [2] - BCP Investment currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) in the Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry, which is in the top 35% of the Zacks Industry Rank, with recent earnings estimates for the current quarter increasing from 46 cents to 49 cents per share [3] Group 2 - The high implied volatility for BCP Investment may indicate a developing trading opportunity, as options traders often seek to sell premium on options with high implied volatility to capture decay [4]

Group 1 - The stock of Century Aluminum Company (CENX) is experiencing significant attention due to high implied volatility in the options market, particularly the Oct 17, 2025 $16.00 Put option [1] - Implied volatility indicates the market's expectation of future price movement, suggesting that investors anticipate a significant change in the stock's price, potentially due to an upcoming event [2] - Century Aluminum holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) in the Metal Products - Procurement and Fabrication industry, which is in the top 9% of the Zacks Industry Rank, indicating a positive outlook [3] Group 2 - Over the past 60 days, one analyst has raised earnings estimates for Century Aluminum for the current quarter, increasing the Zacks Consensus Estimate from 81 cents to 88 cents per share [3] - The high implied volatility may signal a developing trading opportunity, as options traders often seek to sell premium on options with elevated implied volatility, aiming to benefit from time decay [4]

Core Viewpoint - Investors in CAE Inc. should closely monitor the stock due to significant movements in the options market, particularly the high implied volatility of the Oct. 17, 2025 $Put option [1] Group 1: Implied Volatility - Implied volatility indicates the market's expectations for future stock movement, with high levels suggesting potential for a significant price change or an upcoming event that could trigger a rally or sell-off [2] - The current high implied volatility for CAE 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 Sentiment - CAE currently holds a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) within the Aerospace - Defense Equipment industry, which is in the top 24% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 60 days, no analysts have increased earnings estimates for CAE's current quarter, while nine analysts have lowered their estimates, resulting in a decrease of the Zacks Consensus Estimate from 18 cents per share to 15 cents [3]