Core Viewpoint - Investors in Bruker Corporation (BRKR) should closely monitor the stock due to significant movements in the options market, particularly the high implied volatility of the Dec 19, 2025 $55.00 Put option [1] Company Analysis - Bruker is currently rated as a Zacks Rank 5 (Strong Sell) within the Instruments - Scientific industry, which is positioned in the bottom 1% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Bruker's current quarter earnings has decreased from 37 cents per share to 33 cents per share [3] Options Market Insights - The high implied volatility surrounding Bruker shares indicates that options traders are anticipating a significant price movement, which could be linked to an upcoming event that may trigger a substantial rally or sell-off [2][4] - 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]

It's time for the big three. We've got three stocks, three charts, and three trades. Rick Ducat, of course, taking us through the charts today.And here to take us through the trades is Don Kaufman, co-founder of Theo Trade. Great to have you both with us. Don, let's kick things off right with this first pick you've got for us today.Lenar in the homebuilder space, heavily under pressure. Although, as I was looking at their chart, they are trying to stage a bit of a rally here. >> Yeah, and that's exactly wha ...

Group 1 - Steel Dynamics, Inc. (STLD) is experiencing significant activity in the options market, particularly with the Nov 21, 2025 $75.00 Put showing high implied volatility, indicating potential for a major price movement [1] - Implied volatility reflects market expectations for future stock movement, suggesting that investors anticipate a significant event that could lead to a rally or sell-off [2] - Steel Dynamics currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) in the Steel - Producers industry, which is in the bottom 30% of the Zacks Industry Rank, indicating a less favorable outlook [3] Group 2 - Over the past 60 days, earnings estimates for Steel Dynamics have seen mixed revisions, with one analyst increasing estimates while two have decreased them, resulting in a consensus estimate drop from $2.56 to $2.51 per share for the current quarter [3] - The high implied volatility may present trading opportunities, as options traders often seek to sell premium on such options, hoping the stock does not move as much as expected by expiration [4]

Group 1 - The stock of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) is experiencing significant attention due to high implied volatility in the options market, particularly for the Jan. 16, 2026 $80 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] - Currently, Intercontinental Exchange holds a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) in the Securities and Exchanges industry, which is in the bottom 34% of the Zacks Industry Rank, with recent downward revisions in earnings estimates from analysts [3] Group 2 - The high implied volatility surrounding Intercontinental Exchange may indicate a developing trading opportunity, as options traders often seek to sell premium on options with high implied volatility to capture decay [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter has decreased from $1.72 per share to $1.64 due to analysts revising their earnings estimates downward [3]

Group 1 - The stock of Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (AMG) is experiencing significant attention due to high implied volatility in the options market, particularly the Dec 19, 2025 $85.00 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] - Affiliated Managers currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) in the Financial - Investment Management industry, which is in the top 27% of the Zacks Industry Rank, with recent earnings estimates increasing from $5.65 to $5.83 per share [3] Group 2 - The high implied volatility may indicate a developing trading opportunity, as options traders often seek to sell premium on options with such volatility, aiming to benefit from the stock not moving as much as expected [4]

Core Insights - Investors in AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (AVB) should monitor stock movements due to high implied volatility in the options market, particularly for the Jan. 16, 2025 $20 Call option [1] Company Analysis - AvalonBay Communities currently holds a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) within the REIT and Equity Trust – Residential industry, which is positioned in the bottom 39% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 60 days, no analysts have increased their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while three analysts have lowered their estimates, resulting in a decrease of the Zacks Consensus Estimate from $2.82 per share to $2.81 [3] Options Market Insights - The high implied volatility suggests that options traders are anticipating a significant price movement for AvalonBay Communities shares, indicating potential upcoming events that could lead to a major rally or sell-off [2][3] - 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 - This week is significant for earnings reports from major tech and industrial companies, including Tesla, Netflix, Intel, and others, indicating a pivotal moment for stock performance [1]. Earnings Reports Schedule - **Monday**: No notable reports [4] - **Tuesday**: - Netflix (NFLX) expected move: 7.9% - Coca-Cola (KO) expected move: 2.9% - General Motors (GM) expected move: 6.5% - General Electric (GE) expected move: 6.5% - Capital One Financial (COF) expected move: 6.4% - Texas Instruments (TXN) expected move: 7.36% - Philip Morris (PM) expected move: 5.9% [4] - **Wednesday**: - Tesla (TSLA) expected move: 7.9% - Boston Scientific (BSX) expected move: 4.9% - AT&T (T) expected move: 4.4% - Vertiv (VRT) expected move: 11.4% - IBM expected move: 7.2% - Lam Research (LRCX) expected move: 7.8% - Genworth Financial (GEV) expected move: 8.4% - Kinder Morgan (KMI) expected move: 3.4% [5] - **Thursday**: - Intel (INTC) expected move: 12.1% - Ford (F) expected move: 6.1% - Freeport McMoRan (FCX) expected move: 5.5% - Newmont Mining (NEM) expected move: 7.1% - Blackstone (BX) expected move: 5.6% [6] - **Friday**: - Procter & Gamble (PG) expected move: 3.4% [6] Trading Strategies - Traders can utilize expected moves to structure trades: - Bearish traders may consider selling bear call spreads outside the expected range - Bullish traders can sell bull put spreads outside the expected range or opt for naked puts for higher risk tolerance - Neutral traders might look into iron condors, ideally keeping short strikes outside the expected range [6]. - It is advisable to employ risk-defined strategies and maintain small position sizes when trading options over earnings [7].

Core Viewpoint - Investors in ServiceTitan, Inc. (TTAN) should closely monitor the stock due to significant movements in the options market, particularly the high implied volatility of the Sept. 17, 2025 $50 Call option [1] Company Analysis - ServiceTitan is currently rated as a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) in the Internet – Software industry, which ranks in the top 27% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the last 60 days, five analysts have raised their earnings estimates for the current quarter, increasing the Zacks Consensus Estimate from 8 cents per share to 15 cents per share [3] Options Market Insights - The high implied volatility surrounding ServiceTitan shares 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 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 - The article discusses the importance of two volatility metrics, skew ratio and convexity, in understanding market sentiment and uncertainty [4][6][13] - It emphasizes that while skew ratio indicates potential market direction, convexity is crucial for assessing the cost of risk in out-of-the-money options [3][5][13] Group 1: Euro Futures Market - In early March 2025, the Euro futures market experienced a rally, with the skew ratio increasing from 0.90 to 1.05, indicating a bullish sentiment [5] - The rise in convexity during this period reflected increased uncertainty due to the introduction of tariffs [5] - By April 2025, convexity rose again, suggesting that the market was anticipating an imminent move, supported by the skew ratio indicating a likely upside trend [5] Group 2: Wheat Prices and Geopolitical Conflicts - Wheat prices surged from approximately $7.50 to over $9 per bushel amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict in October 2022 [8] - The increase in the skew ratio during this period reflected a bullish sentiment among traders [8] - However, the concurrent rise in convexity indicated growing uncertainty about the market's direction, with traders seeking protection against potential price movements [8] Group 3: Copper Market Dynamics - In April 2025, discussions around proposed copper tariffs led to increased market protection seeking, reflected in a rising skew ratio for front-month copper futures [11] - The simultaneous increase in convexity suggested conflicting sentiments in the market, as participants anticipated potential price increases while also hedging against uncertainty [11]

Core Viewpoint - Investors in Cantaloupe, Inc. (CTLP) should closely monitor the stock due to significant movements in the options market, particularly the high implied volatility of the Dec 19, 2025 $5 Call option [1] Company Analysis - Cantaloupe is currently rated as a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell) within the Financial Transaction Services industry, which ranks in the top 22% of the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - Over the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter has increased from 7 cents per share to 8 cents per share [3] Options Market Insights - The high implied volatility suggests that options traders are anticipating a significant price movement for Cantaloupe shares, potentially indicating an upcoming event that could lead to a major rally or sell-off [2][4] - 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]