Options Boot Camp 405: Low Vol Trading and VIX Glitches

On this episode of Options Boot Camp, Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli tackle the challenges and opportunities of trading options in a low-volatility market.

Should you still be selling premium when volatility is cheap, or does low vol make buying options more attractive? Are single-stock options offering better opportunities than index options in the current dispersion environment? The Boot Camp instructors break down how they're approaching these markets and where they're still finding opportunities.

Then they examine the strange recent VIX glitch that briefly sent the cash index soaring while VIX futures barely moved. What caused it? Could traders actually take advantage of it? And could resting "wishlist" orders help you capitalize when markets briefly get out of line?

Plus, the instructors discuss the biggest forces driving the market right now, revisit perpetual futures, and share an update on the potential Options Boot Camp reboot.

Topics include:

• Trading options in a low-volatility environment
• Buying options vs. selling premium when volatility is cheap
• Single-stock options vs. index options
• Dispersion and individual-stock volatility
• The mysterious VIX glitch
• Why VIX futures didn't follow the cash spike
• Using resting "wishlist" orders for unusual market moves
• Perpetual futures and market liquidity
• What's driving the market right now