TOP STORY
Higher volatility seen for energy ETF
xle Fri 12:19 PM CT
The volatility of a key energy fund has fallen sharply as shares have risen, but one trader is betting that the rate will climb again in the next few weeks.


'Fast Money': Split on the future
rimm fcx clf aa hgsi gs cve cvx cov btu Fri 5:42 PM CT
As the markets end a strong month with a lackluster final session, the CNBC panel disagrees over the near-term direction of trading.

WEBCAST:  Butterfly on the VIX
vix spx Fri 12:54 PM CT
Group One's Jamie Tyrrell says one large investor is positioning for a potential volatility pop before September using a three-way strategy, while others are selling the upside in August.

Trader sees top in Questcor Pharma
qcor Fri 11:39 AM CT
Heavy selling of September calls pushed total option volume in the high-flying drug maker to 13 times greater than average.

Bullish pattern active on Goldman chart
gs xlf Fri 11:11 AM CT
The bullish "pennant" formation became active yesterday when the bank's stock broke above the top of the pattern.

Traders bet against recovery in retail
xrt Fri 10:27 AM CT
The XRT exchange-traded fund has had a tough time of late, and option traders so far today don't see a recovery in the near future.

WEBCAST:  Ratio spread on JDS Uniphase
jdsu Fri 9:37 AM CT
Chris McKhann says one bearish trader wants to leverage a small decline in the maker of communications gear.

Pactiv put seller feels the pain
ptv Fri 8:43 AM CT
The trader apparently was trying to follow a common pattern of selling options before the release of earnings in a bid to capture income from rich premiums.

WEBCAST:  VIX holds key level
gs fcx goog mrk cvx vix spx Fri 8:39 AM CT
Pete says U.S. stocks are under pressure as the volatility index refuses to fall below its key 200-day moving average and overseas markets fall.

Behind the Trade: TER, HES, QCOM
TER HES QCOM XLNX SD Fri 7:55 AM CT
Here are some strategies behind key option activity on a wide variety of names yesterday at the height of earnings season

Futures decline after GDP release
wfr mrk agn l hum vrsn vmc Fri 7:43 AM CT
The GDP number came in at 2.4 percent, slightly below the consensus estimate of 2.5 percent. Asian markets were weaker overnight, with Europe following that trend.

MetLife gains on strong earnings
bwa cstr met goog crl mrk Fri 7:33 AM CT
BorgWarner raises forecasts; Charles River cancels Wuxi buy; Coinstar falls on guidance; Merck reports mixed results; Google down as China pages are blocked.

Cramer: Circuit breakers miss problem
csco c dbd wpo Fri 7:21 AM CT
We have not yet come up with a regimen that deals with the actual problem: a system where no one has responsibility for their bids and offers.

Large bullish bet on Ultra Petroleum
upl Fri 12:11 AM CT
A large trader turned bullish on the oil and gas company late yesterday, buying calls in heavy volume ahead of its earnings report this morning.

Bearish strategy on regional banks
kre Fri 12:08 AM CT
One investor is positioning for a drop in the sector using the SPDR KBW Regional Banking exchange-traded fund.

Index levels remains stuck in neutral
ndx qqqq spx spy ^rut iwm Fri 12:05 AM CT
The net effect of yesterday's trading was to end, at least for the Nasdaq 100 and the S&P 500, pretty much at dead center of the session's range.

Trader thinks Siderurgica will hold
sid eem Fri 12:03 AM CT
The Brazilian steelmaker found support at its 50-day moving average last week and is now fighting its way above its 200-day average.