In a midyear update with JLN, PanXchange CEO Julie Lerner says the hemp industry needs to turn its focus to farm economics; sees continued promise in carbon credits.
Commentary
The Spread – July 16, 2021
Options traders torn between higher Inflation and steady Fed policy; June market share up at MIAX; John Lothian talks about a World of Opportunity; SEC charges binary options shop with fraud; Moscow Exchange set to offer quarterly options on U.S. stock index futures; and the Options Institute’s Kevin Davitt talks about implied volatility in the “Term of the Week.”
The Spread – July 9, 2021
Chicago, a data destination; SEC, Robinhood and payment for order flow; John Lothian weighs in with his take; Retail trading continues to percolate; and Cboe’s Kevin Davitt explains the differences between equity and index options in the “Term of the Week.”
THE JOHN LOTHIAN NEWS DAILY UPDATE – 7/8/2021
Names for Consideration as Chair of the CFTC
I have written a letter to the President of the United States about the need for the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have a permanent chair named and confirmed. I have suggested that Rostin Behnam, the current acting chairman of the CFTC, should become the permanent chair of the Commission.
Dear Mr. President: The CFTC Needs A Permanent Chairman, Not An Acting One
Because of the importance of cotton to our nation’s beginnings and all the other commodities it residually drove the production of, the U.S. commodity and related derivatives markets are among the most important in the world. I am writing to you today to urge you to appoint a permanent chairperson of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
The Spread – July 2, 2021
Finra socks Robinhood with its biggest-ever fine; Cboe acquires Chi-X Asia Pacific; OCC reports another volume gain; NIO takes its cue from options; John Lothian weighs in with his take; Looking for volatility; and Jermal Chandler explains hedging in the options “Term of the Week.”
Look! Something New To Spoof
Every month PanXchange publishes some of the summary data they have calculated from hemp trading, collected from their trading platform and reported to them by market contacts. In addition to the indications of the ongoing weakness in many hemp prices, the June Benchmark & Analysis carried a report about what can be taken as a sign of the growing sophistication of the hemp marketplace: Hemp traders are spoofing! (Maybe not a good thing.)
The Innovator’s Dilemma Meets Fertik’s Law
The late author and Harvard professor Clayton Christensen coined the phrase “the innovator’s dilemma” in his popular book by the same name. In the book he describes why some well-run companies lose their dominant market position through the entrance of a competitor with a disruptive technology.
He uses as an example the personal computer and its smaller, slower disc drives, which disrupted “big iron” mainframe computers by offering a cheaper solution that was good enough.
The CME Group’s dominant market position in the U.S. futures market, which some classify as a monopoly, has spawned two separate challengers built on the model of the innovator’s dilemma. The Small Exchange and the Fair Exchange are seeking to disrupt the CME’s dominant position, or at least carve out a place of their own in the U.S. futures market landscape.
The Spread – June 18, 2021
Inflation really is a thing; Small traders are still big; John Lothian weighs in on the current trading landscape; and Nasdaq wins the May options market share race. All in this and the debut of the options “Term of the Week” in The Spread.
Meet El Salvador, Newest Bitcoin Paradise
On Saturday, June 5, President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador announced that he would ask his country’s legislature to declare bitcoin “legal tender” in the country. This statement was part of a pre-recorded presentation to Miami, Florida’s Bitcoin 2021 conference.
To Start a Revolution, the Small Exchange Needs Revolutionaries
An Old Idea to Start a New Revolution In a recent JLN interview, Donnie Roberts, the CEO of the Small Exchange, said he “want(ed) people to join a bit of a revolution that we feel we have started.” If Roberts is going to succeed, he is going to have to put on his...
John Lothian News Converts Coronavirus Section of JLN to Wellness Exchange
Ongoing Health and Wellness Issues a Risk for Employers and Employees to Monitor and Address The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a new risk to those addressed by this newsletter, namely the health and wellness of each of us, our families, colleagues, friends,...
The 5 Essential Shifts of Weight Loss Mastery
Excerpted from Medium: “It takes 30 days to create a new habit.” Or so we’ve been told… But in the area of weight loss mastery there are hundreds of habits to master — most of which are never discussed. This work of sustained + empowered weight mastery has been...
John Lothian Newsletter
Today’s Newsletter
Crypto Nomads: Surfing the World for Risk and Profit
First Read $51,906/$300,000 (17.3%) ++++ Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The STA is holding the 88th Annual Market Structure Conference in person on October 6-8 at the JW Marriott in Washington, DC with the title "The Great Return." That is a very good...
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JLN Options Newsletter
Today’s Newsletter
How Options Trading Is Driving Up Stocks—and Driving Them Down
Lead Stories How Options Trading Is Driving Up Stocks—and Driving Them Down Andrew Bary - Barron's Options trading by retail investors may account for the strength in the S&P 500 during the morning this year and weakness in the afternoon. The S&P 500 is up 9%...
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