Volatility Views 673: Geopolitical Risk and the Death of Lone Wolf McQuade

In this episode of Volatility Views, the crew breaks down a week of intense market swings driven by escalating Middle East conflict and a stunning shift in the Fed's long-term rate outlook. We also pay tribute to the legendary Chuck Norris (1940–2026) and discuss why his passing—and the spirit of Lone Wolf McQuade—is the perfect metaphor for today's "fighting" markets. Key Topics Covered: The 2027 Pivot: Why the market is suddenly pricing in a "higher for much longer" regime, with the next potential rate move shifting toward late 2027. Geopolitical Volatility: How the Iran-Israel conflict and threats to oil supply chains are keeping the VIX term structure in a state of nervous backwardation. The Gretchen Bullseye: Russell Rhoads' model nails the VIX Cash settlement at 26.26. We look at the next prediction for the week ahead. The UVIX "Open-to-Open" Edge: A deep dive into Russell's new back-tested strategy for trading volatility ETPs over the weekend. VIX Option Flow: Analyzing the massive April 80 call interest and why the "May 47.5" trade just rolled to August. Featured Guests: Mark Longo (The Options Insider) Andrew Giovinazzi (Option Pit) Russell Rhoads (VIX Expert & Author) Links: Get more at TheOptionsInsider.com/Pro