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Kevin Samel

Options & Derivatives Analyst

Kevin Samel covers options flow, dealer positioning, and volatility for StreetAlpha. He focuses on translating order-book mechanics into setups active traders can read on the tape.

optionsgamma exposuredealer positioningvolatilityIVwhale flowdark poolderivativesGreeks
whale-flow TSLA Monday, July 6, 2026
TSLA Net Options Flow Turns Sharply Negative Despite Q2 Delivery Beat
Tesla options flow flipped to $157M net bearish today. Put clusters at $395 and $390 suggest hedging ahead of July 22 earnings despite strong Q2 deliveries.
whale-flow SNDK Friday, July 3, 2026
SNDK Options Flow Turns Net Bearish Despite Street Price Targets Rising
Institutional options flow in SNDK printed $184M net bearish today. Put activity concentrates near $1,640 while call flow clusters at strikes far above spot.
macro Wednesday, July 1, 2026
The Yield Curve: What It Gets Right, What It Misses, and Why Timing Is Everything
The yield curve has predicted every recession since 1970. It has also stayed inverted for years before trouble arrived. Here is what the signal actually…
whale-flow AMD Wednesday, July 1, 2026
AMD Draws $79M in Bullish Options Premium Ahead of Advancing AI Event
Options flow in AMD skews heavily bullish today with $79.3M net premium. Call activity clusters around July expiries as traders position ahead of the July…
general Monday, June 29, 2026
The VIX: What It Actually Measures and How to Use It
The VIX measures expected S&P 500 volatility over 30 days, not fear. Here's what it actually tells you and how traders use it.
whale-flow NVDA Wednesday, June 24, 2026
NVDA Options Flow Flashes $103.8M Bearish Tilt as Puts Cluster at Nearby Strikes
NVDA net premium came in at negative $103.8M today as repeated put prints target strikes near current price. The positioning suggests hedging more than…
equities SPX Wednesday, June 24, 2026
S&P 500 at 7,473: Why 7,795 Remains a Reasonable Year-End Target
With the S&P 500 near 7,473, the 7,795 target implies 4.3% upside. Multiples are elevated but AI earnings are supporting the premium.
whale-flow PLTR Friday, June 19, 2026
PLTR Options Flow Shows $155M Bearish Tilt Amid 26% Drawdown
PLTR saw $155.7M in net bearish premium today despite visible call accumulation. The disconnect between headline flow and delta may signal hedging, not…
macro Friday, June 19, 2026
Canada Retail Sales Rise 0.5% in April, But Volumes Tell a Different Story
Canadian retail sales climbed 0.5% in April on higher gas prices, but volume data suggests consumers are trimming budgets as energy costs bite.
whale-flow SNDK Wednesday, June 17, 2026
SNDK Sees $71M in Bearish Options Flow as Puts Stack Up
SanDisk drew $71.2M in net bearish options premium today, with January 2027 $1650 puts absorbing nearly $6M across repeated fills. Flow reads like…
options Monday, June 15, 2026
IV Rank vs IV Percentile: Reading Implied Volatility the Right Way
IV Rank and IV Percentile both measure where implied volatility sits relative to history, but they answer different questions. Here's when to use each.
macro SPY Monday, June 15, 2026
Ed Yardeni Says He Hasn't Been Bullish Enough on Stocks
Ed Yardeni, Wall Street's most bullish strategist, admits he underestimated the rally and now forecasts S&P 500 at 8,250 by year end.
options Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Call Walls and Put Walls: How Options Strikes Become Support and Resistance
Options dealers hedging large open interest positions create mechanical support and resistance. Here's how call walls cap rallies and put walls cushion…
whale-flow TSLA Wednesday, June 10, 2026
TSLA Put Flow Surges as Net Premium Hits -$64M
Tesla's options market prints net bearish with $64.3M in negative premium impact, driven by concentrated put buying across the $390-$455 strike range.
ai Friday, June 5, 2026
Why AI Trading Backtests Fail When Money Gets Real
AI trading systems that crush backtests often collapse live. Here's why the gap exists and how serious quants address it.
whale-flow SNDK Tuesday, June 2, 2026
SNDK Sees $126M Net Bullish Premium as Calls Cluster Near ATH
Sandisk drew $126M in net bullish premium today with call activity concentrated around the $1770-$1820 zone. Long-dated put buying hints at portfolio…
macro Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Beijing Lets Independent Refiners Cut Output as Inventories Cushion Hormuz Shock
China's NDRC authorized some money-losing independent refiners to reduce June throughput, betting strategic stockpiles and falling domestic demand can…
tech Monday, June 1, 2026
The AI Capex Cycle: Who Benefits and What Breaks It
The AI capex cycle is funneling hundreds of billions into chips, servers, and power. Here's how the money flows and what could stop it.
whale-flow ASTS Monday, June 1, 2026
ASTS Options Flow Shows $55M Net Bearish Tilt Despite Call Clusters
ASTS logged $55.2M net bearish options premium today, with call clusters at the $110-$120 strikes showing descending fill patterns that suggest selling…
macro SPY Monday, June 1, 2026
S&P 500 At 7,580 On The Same Headlines: Dealer Mechanics Explain The Drift
The S&P 500 closed May at 7,580.06, a new record, even as Fed hike expectations pushed out and GDP estimates fell. Positioning and flow mechanics help…
macro JPM Sunday, May 31, 2026
Jamie Dimon Calls for American Industrial Buildout, Backs Warsh's Fed Critique
Dimon advocates stockpiling rare earths over bitcoin, endorses Warsh's view that the Fed overstepped, and says the U.S. must rebuild its industrial base.
macro Saturday, May 30, 2026
Why Britain's Bond Market Is Sounding the Alarm
UK gilt yields hit multi-decade highs after local election losses for Labour raised questions about fiscal discipline and PM Starmer's future.
whale-flow MSFT Friday, May 29, 2026
MSFT Pulls $74.9M Bullish Premium as Traders Stack Calls Into Summer
Microsoft options flow nets $74.9M bullish premium today, driven by repeated call activity at near-term strikes and longer-dated positioning out to 2027.
whale-flow AMD Thursday, May 28, 2026
AMD Options Flow: $83M in Bearish Premium vs. Scattered Call Buying
AMD's options flow turned negative Thursday with $83M in bearish premium impact. Put positioning below $500 contrasts with small call accumulation near term.
whale-flow MU Wednesday, May 27, 2026
MU Sees $235M Bullish Net Premium Amid LEAPS Call Accumulation
Micron options flow prints $234.9M bullish net premium. LEAPS calls at $1550 and $1600 strikes see accumulation ahead of late June earnings.
ai Tuesday, May 26, 2026
AI Options Trading: How Algorithms Read Flow, GEX, and Dealer Positioning
How AI systems parse options flow, gamma exposure, and dealer hedging to generate trading signals. A breakdown of the mechanics, limits, and edge cases.
whale-flow GOOGL Tuesday, May 26, 2026
GOOGL Puts Draw $36M Net Premium as Institutions Lean Defensive
Institutional options flow in GOOGL turned bearish with $36.4M net premium to puts. A $1.06M January 2027 put leads the tape alongside scattered call hedges.
macro Tuesday, May 26, 2026
UK Gilt Yields Retreat to Five-Week Lows as Political Turmoil Fades
UK 10-year gilt yields dropped roughly 30 basis points from recent highs as Labour's leadership crisis stabilized and soft economic data cut into rate hike…
whale-flow AAPL Monday, May 25, 2026
AAPL Flow Shows $80M Bullish Tilt With Deep ITM Calls Getting Accumulation
AAPL institutional flow nets $80.3M bullish today, anchored by $4.5M in deep calls at the $275 strike. Short-dated put activity suggests hedging, not direction.
macro BTC Monday, May 25, 2026
Bitcoin Sits 39% Below Its All-Time High. What Gets It Back to $126K?
Bitcoin peaked at $126,000 in October 2025, then retreated. Seven months later, BTC trades near $77,000, and the path back to new highs depends on catalysts…
ai SPY Monday, May 25, 2026
Can AI Beat the S&P 500? Reading the Live Performance Data
AI trading systems post impressive backtests, but live performance tells a different story. Here's how to read the data without getting fooled.
news WMT Monday, May 25, 2026
Retailers vs. AI Platforms: The Battle for the Checkout Layer
Major retailers are embedding their own AI assistants inside ChatGPT and Gemini, rejecting platform-native checkout in favor of proprietary experiences. The figures…
whale-flow NVDA Monday, May 25, 2026
NVDA Options Flow Tilts Bearish: $111M Net Premium Sold
Today's NVDA options flow registered a net -$111.3M premium impact, with institutional prints clustering around June puts and near-term calls at the $210 strike.