Gianluca Longinotti is an experienced trader, advisor, and financial analyst with over a decade of professional experience in the banking sector, trading, and investment services. Known for his rigorous approach and deep understanding of market dynamics, Gianluca specializes in derivatives and cyclical analysis, with a strong emphasis on options trading strategies and macroeconomic frameworks.
Gianluca is the founder of Cycle Quest, a project focused on applying cyclical models to financial markets, economic indicators, and more. With an international academic background and a passion for data-driven decision-making, Gianluca empowers traders and investors with expert insights, clear strategy frameworks, and cutting-edge tools.
Education
- Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from University of Brescia (Italy)
- Two Master’s Degrees in Economics and Empirical Finance from Sorbonne University (France)
References
- Founder at Cycle Quest
- Contributor at Traders Union
- Author at Tokize.com
- Author at Crypto Adventure
Experience
- Over a decade of experience trading options, with a focus on defined-risk strategies such as vertical spreads, iron condors, and diagonals
- Deep understanding of options pricing models like Black-Scholes and binomial trees, applied daily to position evaluation
- Active user of the CBOE indices as a benchmark to build and test different trading strategies with options
- Expert in managing trades using the Greeks (Delta, Theta, etc.) to dynamically adjust risk
- I regularly post live trade setups and market reads on Gianluca’s Trades via the Option Samurai blog and my personal Stocktwits profile
- Skilled in building algorithmic strategies in Python and Pine Script, with a focus on short-term price action and event-driven plays
- Creator of backtesting environments tailored to options logic using Python’s Pandas and NumPy stack
- Daily use of TradingView, Interactive Brokers, and Databento for execution, charting, and data analysis
- Developed custom automated dashboards in Plotly and Streamlit for real-time tracking of trade performance and volatility curves
- Frequently design strategies aligned with FOMC and macroeconomic indicators for directional and volatility bias
- Strong foundation in fundamental analysis, with deep dives into financial statements and earnings behavior
- Implemented statistical arbitrage and volatility modeling techniques to detect mean-reverting edges
- Experienced in handling expiration risk, assignment logic, and optimizing trade timing around options cycles
- Advocate for integrating behavioral finance principles to mitigate biases and improve trader discipline
- Regularly consult with traders on strategy design, risk control, and automation to elevate their performance across market regimes
Trade Idea – Call Zebra on MSTZ
Lately, I’ve been keeping an eye on MSTZ, a 2x inverse ETF tied to MicroStrategy (MSTR), as an interesting proxy trade around crypto sentiment.
Reverse Iron Butterfly - Setup, Payoff, and When to Use It
Traders use the reverse iron butterfly when they expect a big move-but don’t know which way. This strategy blends calls and puts to cap risk while betting on volatility.
Synthetic Put – What It Is, How It Works, and Why Traders Use It
A synthetic put is a way to recreate the payoff of a regular put—long or short—using a mix of stock and options.
Synthetic Short Straddle – A Closer Look at Short Call and Short Put Variants
A synthetic short straddle gives you the same payoff using either a short call or a short put setup—each with a different position in the underlying.
Synthetic Straddle – How to Create One Using Long Calls or Long Puts
A synthetic straddle is a way to mimic a classic long straddle without using both a call and a put.
Back Ratio Spread - A Lesser-Known Strategy for Advanced Options Traders
The back ratio spread is an options strategy that traders use when they expect a strong move in a stock’s price. It involves buying more options than selling, creating a position with limited risk and potentially unlimited profit.
Trade Idea - Short Put Ladder on GRPN
After a volatile earnings reaction, Groupon (GRPN) caught my attention this week. Following a surprisingly strong earnings report, the stock surged over 45% in a single day and is now trading above $26.
Covered Straddle - How It Works and When to Use It
The covered straddle strategy combines long stock, a short call, and a short put to generate premium income
Cash Settled Options - When and Why They Make Sense
Cash settled options offer a way to trade without dealing with the hassle of physical delivery.
Options Market Maker - What It Is and Why the Options Market Needs a Maker
An options market maker plays a silent but essential role in keeping the options market liquid and efficient. But what does an options market maker do, and why is their presence necessary?
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