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 - Bull Put Spread on REGN
Disclaimer: The trades discussed in this blog reflect the author's personal strategies and decisions. These are not financial advice and should not be considered recommendations to buy, sell, or...
Time Decay in Options - Does It Help or Harm Your Trades?
Time decay in options is a concept that you certainly don't want to ignore. The whole concept is rather intuitive (the closer you get to the expiry date, the more value your option loses), but...
Qualified Covered Calls: Simplifying Tax Rules for US Traders [With Scenarios]
Qualified covered calls can offer attractive tax advantages, but the rules can get tricky. How are covered calls taxed? It depends on expiration dates, assignments, and stock holding periods. This...
How Are Options Taxed in the US? The Facts You Need to Know
Figuring out how options are taxed in the US can get tricky. Taxes on options trading depend on factors like your strategy and whether you hold a long or short position. Are options taxed as...
Options Trading Fees - An Impartial Comparison Among Brokers
The fees you pay when trading options can greatly affect profitability. With option fees and services varying between brokers, choosing a broker exclusively based on who has the lowest options...
Can You Buy Options in the Pre-Market? [What Traders Need to Know]
Pre-market trading is gaining popularity, but does this apply to options traders as well? Can you buy options in the pre-market, and if so, what are the limitations? While stock options aren't...
What Happens When Options Expire in the Money? [Buyer and Seller Cases]
What happens when options expire in the money? And does it change depending on whether you’re a buyer or a seller? In this article, we look at what happens when options expire in the money for both...
What Happens to Options When a Stock Splits? [and When It Reverse Splits]
Stock splits can significantly affect options traders. What happens to options when a stock splits? How are contracts adjusted to maintain fairness? And how do reverse splits impact options...
What Happens to Options When a Company Is Acquired? Effects on Calls and Puts
As a trader, you will sometimes face particular challenges, like figuring out what happens to options when a company is acquired. This process can impact stock options (both calls and puts), at...
How to Make Money with Options in Different Market Scenarios
Making money with options is not easy (otherwise, everyone would do it), but this does not mean it’s impossible. The key lies in knowing how to make money with options in every scenario, knowing...
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