The Nymex natural gas futures market has recently experienced extreme daily price volatility as prices touched a multi-year high earlier this month. That extreme volatility wiped out a hedge fund manager that I had known for many years. His main trading tool was selling well-out-of-the-money options on futures. Selling options can appear an easier way to make money in the futures markets because one’s winning percentage will be higher. However, as the hedge fund manager so brutally found out this month, all it takes is one episode of extreme volatility to blow up an entire hedge fund business, including customers losing all their investments–plus even owing money to the futures clearing firm! One of my long-time market analyst/trader friends once told me that he tried selling options on futures for one year, and he had 97% winners–but still just broke even on profits. Selling options has its place in the markets, but selling “naked” options is akin to “picking up pennies in front of a steamroller.” Stay tuned!