The European Market Brief 16: Defense, Financials, and the 2026 Eurozone Outlook

The trading day doesn't start when the opening bell rings. In this inaugural episode of 2026, Mark Longo is joined by a powerhouse panel to dissect a wild 2025 and forecast the trends shaping the European derivatives landscape in the year ahead.

Inside This Episode:

• 2025 Retrospective: Why European financials and defense sectors outperformed the US mega-cap tech narrative.

• The Defense Boom: A look at the unprecedented returns in European defense indices (some up nearly 100%) and whether the momentum can survive potential geopolitical shifts.

• Banking on Europe: Why the STOXX Europe 600 Banks index returned a staggering 76% in 2025 and how the diversification of European mega-caps offers a unique play compared to US financials.

• Volatility Outlook: Russell Rhoads breaks down the VIX vs. VSTOXX and explains why the US remains the primary source of global "anticipatory" volatility.

• New Product Alert: Sophie Granchi (Eurex) discusses the shift toward Industry Futures and the demand for thematic trading in a de-globalizing world.

The Red Phone: Listener Q&A

The panel answers your burning questions on:

1. Relative Value Trades: How to play the narrow calendar spreads in VSTOXX vs. the wider spreads in VIX.

2. Institutional Rotation: Is the heavy volume in European Bank futures a "higher for longer" play or a flight from US markets?

3. The Divergence Myth: Is the gap between the S&P 500 and STOXX cyclical or a permanent shift in global equity performance?

Featured Guests:

• Mark Longo: Founder & CEO, The Options Insider Media Group

• Russell Rhoads: Kelly School of Business, Indiana University (a.k.a. Dr. VSTOXX)

• Sophie Granchi Head of Equity & Index Sales (EMEA), Eurex

• Arun Singhal: Global Head of Index Product Management, STOXX