Equity volatility backlash

Taking a long equity volatility position is a favourite macro hedge for risk managers and traders across asset classes, but the trade doesn’t always work as expected. How has the volatility experienced in May and June affected macro hedging? Joel Clark reports

dan-fields

Buying equity volatility has long been a way for dealers to macro hedge their portfolios, but the latest phase of the financial crisis has challenged the wisdom of such strategies. A dislocation between asset classes during the first half of 2010, coupled with the increasing cost of buying volatility, made certain hedges less effective than planned and has driven some firms that use macro hedging to rethink their approach.

The underlying assumption of buying volatility as a macro hedge is that

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What gold's rise means for rates, equities

It has been several years since we have seen volatility in gold. An increase in gold volatility can typically be associated with a change in sentiment and investor behavior. The precious metal has surged this year on increased demand for safe haven…

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