1 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Odd Thoughts Podcast. 2 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:19,279 Speaker 1: I'm Tracy Hallaway and I'm Joe. Wasn't thal Joe? Yes? 3 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: Did you know? Did you know that the VIX futures 4 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: This is super dramatic, it's not that interesting. Did you 5 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: know that the VIX futures curve has been inverted or 6 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: kind of inverted for I think like six months now, 7 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 1: basically since February. I didn't realize it was then, but 8 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: I didn't realize it had been six months. So basically 9 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: that means that investors are hedging again. It's higher volatility 10 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: out in the future than they are right now, or 11 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: the other way around, the other way around, so it 12 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: means people are paying more for volatility protection in the 13 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: near term than they are in the future. But that's unusual, 14 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 1: or at least it's counter to how the VIX curve 15 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 1: normally looks. Normally, the VIX curve is upwards sloping because 16 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,320 Speaker 1: there's more uncertainty further out into the future, and so 17 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 1: you pay more for that volatility insurance. So kind of 18 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: unusual to have the VIX curve downwards sloping for this long, 19 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: And I guess it's one of those things that that 20 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: tells you that we're in an interesting place when it 21 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: comes to markets at the moment. Yeah, I mean it 22 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: makes sense that people are paying up more for short 23 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: term hedging right now because we obviously are just in 24 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 1: extraordinary times. You know, you look out a little ways 25 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: one year, two years, you could sort of envision a 26 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: return to normal, but it feels like we're in a 27 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:50,559 Speaker 1: period where anything could happen tomorrow, whether it's policy, whether 28 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: it's related to the virus, etcetera. And so yes, sort 29 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: of intuitive that people want hedges in the here and now. Yeah, 30 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: of course the big event risk on but can I say, 31 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: can I say something though, go on, No, this is 32 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,399 Speaker 1: something that's always bothered me, and maybe we'll get into 33 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: this with our guest today. But I don't understand why 34 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 1: it's not always like that, because I understand that most 35 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: of the time people want to pay out for some 36 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: protection because the future seems like less certain than the presence. 37 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,359 Speaker 1: So I get that in theory. But on the other hand, 38 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: one of the central like sort of like dogmas of 39 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: finance is that you know, over the long term, things 40 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 1: to things go up, the economy improves, stocks go up, etcetera. 41 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: So it always seems to be like it should actually 42 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: be the other way around, where it's like, in the 43 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:40,639 Speaker 1: short term anything can happen, but in the long term 44 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: things are smooth. So I've never really understood the premise 45 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: of why VIX futures curve slope upward in the first place. 46 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 1: But anyway we can, we can get into that later. Yeah, 47 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: I mean, there are dozens and dozens of exchange traded 48 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 1: products whose very existence is predicated on the VIX curve 49 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: upwards in normal times. Um, but yes, we should, we 50 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 1: should ask the question. I guess, all right, well, you've 51 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: already sort of given it away. But in this episode, 52 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:12,079 Speaker 1: we're gonna be talking about the current volatility regime. And 53 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 1: I was about to mention that there is a very 54 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: big event risk coming up on the horizon, which is 55 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: the US elections, and we've seen a lot of talk 56 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: about volatility hedging ahead of that. We're going to get 57 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: into that, and we're also going to talk about some 58 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: of the longer term changes in volatility market structure, including 59 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: maybe even why the VIX futures curve is normally upwards sloping. 60 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: Now I'm super excited about this one. I mean, it's 61 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: obviously been an extraordinary year, I think due to the 62 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: rise of these sort of discrete events, whether it's the 63 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: the virus itself, the big thing that's coming up on 64 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: November three of this year, which could be uh producing 65 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: extraordinary amount of uncertainty. There's been so much interest um 66 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 1: in uh what volatiary futures or vict futures curves on 67 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: all sorts of asset classes are sort of anticipating on 68 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: how wild things could get. We also, as we spoke 69 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 1: about with Ben Eifford a few weeks ago, there's the 70 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 1: emergence of this whole class of sort of retail derivatives 71 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: buyers call options buyers also sort of breaking historical patterns 72 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 1: potentially in terms of how hedging markets look. So this 73 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: is an extraordinary rich topic to dive into, and although 74 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: we've hit it in some ways in the past, it 75 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: doesn't feel like we can never really talk about it enough. Yeah, 76 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: I totally agree. So our guest for this particular episode 77 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: is Chris Sidile. He's the co c i O over 78 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: at Ambrosk Group, basically a volatility arbitrage trader, and he's 79 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: been in that particular space for well many years now. 80 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:54,039 Speaker 1: So the perfect person to talk to us about the 81 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 1: current volatility trading regime. Chris, welcome to a THOTS. Hey, 82 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,359 Speaker 1: good morning, Thank you. Then meet so I guess to 83 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: begin with, you know, Joe asked that question about why 84 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: the vix curve is normally upward sloping. Can you maybe 85 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: explain to us what you've seen over the past few 86 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: months in terms of how the market is pricing volatility 87 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 1: and what's changed. Why is the vixed curve downward sloping? 88 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 1: What are you saying in terms of ptging demand and 89 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: things like that? Right, So, uh, it's very easy to 90 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: tell that everybody is fixated on the December ball, right, 91 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 1: and it's for good reason to write. You have the 92 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 1: potential resurgence of the comtavirus, you have the election time hotility, 93 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: you have the potential for corporate earning blagging. Thanks for 94 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:48,359 Speaker 1: pointing this week. So that's pretty big, especially because of 95 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: not everything that's been taking place in trading on the 96 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: baby side. So everybody has been fixated on December ball, 97 00:05:56,200 --> 00:06:00,359 Speaker 1: and there has been a constant bid um. Even back 98 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 1: in late August, we've seen that correalition break between Vixen 99 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: Spot and you know, people were watching that that was 100 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 1: a little bit supply and demand driven. We we understand 101 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:14,840 Speaker 1: that there was a big player in the market that 102 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 1: helped propel that due to some of the dealer gama hedging, etcetera, etcetera. 103 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 1: I could go on for for hours about that one. 104 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: I think people have a concern about the upcoming catalysts, 105 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: and we're being across the scope pre hedging that's taking place, 106 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:36,599 Speaker 1: you know, not only with some of the larger players, 107 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:38,919 Speaker 1: but you're seeing it with the smaller guys too, with 108 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 1: some of the you know, registered advisors. You know, they're 109 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,040 Speaker 1: basically instructing their clients, you know, go out, make sure 110 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: you protect yourself. So it's been a constant bid involved 111 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: at that level. You know. I've been tweeting this is 112 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: that when the term structure is so elevated, like what 113 00:06:56,279 --> 00:07:00,279 Speaker 1: we see involves so bit up, it's very difficult to 114 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 1: get that added convexity in the move. And what I 115 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: mean is that when Vault is so pre bid, it's 116 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 1: somewhat priced in al right, so people are kind of 117 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: anticipating this. People are pre hedged the move that you 118 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: need to get VIX to like a seventy or eighty. 119 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: It has to be real panic and real fair in 120 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: the market, and you won't get that if guys are 121 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: pre heads, right, because let's think about it in the 122 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 1: most basic conceptual way. If you have a book, all right, 123 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: let's just say you're running a million dollar books, right, 124 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: and you have your heades on them and the market 125 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 1: is down seven right, your pre heads. So you're not 126 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: gonna go and rush to the exit door right to 127 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: sell off your positions because you really have your heads. 128 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 1: And when you have that across the entire landscope, right, 129 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: it becomes much more difficult to get volved to to 130 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: really get going. It's like that example of like what 131 00:07:57,640 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: causes the vex to really if you have a whole 132 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 1: bunch of people in the room and they're all trying 133 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: to get to the exit door at the same time. 134 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: But in this case, no, So I mean just just 135 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: sort of like to I mean, if you just sort 136 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: of think about over the last several months, March was 137 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 1: sort of like the mother of all panics, probably one 138 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: of the biggest panics in the history of Wall streets. 139 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: And since then it's just been nothing but fear of 140 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 1: a second wave, fear of ongoing economics sort of fall out, 141 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 1: fear of a policy mistake, fear of the election, everything 142 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:33,959 Speaker 1: going wrong, massive reason to hedge and stay out of 143 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 1: the market. But as such, it's hard to get actual 144 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: intense selling when essentially so many people were already have 145 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 1: already been fearful, right, right, So it's uh, it's that 146 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: pre hedged position that will disable all from going through 147 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: the group, right, It needs to be uh, somewhat of 148 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 1: a fear factor. And I was saying this that in 149 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 1: order for VALL to really get going in December, you 150 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:06,400 Speaker 1: need a fresh catalyst, all right, So the the election 151 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:09,079 Speaker 1: time just isn't enough to really get the ball to 152 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:12,960 Speaker 1: go through how people are anticipating. And you were seeing 153 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 1: that in the divergence between d v I X and X. Right, 154 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 1: I X is VOLA And what we're seeing is the 155 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: market is not really fearful. You're seeing a divergence between 156 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: the two, and it's showing us that, yeah, guys are 157 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 1: are pre hedged, but there isn't a massive rush to prehdge. 158 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 1: Don't get me wrong, right, there is a potential for 159 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: a fresh catalyst, right like, granted a Biden election, right now, 160 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:42,319 Speaker 1: you have to think you have to immediately shift your 161 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 1: focus into the trade wards, right, if a Biden election 162 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: takes place, Because what if we wake up the next day, 163 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 1: right we find out Joe Biden is the president. One 164 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:54,840 Speaker 1: week later we hear China's like, okay, guys, well sorry, 165 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 1: you know, we need to reassess these this trade deal 166 00:09:57,640 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 1: that we were talking about, right, So, a fresh new 167 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,719 Speaker 1: catalysts like that, or you know, something just completely out 168 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:05,560 Speaker 1: the woodwork could be enough to get the market to 169 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: get going. But it's very difficult to get volatility to 170 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 1: really proof like a vix um a X move to 171 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 1: seventy or eighty on things that are already pre priced. 172 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: I just don't think that the velocity of the move 173 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:26,319 Speaker 1: will be there without a new catalyst that isn't already predetermined. 174 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,240 Speaker 1: M So one of the questions I have based on 175 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 1: that is if everyone is pretty well hedged going into 176 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 1: the presidential elections, who is actually selling vall exposure at 177 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: the moment. So that's a really good question. Um, there 178 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 1: are people that are out there that are taking advantage 179 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 1: of this, and and you know they're looking to sell all. 180 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 1: We actually know a couple of institutional guys who are 181 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:59,080 Speaker 1: trying to take advantage of this, but no they I 182 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 1: think they are resting there in a more sophisticated way 183 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:07,920 Speaker 1: where they are um hedged off. But I would not 184 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: suggest this to the average retail guy because there are 185 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: a lot of complexities that go in to do this. 186 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:20,960 Speaker 1: With the recent correlation break in spotting VIX, it's very 187 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 1: difficult to determine what the market is going to do. 188 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:27,080 Speaker 1: You can't have too much conviction that sid because you 189 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 1: could have a situation where Spott is down and ball 190 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,559 Speaker 1: is down, all right, or you could have an inverse 191 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: of that situation, right, So you can't be too sure 192 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 1: of what exactly is going to take place historically and statistically. 193 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,080 Speaker 1: Right now, I'm very confident enough to say that the 194 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 1: trade is short volatility. Right Statistically and historically, there are 195 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: no numbers that I think an individual could pull up 196 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 1: that can lead me to say that the trade is 197 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: not shootball. However, as a trader, and you know, as 198 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:03,559 Speaker 1: a risk manager, you look at this from a different standpoint, 199 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:06,040 Speaker 1: right because you look at this and you say, Okay, 200 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,079 Speaker 1: the data makes sense, the numbers line up, but there's 201 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 1: been so much variability in do we really want to 202 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: take this shot? Right? So there are a million other 203 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,439 Speaker 1: trades out there that we could take, we're not expressing 204 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:24,959 Speaker 1: the the view which with so much conviction, right, So 205 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 1: you know, we could be short a little bit of 206 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,080 Speaker 1: all in the book to try to capture that, but 207 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: the risk to reward from what we've seen in I mean, 208 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 1: has just been one of those years where I feel 209 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: like I call it the critosis here because everything that 210 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,920 Speaker 1: is like a two delta, a five delta and under 211 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 1: is just has been hitting like we've been seeing it 212 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:52,800 Speaker 1: left and right. And you want to talk about just 213 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:55,920 Speaker 1: life in general, right, like God rest his soul, Kobe 214 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 1: Bryant died from a helicopter crash. Right, you're just thinking 215 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 1: about every little thing you you want to talk about 216 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: the election. I'm a fairly young guy, but I have 217 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:07,880 Speaker 1: not seen a year where there's been so much variability. 218 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: So with everything taking place, it's very difficult for me 219 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: to say, Okay, I'm just going to fixate on the 220 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: numbers and most specifically, I'm just gonna say, like you know, 221 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna capture that the VRP and and short 222 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 1: ball here because the wrist of awards just doesn't really 223 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:41,080 Speaker 1: pan out. I'm actually I'm really curious about these sort 224 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 1: of other opportunities you identify. So of course, okay, they 225 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 1: say the statistics line up and say you should probably 226 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:52,760 Speaker 1: be short vall because the sort of realized volatility UM 227 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:55,600 Speaker 1: going into the election is probably not going to be 228 00:13:55,720 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 1: as high as the headgers are positioned for, and statistics 229 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 1: suggest there's probably some money to be made there and 230 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 1: taking advantage of all the fear. What are the other 231 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:11,319 Speaker 1: things that you look for in terms of opportunities that 232 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:15,680 Speaker 1: aren't the sort of simple directional bets on one way 233 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 1: or another up or down in volatility. Yeah, so we 234 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 1: look for, um, a little bit of regression in some 235 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:29,000 Speaker 1: relative value things. I think earning this season is really 236 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 1: really promit. I think it's going to for guidance, is 237 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 1: going to really paint the picture for us, and I 238 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 1: think reality will set in a little bit because um, 239 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: I'm anticipating a little bit of a slowdown in corporate 240 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: earning uh this cycle. So there are ways to capture 241 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 1: that spread between some of the single names in certain sectors, right, 242 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 1: so we don't necessarily need to be Mega's focused on 243 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: you know, vix up. You know, we look to express 244 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: some of our views and in some of the sectors 245 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 1: with single names and then also the ets right. So 246 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 1: for example, if we're looking at a you know, the 247 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: cues to i w M. You know, maybe we think 248 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: the cues are trading relatively rich and i WM this 249 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: trading relatively cheap from from a ball standpoint, right, maybe 250 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: thirty day implied ball or you know, we we like 251 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 1: to focus on the wings, so we'll be looking at 252 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: how is Kurtosis trading, right, is the five delta and 253 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 1: underputs or five delta and under calls trading relatively cheap 254 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: or expensive? So I think this earning cycle brings up 255 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:44,760 Speaker 1: an opportunity for a lot of dispersion. And I think 256 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 1: you'll see disparity in a few different sectors. So I 257 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 1: think people could look to focus on that. And I mean, 258 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 1: you know, from just eliminating okay, like ball itself this 259 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 1: election time, it's very important in relationship sectors, right, think 260 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: about how important the oil sector is, Think about how 261 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 1: important healthcare sectors, think about how important the energy Like 262 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: those sectors are heavily reliant on who will be the 263 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 1: winner of this election, right, because it's night and day 264 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:21,200 Speaker 1: for the turnout for that. So you know, I think 265 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:26,520 Speaker 1: investors could and should focus on um some other areas besides, 266 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 1: oh yeah, I think you know, volatility is going to spike. 267 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: I think if you look at the volatility on individual 268 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 1: names and and certain sectors that could present um a 269 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 1: little bit bit more opportunity there, then oh yeah, I'm 270 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 1: just gonna play like a calendar spread and you know, 271 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: sell January balls and by December balls or vice versa. 272 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: I wanted to zoom out a little bit and and 273 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: sort of move away from the near term concerns about 274 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,960 Speaker 1: potential fat tails and the upcoming election and talk about 275 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 1: vol utility trading over the past few years. So one 276 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:07,840 Speaker 1: thing that we hear a lot is that central banks 277 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:14,439 Speaker 1: have artificially suppressed volatility through their various unconventional monetary policies. 278 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 1: But we also hear from various guests. You know, Ben 279 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 1: Effort's a good example of that, or Chris Cole from Artemis. 280 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:27,879 Speaker 1: We also hear that Wall Street or traders and the 281 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 1: sort of ecosystem around volatility trading has actually, in effect 282 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:36,880 Speaker 1: also had a hand in suppressing volatility as well. I'm 283 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 1: just curious to get your take on that. If you 284 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:43,760 Speaker 1: look at ball now, how suppressed would you say it 285 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:49,720 Speaker 1: actually is and what would you attribute that too? Is 286 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:52,840 Speaker 1: it central banks or is it the way big ball 287 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,159 Speaker 1: players are actually dealing in the space at the moment. 288 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:00,359 Speaker 1: First of all, shout out to be Ben, such a 289 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: good dude, I love that. But yeah, so vulatility is 290 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: absolutely suppressed, but we're not seeing the same level of 291 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:14,640 Speaker 1: suppression as we were seeing pre the covid um because 292 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 1: a lot of these short ball funds and a lot 293 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:20,320 Speaker 1: of the funds that just focused on selling you know, 294 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: like the ten delta put or you know, it's put 295 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 1: or whatnot, those guys are kind of those guys have 296 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:29,680 Speaker 1: been kind of blown out, all right, So you're not 297 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,159 Speaker 1: really seeing the level of suppression that we were seeing 298 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:36,639 Speaker 1: pre covid However, there I should say that this is 299 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:40,480 Speaker 1: on a relative level because it's still a very heavy 300 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 1: amount of mulatility suppression that's going out there. Central banks 301 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 1: are absolutely suppressing volatility, and I think the way how 302 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:52,880 Speaker 1: global rates are actually set up right now, it is 303 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:55,679 Speaker 1: it's a big problem. I mean, you know, you have 304 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:58,080 Speaker 1: to look at it like this, with global rates being 305 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:02,200 Speaker 1: so low. If you are an allocator, you are just 306 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: who's just fixated on on generating a return. What can 307 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:09,480 Speaker 1: you do in this market? Right? Are you gonna go 308 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:11,919 Speaker 1: buy corporate bonds where you have to take on the 309 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:14,120 Speaker 1: same sort of default risks as you would with an equity, 310 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 1: Or are you gonna go buy a treasury where you're 311 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 1: yielding like zero percent? Right? There comes to point time 312 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:24,879 Speaker 1: when you're looking at at the the menu and you're 313 00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 1: saying yourself, all right, you know, I might as well 314 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 1: just be invested in equity. Right. So what global arrates 315 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 1: beings so low? Its forces new players who aren't really 316 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 1: in the market to now move into this new spectrum. Right. 317 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:43,320 Speaker 1: And with that you also have this this interesting dynamic 318 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:46,600 Speaker 1: taking place with structure products just blowing up. Right, you 319 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 1: have I mean I was doing the exotics could be 320 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 1: a mode and I can tell you for a fact. 321 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 1: You know, January before UM the COVID situation was an 322 00:19:56,040 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 1: amazing month. People were eating structure products. The appetite for 323 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:05,640 Speaker 1: it is huge. Right. So you think about everybody who 324 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:07,760 Speaker 1: is in the investing role now, right, they want a 325 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 1: piece of They want a little bit of everything compiled 326 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 1: into one. Right, So they want a little bit of 327 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: health care, they want a little bit of check, they 328 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: want a little bit of UM energy, and they wanted 329 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 1: all on one little one basket right, hence the growth 330 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 1: of EPP products. But what we are seeing is this 331 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: dynamic is actually taking away from market crept. So if 332 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:33,199 Speaker 1: you were to look at the main components in the 333 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:37,879 Speaker 1: spy and the queue, right, the components that are in 334 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 1: the two are the same thing, right, It's basically the 335 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:43,359 Speaker 1: exact same thing, right. So what what this is telling 336 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 1: you is that the market is being driven or no breath. Right. 337 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:50,120 Speaker 1: So as much as people want to diversify and they're 338 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:55,199 Speaker 1: just trying to diversify, their portfolio is creditated on the 339 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: large name, right. So with the growth of structure products, 340 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:02,280 Speaker 1: with the low global rates and the force rush to 341 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 1: too equities and then to us in passive investing with 342 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 1: the millennial group, they're just like, oh yeah, I want 343 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:13,040 Speaker 1: I want to be invested in a novel that's going 344 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:15,960 Speaker 1: to return, you know, a guarantee twelve percent a year. 345 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:20,800 Speaker 1: Whereas the reality behind that is it's not as easy 346 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 1: as that, and you know, people are just very open 347 00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 1: to putting their money into these types of passive products. 348 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 1: So you mix that in now with a big transfer 349 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:36,199 Speaker 1: of wealth that comes with the actual market buying power. Right. 350 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 1: So as a millennial myself, I have friends in the 351 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 1: business and in different industries who are now becoming seasoned 352 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:49,440 Speaker 1: professional where you know, they're making a fairly good salary 353 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:53,200 Speaker 1: and these people are now able to put their money 354 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,359 Speaker 1: invest in the stock market. Right, So the decision making 355 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: has now shifted from the boomers to the millennials, right, 356 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:01,720 Speaker 1: So the buying out and we're seeing that right because 357 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:04,640 Speaker 1: people complain so much about you know, the Robin Hooders 358 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:07,399 Speaker 1: and you know or some of the market flow that 359 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 1: comes from there, right. But it's not only the Robin Hooders, right, 360 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:14,159 Speaker 1: it's the millennials that are a little more open to 361 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:17,640 Speaker 1: taking the risks. Myself and my team, we've we went 362 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:20,720 Speaker 1: through data on this little phenomenon and you know, some 363 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:24,719 Speaker 1: of the market psychology and sentiment of the younger group. Right. 364 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:28,600 Speaker 1: So with that taking place, right, all those things mixing 365 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:32,640 Speaker 1: into one, right, you have this added volatility right where 366 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 1: you should and you could definitely have these left tail 367 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 1: events take place more frequently than you were seeing, you know, 368 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:46,919 Speaker 1: in the nineties or the eighties. So you know, you 369 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 1: mentioned having been on the on the cell side on 370 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: the desk at BMO, and of course, um, you know 371 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 1: again talking about our conversation with Ben a few weeks ago. 372 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:03,920 Speaker 1: Would you learn from that experience that you've taken over 373 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:07,520 Speaker 1: to the buy side, and how does that in sort 374 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 1: of like, what did that experience teach you in terms 375 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:14,040 Speaker 1: of the opportunities that arise due to the positioning of 376 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: the cell side of the dealers and so forth, how 377 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:20,600 Speaker 1: does that help you think about in spot opportunities. I 378 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 1: was actually speaking to UH. I was actually at my 379 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,600 Speaker 1: old university and I was speaking UH two weeks ago, 380 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:28,800 Speaker 1: and I was speaking to a younger kid, and he 381 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 1: was telling me that he trades options. So I'm just 382 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:34,359 Speaker 1: asking him, you know some basic questions. You know, okay, 383 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:36,440 Speaker 1: how do you expression you? And you know what is 384 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 1: it that you look for? Right? So this gentleman had 385 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:42,919 Speaker 1: no idea what delta vega gamma was, which was okay, Right, 386 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:45,200 Speaker 1: he's a college student who go through what we all learned. 387 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:51,920 Speaker 1: But the appetite and the willingness to go and trade 388 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:56,920 Speaker 1: derivatives is at the highest it's ever been. Right. Everybody 389 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:00,679 Speaker 1: wants a point of leverage. Everybody wants to be invested 390 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:05,199 Speaker 1: in something that could generate something with a convex the component. Right, 391 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 1: So people are very fixated on obserus trating even though 392 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:10,680 Speaker 1: they have no idea what they're doing. So the growth 393 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:14,920 Speaker 1: is tremendous, right. And now you add in the fact 394 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:18,439 Speaker 1: that dealers need to carry a matchbook, which means that 395 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:21,199 Speaker 1: they really just need to heade off their risks, and 396 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:25,399 Speaker 1: you add that in and that leads to excessive dealer 397 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:31,159 Speaker 1: gamma heaging, right, and that leads to more emphatic swings 398 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 1: in the market. And you know, you asked me what 399 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:36,679 Speaker 1: did I learn at BMO, You know, I learned a 400 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:40,720 Speaker 1: tremendous amount under those guys. UM truly grateful to have 401 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:44,879 Speaker 1: experienced the or had the opportunity to help manage a 402 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:47,240 Speaker 1: book of that size and go through the day to 403 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 1: day and understand the movie components of all the complexities 404 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 1: and a book of that size with those type of products, right, 405 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 1: because you have a million moving pieces. So I think 406 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:01,439 Speaker 1: understanding how to manage risk from a large book like 407 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:04,919 Speaker 1: that with all the moving pieces, I think really translated 408 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: well to how we look at risk here at Ambers. 409 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:12,879 Speaker 1: But one thing that really opened my eyes was a 410 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,840 Speaker 1: situation that took place and I wanted to stay late 411 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:19,000 Speaker 1: February or launch, but it was really an eye opener 412 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,600 Speaker 1: to me that the book moves in a particular way 413 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:27,399 Speaker 1: that we didn't anticipate, right, And although obviously you know, 414 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:32,959 Speaker 1: I understood and knew the intricacies of the other gamma hedging, right, 415 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:35,040 Speaker 1: and obviously on a day to day base, I went 416 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:37,399 Speaker 1: through that process right when we hedged off our books, 417 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:39,439 Speaker 1: you know, at the beginning of the morning or or 418 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:41,680 Speaker 1: the end of the night, because that was our job. 419 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:44,120 Speaker 1: One of the exactly success the job was just use 420 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:46,200 Speaker 1: money for the bank, right, So you're you're basically there 421 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:51,720 Speaker 1: as the protection trader. So I remember the market was 422 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 1: taking and we've got the call from the heads up 423 00:25:56,320 --> 00:26:00,160 Speaker 1: and my boss at the time literally just I sat 424 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: um one row away from him, remember him just saying like, Okay, 425 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:08,679 Speaker 1: we need to hedge everything. And I'm looking at the 426 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 1: positions I'm looking at like our Vegas moving, our Gamas movies, 427 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:14,240 Speaker 1: and I'm saying to myself like, man, I don't know 428 00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:18,280 Speaker 1: if this is really the right move. But he just said, 429 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 1: he's like, we need to hedge everything. We got the 430 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:23,120 Speaker 1: call up like it does not matter what the prices, 431 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:26,480 Speaker 1: we have to hedge it. Right. So what that meant 432 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: for us is that we now had to go out 433 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:36,960 Speaker 1: into the open market and sell sps teachers and basically 434 00:26:37,119 --> 00:26:42,000 Speaker 1: I s so synthetically, what does that do? Right? That 435 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 1: drives the price of the market down, and that drives 436 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 1: the price of FIXEL during that time. You know, it 437 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 1: was an eye opener because US as a large bank, 438 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:54,000 Speaker 1: you know, we had to basically come in with a 439 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:57,800 Speaker 1: ton of side and do this when the market was 440 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:01,560 Speaker 1: already getting hammered. And I see us of myself, this 441 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:05,560 Speaker 1: is taking place across the streets, and it really sank 442 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 1: into me that this is much more severe than people 443 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 1: give give it credit. Because obviously I understood the ramifications 444 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 1: of this, because you know, I praised on the buy 445 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:22,880 Speaker 1: side before there, and you know, I I understand how 446 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,119 Speaker 1: market microstruction works. But when you see it in real 447 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 1: time and you see how you're moving the market with 448 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:32,160 Speaker 1: so much side and it's other guys that are doing 449 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:34,200 Speaker 1: the exact same thing, and if you have force liquidations 450 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:37,119 Speaker 1: things in place, it kind of really just clicks to 451 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:39,040 Speaker 1: you and you're like, oh my gosh, like that was 452 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 1: literally just we just dropped the market, or you know, 453 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:43,439 Speaker 1: us and you know two of the clients really just 454 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 1: move the market. It emphasizes on what we try to 455 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:54,280 Speaker 1: do at Amber right. We are fixated on capturing those 456 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 1: left and right tail events. Right. So we believe that 457 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:02,600 Speaker 1: with excessive all totally suppression, and we will continue to 458 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:05,119 Speaker 1: see this right, the market will get back into a 459 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:08,639 Speaker 1: point of complacency and we will have those short volatility 460 00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 1: funds come back, and we'll have guys that are Chris 461 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:14,760 Speaker 1: truth selling you know, variants left and right right. So 462 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:19,919 Speaker 1: it's just about wasting for for the for the complacency, 463 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 1: the setting right, because when March of points point took place, 464 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:26,879 Speaker 1: everybody has that fresh in their minds, right, So everybody's 465 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 1: now they want to manage risk right now. They want 466 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 1: to focus on on on heading off the book right. 467 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 1: But there will come a point time where the market 468 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:34,880 Speaker 1: is just going up and people are gonna be like, oh, 469 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:36,639 Speaker 1: you know I don't tape the hedge. I don't need to. 470 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:39,000 Speaker 1: Why do this? You know it's taking away three percent 471 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 1: deals for me for a year. You know, I don't 472 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 1: need this anymore. That's when we will have more of 473 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:47,280 Speaker 1: these emphasized moves takes place where you see a move 474 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 1: like that, you know you have a right tail event 475 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 1: or a left till event. And we believe that the 476 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:55,640 Speaker 1: way how we are set our positioning, we're going to 477 00:28:55,720 --> 00:28:59,320 Speaker 1: be able to capture those type of moves because as 478 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: the market mark streuss things with that, we believe that 479 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:05,200 Speaker 1: these moves will happen much more frequently than people are 480 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 1: giving freedance. So this is something I wanted to ask 481 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:25,640 Speaker 1: about actually, when you were telling the story about how 482 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:28,480 Speaker 1: everyone on the street was kind of doing the same 483 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 1: thing all at once and hedging their own volatility exposure 484 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:37,120 Speaker 1: in similar ways, what are your options when you're doing 485 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:40,800 Speaker 1: that kind of hedging. Is there an opportunity to do 486 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 1: something different to what everyone else is doing, or by 487 00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:49,120 Speaker 1: the nature of the exposure, you're sort of forced to, 488 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:52,959 Speaker 1: you know, buy or sell spy futures or vixed futures 489 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 1: or something like that. How much freedom freedom is in 490 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:59,360 Speaker 1: the right word. How much creativity do you have in 491 00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:04,320 Speaker 1: manage in those hedges. Well, you know, you could try 492 00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:06,680 Speaker 1: to get a little bit cute and creative, but at 493 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:08,239 Speaker 1: the end of the day, it's going to lead to 494 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:12,480 Speaker 1: one thing. Right, If you are long, you need to 495 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:14,240 Speaker 1: cut down that dector, right, So at the end of 496 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:16,400 Speaker 1: the day you're gonna need to be negative delta. So 497 00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:18,880 Speaker 1: no matter how you want to flip it, if you 498 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,000 Speaker 1: want to say, Okay, you know, I'm gonna try to 499 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:26,720 Speaker 1: sell something that I believe is relatively cheaper that carries 500 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:30,880 Speaker 1: heavier beta. Sure, but at the end of the day, 501 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:34,640 Speaker 1: whether you're trying to go through the window or go 502 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:36,640 Speaker 1: through the front door or the back door, you gotta 503 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 1: get out of the house, all right. So it's literally 504 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:41,640 Speaker 1: the the exact same thing. If if you want to 505 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 1: express it and jump through the attic, you can do that, 506 00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 1: but at the end of the day, you're not gonna 507 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 1: be able to escape the situation measure, and then then 508 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:52,160 Speaker 1: that's basically Okay, I'm at a point where I need 509 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:55,440 Speaker 1: to minimize your all right. So I heard a m 510 00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:58,880 Speaker 1: I think it was actually Chris Cole. Chris Cole said 511 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,880 Speaker 1: this when I podcast, and he was basically saying, like 512 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: when the market was tanking, we had our our phones 513 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:08,520 Speaker 1: ringing off the hook, and you know, everybody wanted to 514 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 1: to hide a point, but you're bid crent like, look, 515 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:12,960 Speaker 1: there's nothing I can do for you at this point, 516 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:15,960 Speaker 1: Like you you want you want to try to hide 517 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 1: up your book now when the market takes you down, 518 00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:23,000 Speaker 1: like the time to head was beforehand, right, you should 519 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:26,400 Speaker 1: have been calling those guys beforehand. So the game of 520 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:29,920 Speaker 1: volatility is a psychological game, right because people look at 521 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:32,560 Speaker 1: this and they say, you know, I don't really need 522 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:34,760 Speaker 1: this right now? Why am I gonna lose flod percent 523 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 1: off my portfolio paying for this? You know, like things 524 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 1: are fine, right, but those are the moments where you 525 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: really need it, because yeah, you may lose five percent 526 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 1: and your books paying for volatility, but it's going to 527 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 1: off set those losses where you're gonna lose thirty five 528 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:57,200 Speaker 1: And in some situations, guys, if you were positioned well 529 00:31:57,320 --> 00:31:59,880 Speaker 1: enough like we did. You know, we did um ah 530 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:03,320 Speaker 1: our tests to see where our positioning would be in 531 00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:06,240 Speaker 1: and watch, and it was very easy to see that 532 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 1: with a small allocation, not only would you have recoup 533 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:12,240 Speaker 1: your losses on and based on the allocation that we 534 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:14,160 Speaker 1: believe and I won't go into it, you know, discussing 535 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:17,000 Speaker 1: that on the podcast, but you would have not only 536 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:19,680 Speaker 1: recoup your losses, but you would have made money. So 537 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,520 Speaker 1: you know, obviously contingent on the allocation side and whatnot, 538 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:26,760 Speaker 1: but there is a situation where this thing is not 539 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 1: only served as a perspective base, but it could also 540 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 1: make money for you. And you know, even if you 541 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:35,920 Speaker 1: were just a blind guy that just decided blinding volatility 542 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:40,000 Speaker 1: pre February March, you made money. If you were long volatility, 543 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:42,120 Speaker 1: it was very difficult for you not to make money. 544 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: It's hard to try to express that view and try 545 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:48,120 Speaker 1: to get cute and creative about it, because at the 546 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:50,959 Speaker 1: end of the day, your your focus is basically on 547 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:54,640 Speaker 1: one thing, and that's really just to mitigate list. I 548 00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 1: want to go back to the question that I asked 549 00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:58,880 Speaker 1: right at the beginning, which is why do all curve 550 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,880 Speaker 1: slope upboards? And I mean, I understand that that's how 551 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:03,800 Speaker 1: it always is, but you know, it seems to me 552 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:07,280 Speaker 1: that if you wanted to ask, like, oh, what's the 553 00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:09,800 Speaker 1: stock market going to do over the next week or 554 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 1: the next month, for the next two years, the next 555 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:15,880 Speaker 1: five years, um, it's probably gonna go up based on 556 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:18,720 Speaker 1: I'm not talking about the future, but I mean, historically speaking, 557 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 1: that was just the case that over the long term, 558 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:24,080 Speaker 1: and this is like a fundamental axiom of investing, just 559 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:26,520 Speaker 1: like over the long term, hold for the long term 560 00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:29,720 Speaker 1: stocks usually go up, etcetera. And so if this is 561 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:32,880 Speaker 1: one of the fundamental ideas in investing that the short 562 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:35,600 Speaker 1: term is noise and the long term is a steady gain, 563 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:39,440 Speaker 1: which is what most asset managers sort of assume. Why 564 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:42,360 Speaker 1: do people pay more for protection over the long term 565 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:47,440 Speaker 1: than the short term. Yeah, that's a really good philosophical question. 566 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:50,840 Speaker 1: I think it's because we don't have and we can't 567 00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:55,960 Speaker 1: really project an idea of how detrimental the ramistications will be. Right, 568 00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:59,320 Speaker 1: And it's one of those situations where when the AD 569 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:04,280 Speaker 1: launched to take place, most likely it's the beginning of 570 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:06,880 Speaker 1: what will be a bigger ball, right, So it's like 571 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:10,319 Speaker 1: that snowball effect, and it's very hard to try to 572 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:12,520 Speaker 1: price that out. You know, if we were in a 573 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:17,080 Speaker 1: situation where guys could buy cheap ball on forward projections, 574 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:21,040 Speaker 1: I think, from philostrophical standpoint, guys to do it. But 575 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:23,800 Speaker 1: you know, I think people who don't really trade ball atility. 576 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:28,640 Speaker 1: I didn't know that when the market tanked in February March, 577 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:32,360 Speaker 1: the longer dated stuff on the term structure didn't really 578 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:34,440 Speaker 1: move too much, right if you look at some of 579 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 1: the I mean, if you want to just talk about 580 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:40,200 Speaker 1: like an exotic note, um, well let's just say in jail, 581 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:43,800 Speaker 1: like two years out the vall on that didn't really 582 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:47,960 Speaker 1: move as much as people anticipate, right, But the longer dated, 583 00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:50,120 Speaker 1: the real longer dated ball stuff like you know, you 584 00:34:50,160 --> 00:34:53,319 Speaker 1: don't know five years, three years the year, that type 585 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:56,040 Speaker 1: of stuff doesn't really get going when fall is uh 586 00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:59,719 Speaker 1: something like that. You know, So there is that miscon 587 00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:02,719 Speaker 1: stuff and that people have where you know, they think like, well, 588 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:05,920 Speaker 1: you know, five years, five years of old or whatever, 589 00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:08,120 Speaker 1: it's probably slight. So you know, I'm just gonna sell it. Well, 590 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:11,520 Speaker 1: it's not easy. I think everybody would just set up 591 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:16,040 Speaker 1: is you just do that? But yeah, from philostophical standpoint, 592 00:35:16,719 --> 00:35:19,520 Speaker 1: I could see why, uh, or projecting its tough, right, 593 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:21,799 Speaker 1: And I mean you to think about all the bright 594 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:25,160 Speaker 1: hands in the market, right, we have so many intelligent guys, 595 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:30,080 Speaker 1: and nobody can per project volatility. There's a big assumption 596 00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:32,680 Speaker 1: factor and there's a lot of variance and a ton 597 00:35:32,719 --> 00:35:36,239 Speaker 1: of variability and in those types of assumptions and that 598 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:39,360 Speaker 1: type of modeling. So with all the bright minds that 599 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:43,560 Speaker 1: this world has produced, nobody has been able to accurately 600 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:47,680 Speaker 1: forecast volatility. You could have maybe a sense, and you 601 00:35:47,719 --> 00:35:50,320 Speaker 1: know you could, you could make it one or two times, 602 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:55,799 Speaker 1: but actively forecasting volatility is something that I just don't 603 00:35:55,800 --> 00:36:01,920 Speaker 1: think that humans can do right now. Well, Chris, that 604 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:05,520 Speaker 1: was a really engaging discussion, and it's always good to 605 00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:09,000 Speaker 1: dive into the volatility space, especially now when we have 606 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:11,759 Speaker 1: interesting things going on ahead of the election. And I 607 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:14,120 Speaker 1: guess the good news is we won't have to wait 608 00:36:14,719 --> 00:36:17,799 Speaker 1: that long to see how it all shakes out, so 609 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:21,400 Speaker 1: just until November December, I guess. Thanks so much for 610 00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:25,080 Speaker 1: coming on. Thanks Chris, that was great. Thank you guys, 611 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:43,560 Speaker 1: So Joe. I always enjoy it when we talk about 612 00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:46,279 Speaker 1: the volatility trading space, and it's good to get a 613 00:36:46,440 --> 00:36:49,680 Speaker 1: sort of market practitioner like Chris who's in the weeds 614 00:36:49,680 --> 00:36:53,040 Speaker 1: and can really explain what's going on when we see 615 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:57,399 Speaker 1: a gamma hedging event in markets. Yeah, there's so many 616 00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:02,279 Speaker 1: interesting things to think about. I mean, one is, you know, 617 00:37:02,719 --> 00:37:06,959 Speaker 1: against thinking talking to Chris trying to bend think about 618 00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:10,480 Speaker 1: all these retail traders who have come in to the 619 00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:13,719 Speaker 1: market either and in multiple ways, I mean, some of 620 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:16,800 Speaker 1: course going crazy with call buying. Also, I thought it 621 00:37:16,840 --> 00:37:19,160 Speaker 1: was interesting Chris mentioning the rise of like this sort 622 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:22,320 Speaker 1: of like passive like I'm just getting, you know, by 623 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:24,759 Speaker 1: the same amount of stock every week on an app 624 00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:28,080 Speaker 1: like acorn or whatever. How much of the opportunity sort 625 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:31,680 Speaker 1: of comes down to like market structure things as opposed 626 00:37:31,719 --> 00:37:35,800 Speaker 1: to taking some directional view like oh, I think Biden 627 00:37:35,960 --> 00:37:39,920 Speaker 1: is going to win and therefore X. Yeah. Absolutely, And 628 00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:42,840 Speaker 1: I guess the big change that we've seen in the 629 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:45,640 Speaker 1: market in recent years is that volatility trading has sort 630 00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:50,800 Speaker 1: of exploded into its own industry, and with it that's 631 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:53,920 Speaker 1: had had the impact on dealers, and then what the 632 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:56,560 Speaker 1: dealers are doing is having an impact on the broader market, 633 00:37:56,680 --> 00:38:00,600 Speaker 1: but also volatility expectations as well, So it turns into 634 00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:05,040 Speaker 1: this sort of um, self fulfilling isn't the right word, 635 00:38:05,040 --> 00:38:09,879 Speaker 1: but I guess self fueling cycle of volatility trading, so 636 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:15,839 Speaker 1: like suppression begets further suppression. Basically, yes, And you know, look, 637 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:18,759 Speaker 1: I still don't feel like I understand why volatility curve 638 00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:23,680 Speaker 1: slope upward. It doesn't make any sense to me. The 639 00:38:23,719 --> 00:38:25,759 Speaker 1: short term is weird and we don't know what's going 640 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:28,680 Speaker 1: to happen tomorrow, but probably the long term will be 641 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:33,120 Speaker 1: kind of boring, right. I also know, I feel like 642 00:38:33,160 --> 00:38:36,040 Speaker 1: the long term, I mean, look, I think has kind 643 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:38,759 Speaker 1: of jaded me about what can happen in a single year. 644 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:42,040 Speaker 1: Let alone over the course of a decade, but any 645 00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:45,880 Speaker 1: tomorrow could be very weird. We know that, what about 646 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:50,200 Speaker 1: ten years from tomorrow, Well, ten years from tomorrow, every 647 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:52,600 Speaker 1: single advisor we would ever talk about say, yeah, stocks 648 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:54,560 Speaker 1: will probably be hard. Yeah, but you don't know what 649 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:56,960 Speaker 1: it's like, Like this is like but you don't know 650 00:38:57,000 --> 00:39:01,680 Speaker 1: what happens in the meantime. Who cares? And I guess 651 00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:05,120 Speaker 1: I'm still like on the hunt for like a totally 652 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:08,759 Speaker 1: satisfying answer about how the investment industry's view could be 653 00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:12,400 Speaker 1: docs generally go up, ignore the short term noise. But 654 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:14,480 Speaker 1: also we're going to pay more for long term hedges 655 00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:16,919 Speaker 1: than we do short term mages. Okay, look, I think 656 00:39:17,120 --> 00:39:20,960 Speaker 1: the moral of this conversation, or the big takeaway is 657 00:39:21,040 --> 00:39:24,080 Speaker 1: that you're going to be selling some very very cheap 658 00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:27,880 Speaker 1: volatility exposure ten years in the future. Everyone should come 659 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:30,680 Speaker 1: to you for their long term hedging needs. Yeah, I'm 660 00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:33,440 Speaker 1: I'm putting a call out right now. No, I'm not, 661 00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:35,560 Speaker 1: but I guess, you know, thinking about it that way, 662 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:37,960 Speaker 1: it's like, sure, I can say that that I'll like 663 00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:40,040 Speaker 1: would be a seller of long term vall, but do 664 00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:41,480 Speaker 1: I really want to be on the hook for it? 665 00:39:41,760 --> 00:39:44,080 Speaker 1: Maybe that's the issue. I just don't want to. I 666 00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:45,800 Speaker 1: just don't want to take it on my book. Yeah. 667 00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:47,640 Speaker 1: I think it's going to end up being something like 668 00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:52,400 Speaker 1: the carrying cost over that course of time, isn't it. Okay? Well, 669 00:39:52,960 --> 00:39:57,839 Speaker 1: on that note again, everyone buy vall exposure from Joe 670 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:01,160 Speaker 1: he's offering. But in the means time. This has been 671 00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:04,640 Speaker 1: another episode of the All Thoughts Podcast. I'm Tracy Alloway. 672 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:07,960 Speaker 1: You can follow me on Twitter at Tracy Alloway. And 673 00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:10,879 Speaker 1: I'm Joe Wisenthal. You can follow me on Twitter at 674 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:14,359 Speaker 1: the Stalwork. Follow our guest on Twitter, Chris Steel. He's 675 00:40:14,440 --> 00:40:19,240 Speaker 1: at he S I D I I I So Pasted 676 00:40:19,360 --> 00:40:23,680 Speaker 1: with three Eyes. Follow our producer Laura Carlson at Laura M. Carlson. 677 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:28,000 Speaker 1: Follow the Bloomberg head of podcast, Francesco Levie at Francesco Today, 678 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:31,120 Speaker 1: and check out all of our podcasts at Bloomberg under 679 00:40:31,160 --> 00:41:02,759 Speaker 1: the handle at podcast. Thanks for listening to