Derivatives and Quantitative Strategist

Gaudenz Schneider

Equity Derivatives

<ul>
<li>Over the past five trading days, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tencent-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26:1" rel="noopener">Tencent (700 HK)</a> multi-leg option strategies showcased a variety of approaches. Strategy highlights and volatility context are provided.</li>
<li>With short-term implied volatility below its median, long volatility strategies dominate, with a balanced mix of bullish and bearish positions. </li>
<li>Open interest spread across monthly and quarterly expiries, with some notable strategies taking advantage of longer expiration dates, and a steep negatively sloped skew $475.</li>
</ul>


Over the past five trading days, Tencent (700 HK) multi-leg option strategies showcased a variety of approaches. Strategy highlights and volatility context are provided.
With short-term implied volatility below its median, long volatility strategies dominate, with a balanced mix of bullish and bearish positions. 
Open interest spread across monthly and quarterly expiries, with some notable strategies taking advantage of longer expiration dates, and a steep negatively sloped skew $475.


Tencent (700 HK): Volatility Plays and Skew Top Trades

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>Hang Seng Indexes has announced a change in the FreeFloat-Adjusted Factor (FAF) methodology for Secondary Listings that will be implemented from the next rebalance in June.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/netease-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29030:1" rel="noopener">NetEase (9999 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/baidu-inc-a55ca720-5968-48f0-8194-ac94390d065c" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:32212:1" rel="noopener">Baidu (9888 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/trip-com-group-ltd-23a341d0-4f63-4175-a8c5-ee990906cacd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36424:1" rel="noopener">Trip.com (9961 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nio-inc-2d526675-c878-4104-840f-87fed1735e85" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:35652:1" rel="noopener">NIO (9866 HK)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/new-oriental-education-techn" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:32210:1" rel="noopener">New Oriental Education &amp; Techn (9901 HK)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/weibo-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:35280:1" rel="noopener">Weibo (9898 HK)</a> benefit; <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/gds-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:32157:1" rel="noopener">GDS Holdings (9698 HK)</a> loses out.</li>
<li>The FAF changes along with capping changes will result in a round-trip trade of HK$34.2bn (US$4.4bn) at the June rebalance with the largest turnover for the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hang-seng-tech-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31367:1" rel="noopener">Hang Seng TECH Index</a>. </li>
</ul>


Hang Seng Indexes has announced a change in the FreeFloat-Adjusted Factor (FAF) methodology for Secondary Listings that will be implemented from the next rebalance in June.

NetEase (9999 HK), Baidu (9888 HK), Trip.com (9961 HK), NIO (9866 HK), New Oriental Education &amp; Techn (9901 HK) and Weibo (9898 HK) benefit; GDS Holdings (9698 HK) loses out.
The FAF changes along with capping changes will result in a round-trip trade of HK$34.2bn (US$4.4bn) at the June rebalance with the largest turnover for the Hang Seng TECH Index. 


Hang Seng Indexes: FAF Methodology Change for Secondary Listings; Over US$1bn to Buy in NetEase

<ul>
<li>This Insight analyses <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/jd-com-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29043:1" rel="noopener">JD.com (9618 HK)</a> option strategies traded over the last five trading days on the Hong Kong Exchange. Strategy highlights and volatility context are provided.</li>
<li>
Bearish strategies dominate trading activity, outnumbering bullish ones by more than 3:1, with long volatility structures and calendar/diagonal spreads being prevalent.</li>
<li>
Long tail events: Several strategies follow a pattern of minimal upfront cost (0.1% premium), targeting a significant payout in case of large price movements within a short timeframe. </li>
</ul>


This Insight analyses JD.com (9618 HK) option strategies traded over the last five trading days on the Hong Kong Exchange. Strategy highlights and volatility context are provided.

Bearish strategies dominate trading activity, outnumbering bullish ones by more than 3:1, with long volatility structures and calendar/diagonal spreads being prevalent.

Long tail events: Several strategies follow a pattern of minimal upfront cost (0.1% premium), targeting a significant payout in case of large price movements within a short timeframe. 


JD.com (9618 HK): Strategic Highlights and Market View from HKEX Top Trades

Asia L/S Equity PM/Macro/Thematic Idea Generation

Rikki Malik

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Copper and other base metals have been rising all year</li>
<li>The Trump tariff bump is not the only reason for this</li>
<li>Much less speculative positioning in futures vs previous peak meaning real world demand is the driver</li>
</ul>


Copper and other base metals have been rising all year
The Trump tariff bump is not the only reason for this
Much less speculative positioning in futures vs previous peak meaning real world demand is the driver


Tactical Trading -Revisiting MMG as Copper and Other Base Metals Perk Up

<ul>
<li>This Insight analyses <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/alibaba-group-holding-ltd-d7b798e2-202d-4e01-9a1e-799e2ae8f0c7" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28434:1" rel="noopener">Alibaba Group Holding (9988 HK)</a> multi-leg option strategies traded over the last five trading days on the Hong Kong Exchange. Strategy highlights and volatility context are provided.</li>
<li>These traders tailor structures to risk budgets and take calculated bets. With implied volatility below its median and below realized volatility, all strategies reviewed are long volatility.</li>
<li>Almost 20% of all strategies are Calendar or Diagonal Spreads. Diagonal spreads can even earn premium in the current volatility environment. A live strategy is examined.</li>
</ul>


This Insight analyses Alibaba Group Holding (9988 HK) multi-leg option strategies traded over the last five trading days on the Hong Kong Exchange. Strategy highlights and volatility context are provided.
These traders tailor structures to risk budgets and take calculated bets. With implied volatility below its median and below realized volatility, all strategies reviewed are long volatility.
Almost 20% of all strategies are Calendar or Diagonal Spreads. Diagonal spreads can even earn premium in the current volatility environment. A live strategy is examined.


Alibaba (9988 HK): Top Trades - Strategies That Stand Out.

Hong Kong

The Hang Seng TECH Index aims to represent the 30 largest technology companies listed in Hong Kong which have high business exposure to the Innovative Tech Themes.

Hang Seng TECH Index (HSTECH INDEX EQUITY)

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

Hang Seng TECH Index (HSTECH INDEX EQUITY)

Tencent (700 HK): Volatility Plays and Skew Top Trades

Strategies show dominance of long volatility approaches with a mix of bullish and bearish positions, taking advantage of longer expiration dates...

Gaudenz Schneider

Hang Seng Indexes: FAF Methodology Change for Secondary Listings; Over US$1bn to Buy in NetEase

The big buys are up in the last week: NetEase (+3.75%), Baidu (+2.1%), Trip.com (+1.8%) while the headline indices are down: HSI (-1.1%), HSCEI (...

Brian Freitas

JD.com (9618 HK): Strategic Highlights and Market View from HKEX Top Trades

Analysis of JD.com option strategies on HK Exchange: Bearish strategies dominate, long tail events with minimal upfront cost target significant...

Gaudenz Schneider

Tactical Trading -Revisiting MMG as Copper and Other Base Metals Perk Up

Base metals, including copper, have been on the rise due to factors beyond the "Trump tariff bump," driven by increased real world demand and not...

Rikki Malik

Alibaba (9988 HK): Top Trades - Strategies That Stand Out.

Analysis of Alibaba's multi-leg option strategies on the HK Exchange shows traders taking calculated bets with long volatility strategies,...

Gaudenz Schneider

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Tencent (700 HK): Volatility Plays and Skew Top Trades

Strategies show dominance of long volatility approaches with a mix of bullish and bearish positions, taking advantage of longer expiration dates...

Gaudenz Schneider

Hang Seng Indexes: FAF Methodology Change for Secondary Listings; Over US$1bn to Buy in NetEase

The big buys are up in the last week: NetEase (+3.75%), Baidu (+2.1%), Trip.com (+1.8%) while the headline indices are down: HSI (-1.1%), HSCEI (...

Brian Freitas

JD.com (9618 HK): Strategic Highlights and Market View from HKEX Top Trades

​Analysis of JD.com option strategies on HK Exchange: Bearish strategies dominate, long tail events with minimal upfront cost target significant...

Gaudenz Schneider

Tactical Trading -Revisiting MMG as Copper and Other Base Metals Perk Up

​Base metals, including copper, have been on the rise due to factors beyond the "Trump tariff bump," driven by increased real world demand and not...

Rikki Malik

Alibaba (9988 HK): Top Trades - Strategies That Stand Out.

​Analysis of Alibaba's multi-leg option strategies on the HK Exchange shows traders taking calculated bets with long volatility strategies,...

Gaudenz Schneider

Analysis of JD.com option strategies on HK Exchange: Bearish strategies dominate, long tail events with minimal upfront cost target significant...

Base metals, including copper, have been on the rise due to factors beyond the "Trump tariff bump," driven by increased real world demand and not...

Analysis of Alibaba's multi-leg option strategies on the HK Exchange shows traders taking calculated bets with long volatility strategies,...