Equity Derivatives and Volatility Specialist, Clifton Derivatives

John Ley

Equity Derivatives and Volatility Specialist

Clifton Derivatives

Independent derivative and volatility research firm focusing on events/catalysts, earnings, relative value and cross asset volatility strategies.

Equity Derivatives

<ul>
<li>There are multiple signs of overheating in Baidu trading including accelerating stock and option volumes.  </li>
<li>Skew has been driven higher by strong demand for up-strike Calls.</li>
<li>We recommend a hedge that tilts the odds in the holder’s favor while establishing the position at a credit.</li>
</ul>


There are multiple signs of overheating in Baidu trading including accelerating stock and option volumes.  
Skew has been driven higher by strong demand for up-strike Calls.
We recommend a hedge that tilts the odds in the holder’s favor while establishing the position at a credit.


Baidu (9888.HK): Overheated Trading and Skew Dynamics Highlight a Distinct Hedge Opportunity

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

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/chery-automobile-co-ltd-3fd31c4e-aba6-43af-bdf8-c5a7af8cf9b2" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:44473:1" rel="noopener">Chery Automobile Co. Ltd. (9973 HK)</a>'s IPO range is HK$27.75-HK$30.75/share and will raise up to HK$10bn (US$1.3m) if the oversubscription option is exercised, valuing the company at HK$169bn (US$21.7bn).</li>
<li>The stock should be added to the HSCI Index in December and that will make the stock eligible for inclusion in Southbound Stock Connect.</li>
<li>There will be no inclusion in global indexes for the next year, but there is a possibility of inclusion in 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 (HSTECH INDEX)</a> in December.</li>
</ul>



Chery Automobile Co. Ltd. (9973 HK)'s IPO range is HK$27.75-HK$30.75/share and will raise up to HK$10bn (US$1.3m) if the oversubscription option is exercised, valuing the company at HK$169bn (US$21.7bn).
The stock should be added to the HSCI Index in December and that will make the stock eligible for inclusion in Southbound Stock Connect.
There will be no inclusion in global indexes for the next year, but there is a possibility of inclusion in the Hang Seng TECH Index (HSTECH INDEX) in December.


Chery Auto (9973 HK) IPO: No Inclusion in Global Indices; HSTECH Is Interesting

Derivatives and Quantitative Strategist

Gaudenz Schneider

<ul>
<li>
Context: Volatility cones provide a straightforward framework to evaluate whether options are trading cheap or rich.</li>
<li>
Highlights: Implied volatility has broadly risen across most, but not all, HK stocks. Front-month expiries remain historically cheap amid a steepening curve. Opportunities endure, though fewer than in recent weeks.</li>
<li>
Why Read: Spot opportunities, assess regime shifts, and manage risk effectively — volatility cones turn complex data into actionable insights for traders and investors.</li>
</ul>



Context: Volatility cones provide a straightforward framework to evaluate whether options are trading cheap or rich.

Highlights: Implied volatility has broadly risen across most, but not all, HK stocks. Front-month expiries remain historically cheap amid a steepening curve. Opportunities endure, though fewer than in recent weeks.

Why Read: Spot opportunities, assess regime shifts, and manage risk effectively — volatility cones turn complex data into actionable insights for traders and investors.


Volatility Cones Spotlight Hedging in Tencent (700 HK) And More

<ul>
<li>
Context: Volatility cones provide a clear framework to evaluate whether options are trading cheap or rich.</li>
<li>
Highlights: Implied volatility has increased across the board, but while some stocks recorded a 5-10% increase, other just added 1-2%. Upcoming November earnings start to shape the term structure.</li>
<li>
Why Read: Spot opportunities, assess regime shifts, and manage risk effectively — volatility cones turn complex data into actionable insights for traders and investors.</li>
</ul>



Context: Volatility cones provide a clear framework to evaluate whether options are trading cheap or rich.

Highlights: Implied volatility has increased across the board, but while some stocks recorded a 5-10% increase, other just added 1-2%. Upcoming November earnings start to shape the term structure.

Why Read: Spot opportunities, assess regime shifts, and manage risk effectively — volatility cones turn complex data into actionable insights for traders and investors.


HK Volatility Cones: Volatility on the Rise, Meituan and Ping An Historically Cheap

Quantitative Researcher, MRM Research

Nico Rosti

Quantitative Researcher

MRM Research

Quantitative Research

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing) / Equity Derivatives

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing)

<ul>
<li>1-Week directional forecast for the Asian indices and stocks we track, based on our proprietary probability model.</li>
<li>OVERBOUGHT:  <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/samsung-electronics-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:191:1" rel="noopener">Samsung Electronics (005930 KS)</a> , <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/taiwan-semiconductor-manufacturing-company" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11230:1" rel="noopener">Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) (2330 TT)</a> , <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/softbank-group-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:315:1" rel="noopener">Softbank Group (9984 JP)</a> , <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hong-kong-hang-seng-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22899:1" rel="noopener">HSI Index</a> , <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/korea-stock-exchange-kospi-200" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26021:1" rel="noopener">KOSPI 200 INDEX</a> , <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nikkei-225" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22909:1" rel="noopener">Nikkei 225</a> .</li>
<li>OVERSOLD: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/byd-co-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20962:1" rel="noopener">BYD Company (1211 HK)</a> , <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/s-p-asx-200" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22901:1" rel="noopener">S&amp;P/ASX 200 INDEX</a> .</li>
</ul>


1-Week directional forecast for the Asian indices and stocks we track, based on our proprietary probability model.
OVERBOUGHT:  Samsung Electronics (005930 KS) , Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) (2330 TT) , Softbank Group (9984 JP) , HSI Index , KOSPI 200 INDEX , Nikkei 225 .
OVERSOLD: BYD Company (1211 HK) , S&amp;P/ASX 200 INDEX .


Asia/Pacific Stocks Outlook For the Week Sep 15-19

Hong Kong

The Hang Seng Index is a free-float capitalization-weighted index of a selection of companies from the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. The components of the index are divided into four subindices: Commerce and Industry, Finance, Utilities, and Properties. The index was developed with a base level of 100 as of July 31, 1964.

Hang Seng Index (HSI INDEX)

Baidu (9888.HK): Overheated Trading and Skew Dynamics Highlight a Distinct Hedge Opportunity

Trading momentum and skew highlight overheating in Baidu, where a hedge can be structured to tilt odds toward the holder while entering at a credit.

John Ley

Chery Auto (9973 HK) IPO: No Inclusion in Global Indices; HSTECH Is Interesting

Chery Auto has reportedly priced the IPO at HK$30.75/share, the top end of the range. That will reduce the number of shares allocated to...

Brian Freitas

Volatility Cones Spotlight Hedging in Tencent (700 HK) And More

Tencent and other major HK stocks trade with historically low front-month volatility, offering potential hedging opportunities as the curve...

Gaudenz Schneider

HK Volatility Cones: Volatility on the Rise, Meituan and Ping An Historically Cheap

Volatility cones for 8 popular HK stocks help traders and investors spot opportunities. The IV term structure is increasingly shaped by the...

Gaudenz Schneider

Asia/Pacific Stocks Outlook For the Week Sep 15-19

Our weekly stocks outlook directional forecast, generated with on our proprietary probability models. Overbought markets are expected to go down,...

Nico Rosti

Baidu (9888.HK): Overheated Trading and Skew Dynamics Highlight a Distinct Hedge Opportunity

Trading momentum and skew highlight overheating in Baidu, where a hedge can be structured to tilt odds toward the holder while entering at a credit.

John Ley

Chery Auto (9973 HK) IPO: No Inclusion in Global Indices; HSTECH Is Interesting

Chery Auto has reportedly priced the IPO at HK$30.75/share, the top end of the range. That will reduce the number of shares allocated to...

Brian Freitas

Volatility Cones Spotlight Hedging in Tencent (700 HK) And More

Tencent and other major HK stocks trade with historically low front-month volatility, offering potential hedging opportunities as the curve...

Gaudenz Schneider

HK Volatility Cones: Volatility on the Rise, Meituan and Ping An Historically Cheap

Volatility cones for 8 popular HK stocks help traders and investors spot opportunities. The IV term structure is increasingly shaped by the...

Gaudenz Schneider

Asia/Pacific Stocks Outlook For the Week Sep 15-19

​Our weekly stocks outlook directional forecast, generated with on our proprietary probability models. Overbought markets are expected to go down,...

Nico Rosti

Our weekly stocks outlook directional forecast, generated with on our proprietary probability models. Overbought markets are expected to go down,...