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>Big increase in single stock volumes particularly Puts which pushed the single stock put call ratio over 1 for the first time since early November.</li>
<li>Heavy Put trading in the Financial Sector especially with ICBC and CCB.</li>
<li>Health Care, Energy and Materials are the 3 sectors seeing higher Put trading vs Calls and are also the 3 sectors with the lowest 3M implied vol 1 year percentile.</li>
</ul>


Big increase in single stock volumes particularly Puts which pushed the single stock put call ratio over 1 for the first time since early November.
Heavy Put trading in the Financial Sector especially with ICBC and CCB.
Health Care, Energy and Materials are the 3 sectors seeing higher Put trading vs Calls and are also the 3 sectors with the lowest 3M implied vol 1 year percentile.


EQD | Hong Kong Single Stock Options Weekly Dec 30 – Jan 03

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Since announcing <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hsbc-holdings-plc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:516:1" rel="noopener">HSBC (5 HK)</a>'s Offer, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/hang-seng-bank-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24:1" rel="noopener">Hang Seng Bank (11 HK)</a> has traded tight-ish to terms, at a ~3.9% gross spread (including dividends). Or ~10% annualised if a five month offramp.</li>
<li>Annualised spreads for clean liquid deals in Asia-Pac, do tend to widen after day 1. Meaning, the gross spread remains roughly static as investors hit their full quota early on.  </li>
<li>HSBC shareholders are questioning the deal merits. For Hang Seng minorities, this is a great exit. Inside this report, I take a deeper dive into Hong Kong bank takeover precedents.
</li>
</ul>


Since announcing HSBC (5 HK)'s Offer, Hang Seng Bank (11 HK) has traded tight-ish to terms, at a ~3.9% gross spread (including dividends). Or ~10% annualised if a five month offramp.
Annualised spreads for clean liquid deals in Asia-Pac, do tend to widen after day 1. Meaning, the gross spread remains roughly static as investors hit their full quota early on.  
HSBC shareholders are questioning the deal merits. For Hang Seng minorities, this is a great exit. Inside this report, I take a deeper dive into Hong Kong bank takeover precedents.



Hang Seng (11 HK)'s Offer: HSBC Investors Are Not Sold On The Strategic Benefits

Travis Lundy

Cosco Shipping Development / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>AH spreads are slightly narrower, but performance is concentrated in fewer names and broad spread volatility is up. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/byd-co-ltd-h" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20962:1" rel="noopener">BYD (1211 HK)</a> now 5% through. CATL 10% through will help.</li>
<li>It feels like there were some concentrated shorts on H vs A. BYD performance on CATL and Hang Seng upweight/inclusion exacerbate the issue. CATL H less liquid than people think.</li>
<li>The data tables below update on a daily basis in the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/tools" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tools</a> section of Smartkarma. The <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/tools/quiddity/south-flow-monitor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SOUTHBOUND Flow Monitor</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/tools/quiddity/ah-shares-monitor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AH Monitor</a> are both there free for SK readers.</li>
</ul>


AH spreads are slightly narrower, but performance is concentrated in fewer names and broad spread volatility is up. BYD (1211 HK) now 5% through. CATL 10% through will help.
It feels like there were some concentrated shorts on H vs A. BYD performance on CATL and Hang Seng upweight/inclusion exacerbate the issue. CATL H less liquid than people think.
The data tables below update on a daily basis in the Tools section of Smartkarma. The SOUTHBOUND Flow Monitor and AH Monitor are both there free for SK readers.


A/H Premium Tracker (To 23 May 2025):  AH Premia Contract, H Premia Names Perform Best; Batteries!

Derivatives and Quantitative Strategist

Gaudenz Schneider

<ul>
<li>Box trades are gaining popularity on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. These arbitrage strategies exploit price discrepancies in options markets for near risk-free profits.</li>
<li>Long box trades involve simultaneously buying bull call spreads and bear put spreads with identical strikes and expiration dates, creating a fixed payoff regardless of the underlying asset's price movement.</li>
<li>Box trades require careful execution consideration of spreads, commissions, margins, and fees, with risks primarily in execution and operations rather than market exposure.</li>
</ul>


Box trades are gaining popularity on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. These arbitrage strategies exploit price discrepancies in options markets for near risk-free profits.
Long box trades involve simultaneously buying bull call spreads and bear put spreads with identical strikes and expiration dates, creating a fixed payoff regardless of the underlying asset's price movement.
Box trades require careful execution consideration of spreads, commissions, margins, and fees, with risks primarily in execution and operations rather than market exposure.


Box Trades Explained: How Traders Execute Near Risk-Free Arbitrage in Hong Kong's Options Market

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

Rikki Malik

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>Are the recent announcements blocking Chinese investment a sea change in US/China relations?</li>
<li>Are we wrong about Trump’s willingness to do a deal with China?</li>
<li>Is it wrong to maintain a bullish stance on HK-listed China stocks?</li>
</ul>


Are the recent announcements blocking Chinese investment a sea change in US/China relations?
Are we wrong about Trump’s willingness to do a deal with China?
Is it wrong to maintain a bullish stance on HK-listed China stocks?


Will Recent US Announcements Derail the HK/China Bull Market?

China

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd provides a broad range of personal and corporate commercial banking services all over China.  The Bank's businesses include deposit, loan, credit card, fund underwriting and trust, and foreign currency settlement and trading.

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

Ind & Comm Bk Of China (A) (601398 CH)

EQD | Hong Kong Single Stock Options Weekly Dec 30 – Jan 03

Single stock put volumes are on the rise, pushing the put call ratio over 1 for the first time since November. Heavy put trading in financial...

John Ley

Hang Seng (11 HK)'s Offer: HSBC Investors Are Not Sold On The Strategic Benefits

Hang Seng Bank (11 HK) has announced that the Scheme Doc dispatch will be pushed out to the 17 December 2025, a little under a week ahead of my...

David Blennerhassett

A/H Premium Tracker (To 23 May 2025): AH Premia Contract, H Premia Names Perform Best; Batteries!

AH Premia contract again. Interestingly, the best performing tranche of discount was stocks where Hs trade at a premium to As. BYD squeezed. CATL a...

Travis Lundy

Box Trades Explained: How Traders Execute Near Risk-Free Arbitrage in Hong Kong's Options Market

JD.com (9618 HK) Earnings Call tonight 8:00 pm HKT. After yesterday's 3.06% move up, the ATM strike is now 165. Straddles offer an opportunity to...

Gaudenz Schneider

Will Recent US Announcements Derail the HK/China Bull Market?

Reevaluating the bullish stance on HK-listed China stocks amid potential shifts in US/China relations and uncertainty about Trump's willingness to...

Rikki Malik

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

EQD | Hong Kong Single Stock Options Weekly Dec 30 – Jan 03

​Single stock put volumes are on the rise, pushing the put call ratio over 1 for the first time since November. Heavy put trading in financial...

John Ley

Hang Seng (11 HK)'s Offer: HSBC Investors Are Not Sold On The Strategic Benefits

Hang Seng Bank (11 HK) has announced that the Scheme Doc dispatch will be pushed out to the 17 December 2025, a little under a week ahead of my...

David Blennerhassett

A/H Premium Tracker (To 23 May 2025): AH Premia Contract, H Premia Names Perform Best; Batteries!

AH Premia contract again. Interestingly, the best performing tranche of discount was stocks where Hs trade at a premium to As. BYD squeezed. CATL a...

Travis Lundy

Box Trades Explained: How Traders Execute Near Risk-Free Arbitrage in Hong Kong's Options Market

JD.com (9618 HK) Earnings Call tonight 8:00 pm HKT. After yesterday's 3.06% move up, the ATM strike is now 165. Straddles offer an opportunity to...

Gaudenz Schneider

Will Recent US Announcements Derail the HK/China Bull Market?

​Reevaluating the bullish stance on HK-listed China stocks amid potential shifts in US/China relations and uncertainty about Trump's willingness to...

Rikki Malik

Single stock put volumes are on the rise, pushing the put call ratio over 1 for the first time since November. Heavy put trading in financial...

Reevaluating the bullish stance on HK-listed China stocks amid potential shifts in US/China relations and uncertainty about Trump's willingness to...