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>Seasonal patterns shift in August, with weaker average returns and greater downside skew supporting a case for selective hedging.</li>
<li>Most markets are at or near 52-week highs, further strengthening the argument for protective positioning.</li>
<li>Unlike July’s consistent vol-selling setup, August presents a more mixed environment for volatility strategies.</li>
</ul>


Seasonal patterns shift in August, with weaker average returns and greater downside skew supporting a case for selective hedging.
Most markets are at or near 52-week highs, further strengthening the argument for protective positioning.
Unlike July’s consistent vol-selling setup, August presents a more mixed environment for volatility strategies.


Global Macro Outlook (Aug): Risk Builds Amid Uneven Macro Picture

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>There are 3 stocks in Korea that could be deleted from a global index in August and that will result in large selling from passive trackers.</li>
<li>Short interest has increased in all 3 stocks since the resumption of short selling. Cumulative excess volume is higher in all stocks over the last couple of months.</li>
<li>Given the increase in shorts and positioning, there could be short covering in two of the three stocks. The third could still drop over the next couple of weeks.</li>
</ul>


There are 3 stocks in Korea that could be deleted from a global index in August and that will result in large selling from passive trackers.
Short interest has increased in all 3 stocks since the resumption of short selling. Cumulative excess volume is higher in all stocks over the last couple of months.
Given the increase in shorts and positioning, there could be short covering in two of the three stocks. The third could still drop over the next couple of weeks.


Korea: 3 Potential Index Deletions in August; Positioning Watch

Quantitative Researcher, MRM Research

Nico Rosti

Quantitative Researcher

MRM Research

Quantitative Research

<ul>
<li>A quick synoptic look at the tactical models for the key indices, stocks, commodities and bonds we cover, for the week August 4 - August 8.</li>
<li>
OVERSOLD: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/china-mobile-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27:1" rel="noopener">China Mobile (941 HK)</a> , <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nifty-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:23617:1" rel="noopener">NIFTY 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> </li>
<li>
OVERBOUGHT: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nvidia-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5891:1" rel="noopener">NVIDIA Corp (NVDA US)</a> is the only stock clearly overbought. </li>
</ul>


A quick synoptic look at the tactical models for the key indices, stocks, commodities and bonds we cover, for the week August 4 - August 8.

OVERSOLD: China Mobile (941 HK) , NIFTY Index , KOSPI 200 INDEX 

OVERBOUGHT: NVIDIA Corp (NVDA US) is the only stock clearly overbought. 


Global Markets Tactical Outlook: Week of August 4 – August 8

Director, Head of Research, Smartkarma

Pranav Rao

Director, Head of Research

Smartkarma

Smartkarma unites the fragmented investment industry, connecting institutional investors, independent research providers, and corporates within a single network.

Research Reinvented

Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>Welcome to Curator’s Cut, a fortnightly roundup of standout themes from the 1,200+ insights published in the past two weeks on Smartkarma</li>
<li>In this cut, we review the rally in Chinese healthcare in 2025, track some updates in financial markets infrastructure companies, and see how Korean equities have done since end-May</li>
<li>Want to dig deeper? Comment or message with the themes you’d like to see highlighted next</li>
</ul>


Welcome to Curator’s Cut, a fortnightly roundup of standout themes from the 1,200+ insights published in the past two weeks on Smartkarma
In this cut, we review the rally in Chinese healthcare in 2025, track some updates in financial markets infrastructure companies, and see how Korean equities have done since end-May
Want to dig deeper? Comment or message with the themes you’d like to see highlighted next


Curator's Cut: China Healthcare Rally, Financial Market Infra Moves & Korea’s Equity Upswing

Derivatives and Quantitative Strategist

Gaudenz Schneider

Macroeconomics

<ul>
<li>
Context: Central Bank rate decisions, index changes and political events can move markets and affect volatility. Exchange holidays and option expiration schedules might influence liquidity on these days.</li>
<li>
Highlights: Earnings season keeps several regional markets busy through early to mid-August. Meanwhile, three central banks in the region are scheduled to hold monetary policy meetings spaced across the month.</li>
<li>
Why Read: Plan ahead and take into account known market events when making investment and trading decision.</li>
</ul>



Context: Central Bank rate decisions, index changes and political events can move markets and affect volatility. Exchange holidays and option expiration schedules might influence liquidity on these days.

Highlights: Earnings season keeps several regional markets busy through early to mid-August. Meanwhile, three central banks in the region are scheduled to hold monetary policy meetings spaced across the month.

Why Read: Plan ahead and take into account known market events when making investment and trading decision.


The Month Ahead: Key Events in August 2025

South Korea

The KOSPI 200 Index is a capitalization-weighted index of 200 Korean stocks which make up 93% of the total market value of the Korea Stock Exchange. The index was developed with a base value of 100 as of January 3, 1990.

Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 (KOSPI2 INDEX EQUITY)

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

Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 (KOSPI2 INDEX EQUITY)

Global Macro Outlook (Aug): Risk Builds Amid Uneven Macro Picture

August brings a shift in seasonal patterns, with weaker returns and greater downside risk, making a case for selective hedging with markets near...

John Ley

Korea: 3 Potential Index Deletions in August; Positioning Watch

There could be 3 deletions in Korea. Flow varies between US$84m-US$100m and impact between 4-8x ADV. Shorts have increased, as has positioning....

Brian Freitas

Global Markets Tactical Outlook: Week of August 4 – August 8

Our WEEKLY tactical models show oversold conditions for China Mobile, NIFTY Index, and KOSPI 200 Index, while NVIDIA Corp is the only stock...

Nico Rosti

Curator's Cut: China Healthcare Rally, Financial Market Infra Moves & Korea’s Equity Upswing

This Curator's Cut issue shows what's contributed to the Chinese healthcare sector's performance YTD, looks at some exchanges and depositories,...

Pranav Rao

The Month Ahead: Key Events in August 2025

Three central banks (India, Australia, South Korea) decide on rates. Earnings season continues in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and India, and is...

Gaudenz Schneider

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Global Macro Outlook (Aug): Risk Builds Amid Uneven Macro Picture

​August brings a shift in seasonal patterns, with weaker returns and greater downside risk, making a case for selective hedging with markets near...

John Ley

Korea: 3 Potential Index Deletions in August; Positioning Watch

There could be 3 deletions in Korea. Flow varies between US$84m-US$100m and impact between 4-8x ADV. Shorts have increased, as has positioning....

Brian Freitas

Global Markets Tactical Outlook: Week of August 4 – August 8

​Our WEEKLY tactical models show oversold conditions for China Mobile, NIFTY Index, and KOSPI 200 Index, while NVIDIA Corp is the only stock...

Nico Rosti

Curator's Cut: China Healthcare Rally, Financial Market Infra Moves & Korea’s Equity Upswing

This ​Curator's Cut issue shows what's contributed to the Chinese healthcare sector's performance YTD, looks at some exchanges and depositories,...

Pranav Rao

The Month Ahead: Key Events in August 2025

Three central banks (India, Australia, South Korea) decide on rates. Earnings season continues in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and India, and is...

Gaudenz Schneider

August brings a shift in seasonal patterns, with weaker returns and greater downside risk, making a case for selective hedging with markets near...

Our WEEKLY tactical models show oversold conditions for China Mobile, NIFTY Index, and KOSPI 200 Index, while NVIDIA Corp is the only stock...

This Curator's Cut issue shows what's contributed to the Chinese healthcare sector's performance YTD, looks at some exchanges and depositories,...