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>Gold is historically a strong January performer, rising 65% of the time. Nifty declines 70% of the time in January with all January’s since 2019 negative.</li>
<li>Wide gap in Kospi vs Nikkei implied vol when viewed in light of their respective price performances over the past 1 and 3 months.</li>
<li>Most markets typically see peak volatility in the first week of the month with prices typically trading heavy in the 2nd half of the month.</li>
</ul>


Gold is historically a strong January performer, rising 65% of the time. Nifty declines 70% of the time in January with all January’s since 2019 negative.
Wide gap in Kospi vs Nikkei implied vol when viewed in light of their respective price performances over the past 1 and 3 months.
Most markets typically see peak volatility in the first week of the month with prices typically trading heavy in the 2nd half of the month.


EQD | Asia January Vol Roadmap:    Outsized Moves, Outsized Volatility

Derivatives and Quantitative Strategist

Gaudenz Schneider

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>Timing expiration, assessing volatility, and managing event risk are crucial for effective option trades.</li>
<li>Exchange holidays, expiries, central bank rate decisions, and index changes can significantly impact volatility and market direction.</li>
<li>The attached document provides key dates to help navigate the complexities of option trading in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, and the USA.
</li>
</ul>


Timing expiration, assessing volatility, and managing event risk are crucial for effective option trades.
Exchange holidays, expiries, central bank rate decisions, and index changes can significantly impact volatility and market direction.
The attached document provides key dates to help navigate the complexities of option trading in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, and the USA.



2025 Essential Calendar for Option Traders in Asia: Key Dates & Insights

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs, Douglas Research Advisory

Douglas Kim

Korea/Asia, Events, IPOs

Douglas Research Advisory

Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>DN Solutions is planning to complete its IPO in Korea in 2025. The expected value of DN Solutions is estimated to be about 5 trillion won to 6 trillion won.</li>
<li>DN Solutions' revenue and operating profit increased at CAGR of 19.9% and 62.2%, respectively from 2020 to 2023.</li>
<li>Currently, the largest shareholder of DN Solutions is GMT Holdings which has a 90.32% stake. DN Automotive (007340 KS) owns a 100% stake in GMT Holdings.</li>
</ul>


DN Solutions is planning to complete its IPO in Korea in 2025. The expected value of DN Solutions is estimated to be about 5 trillion won to 6 trillion won.
DN Solutions' revenue and operating profit increased at CAGR of 19.9% and 62.2%, respectively from 2020 to 2023.
Currently, the largest shareholder of DN Solutions is GMT Holdings which has a 90.32% stake. DN Automotive (007340 KS) owns a 100% stake in GMT Holdings.


Korea Stock Exchange Kospi Index / Equity Derivatives

<ul>
<li>Since the end of September the Kospi has been diverging from the Nikkie which has rallied as JPY has weakened. Both Kospi and KRW have been moving lower.</li>
<li>Vast majority of option trading is in short dated expiries. The largest volume day of the week saw 99% of trading in expires &lt;= Jan 09</li>
<li>Implied vols were quiet but there was some increased tilt to skew making out-of-the-money Puts slightly more expensive.</li>
</ul>


Since the end of September the Kospi has been diverging from the Nikkie which has rallied as JPY has weakened. Both Kospi and KRW have been moving lower.
Vast majority of option trading is in short dated expiries. The largest volume day of the week saw 99% of trading in expires &lt;= Jan 09
Implied vols were quiet but there was some increased tilt to skew making out-of-the-money Puts slightly more expensive.


EQD | Kospi Index Options Weekly - December 23 - 27

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>The review period for the March rebalance of the KOSPI Size Indices commenced on 1 December and will end on 28 February.</li>
<li>A quarter of the way through the review period, we forecast 37 migrating stocks. Among new listings, 1 could be added to LargeCap, 3 to MidCap and 2 to SmallCap.</li>
<li>Four downward migrations were deleted from a global index in November. Now, three more downward migrations could be deleted from the same global index in February.</li>
</ul>


The review period for the March rebalance of the KOSPI Size Indices commenced on 1 December and will end on 28 February.
A quarter of the way through the review period, we forecast 37 migrating stocks. Among new listings, 1 could be added to LargeCap, 3 to MidCap and 2 to SmallCap.
Four downward migrations were deleted from a global index in November. Now, three more downward migrations could be deleted from the same global index in February.


KOSPI Size Indices: Overlap Between Global Passive Selling & Downward Migrations

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)

EQD | Asia January Vol Roadmap: Outsized Moves, Outsized Volatility

Historically, gold performs well in January while Nifty tends to decline. Kospi and Nikkei have diverged in price but not implied vol. Most...

John Ley

2025 Essential Calendar for Option Traders in Asia: Key Dates & Insights

Timing expiration and managing event risk are essential for successful option trading. This document provides key dates for option traders across...

Gaudenz Schneider

Initial Thoughts on the DN Solutions IPO

DN Solutions is planning to complete its IPO in Korea in 2025. The expected value of DN Solutions is estimated to be about 5 trillion won to 6...

Douglas Kim

EQD | Kospi Index Options Weekly - December 23 - 27

The Kospi has been diverging from the Nikkie which has rallied as JPY has weakened. Both Kospi and KRW have been moving lower.

John Ley

KOSPI Size Indices: Overlap Between Global Passive Selling & Downward Migrations

There could be 37 migrations for the KOSPI Size indices in March, plus 1 LargeCap and 3 MidCap inclusions. The MidCap to LargeCap migrations have...

Brian Freitas

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

EQD | Asia January Vol Roadmap: Outsized Moves, Outsized Volatility

​Historically, gold performs well in January while Nifty tends to decline. Kospi and Nikkei have diverged in price but not implied vol. Most...

John Ley

2025 Essential Calendar for Option Traders in Asia: Key Dates & Insights

Timing expiration and managing event risk are essential for successful option trading. This document provides key dates for option traders across...

Gaudenz Schneider

Initial Thoughts on the DN Solutions IPO

DN Solutions is planning to complete its IPO in Korea in 2025. The expected value of DN Solutions is estimated to be about 5 trillion won to 6...

Douglas Kim

EQD | Kospi Index Options Weekly - December 23 - 27

The Kospi has been diverging from the Nikkie which has rallied as JPY has weakened. Both Kospi and KRW have been moving lower.

John Ley

KOSPI Size Indices: Overlap Between Global Passive Selling & Downward Migrations

There could be 37 migrations for the KOSPI Size indices in March, plus 1 LargeCap and 3 MidCap inclusions. The MidCap to LargeCap migrations have...

Brian Freitas

Historically, gold performs well in January while Nifty tends to decline. Kospi and Nikkei have diverged in price but not implied vol. Most...