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

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

Korea / Special Situations, Clepsydra Capital

Sanghyun Park

Korea / Special Situations

Korea / Special Sits, Pairs, Index Rebalancing

Clepsydra Capital

Investigate special situations, pairs, and index rebalancing trades in Korea.

Event-Driven

Korea Stock Exchange Kospi Index / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>The impeachment motion against President Yoon passed in the South Korean National Assembly, clearing the two-thirds supermajority, and is now official.</li>
<li>For the impeachment to fail, four justices must oppose it—highly unlikely given the current setup. The odds are heavily in favor of the impeachment being upheld.</li>
<li>Corporate law reforms, driven by a likely Democratic Party takeover, could fuel value-up momentum and drive the local market, potentially sparking an unexpected rally through the May election.</li>
</ul>


The impeachment motion against President Yoon passed in the South Korean National Assembly, clearing the two-thirds supermajority, and is now official.
For the impeachment to fail, four justices must oppose it—highly unlikely given the current setup. The odds are heavily in favor of the impeachment being upheld.
Corporate law reforms, driven by a likely Democratic Party takeover, could fuel value-up momentum and drive the local market, potentially sparking an unexpected rally through the May election.


Yoon's Impeachment Passed: Upcoming Schedule, Procedures, and Market Impact

Derivatives and Quantitative Strategist

Gaudenz Schneider

<ul>
<li>The global auto industry faces significant tariff exposure. Option implied volatility offers a forward-looking assessment of risk.</li>
<li>Chinese car makers started to increase in implied volatility more than the other markets at the beginning of February. They now show the highest risk.</li>
<li>Recent implied volatility trends, asymmetric pricing (skew), and the term structure all seem to indicate that the Indian auto sector is the least exposed to international trade relations.</li>
</ul>


The global auto industry faces significant tariff exposure. Option implied volatility offers a forward-looking assessment of risk.
Chinese car makers started to increase in implied volatility more than the other markets at the beginning of February. They now show the highest risk.
Recent implied volatility trends, asymmetric pricing (skew), and the term structure all seem to indicate that the Indian auto sector is the least exposed to international trade relations.


EQD | Volatile Roads: Unveiling Risk in the Asian Auto Industry Through the Options Market

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>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/paradise-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14940:1" rel="noopener">Paradise Co Ltd (034230 KS)</a> will move from the KOSDAQ Market to the KOSPI Market from the open of trading on 24 June.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/e-d-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29151:1" rel="noopener">E&amp;D Co Ltd (101360 KS)</a> will be added to the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kosdaq-150-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31077:1" rel="noopener">KOSDAQ 150 Index (KOSDQ150 INDEX)</a> at the close on 21 June to replace <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/paradise-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14940:1" rel="noopener">Paradise Co Ltd (034230 KS)</a>. </li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/paradise-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14940:1" rel="noopener">Paradise Co Ltd (034230 KS)</a> belongs to the Consumer Discretionary sector and there is a possibility of inclusion to the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/korea-stock-exchange-kospi-200" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26021:1" rel="noopener">Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 (KOSPI2 INDEX)</a> in December.</li>
</ul>



Paradise Co Ltd (034230 KS) will move from the KOSDAQ Market to the KOSPI Market from the open of trading on 24 June.

E&amp;D Co Ltd (101360 KS) will be added to the KOSDAQ 150 Index (KOSDQ150 INDEX) at the close on 21 June to replace Paradise Co Ltd (034230 KS). 

Paradise Co Ltd (034230 KS) belongs to the Consumer Discretionary sector and there is a possibility of inclusion to the Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 (KOSPI2 INDEX) in December.


KOSDAQ150 Adhoc Index Rebalance: Eco&Dream to Replace Paradise Co

Korea Stock Exchange KOSPI 200 / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Korea banned all short selling in March 2020 and resumed short selling only on <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/korea-stock-exchange-kospi-200" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26021:1" rel="noopener">KOSPI 200</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kosdaq-150-index" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31077:1" rel="noopener">KOSDAQ 150</a> index constituents in May 2021.</li>
<li>News reports indicate that there could be another short sell ban as soon as the coming week. Indications are that the ban could last 6 months.</li>
<li>There are many implications of a total short sell ban including futures backwardation, market manipulation, and no emerging to developed market promotion.</li>
</ul>


Korea banned all short selling in March 2020 and resumed short selling only on KOSPI 200 and KOSDAQ 150 index constituents in May 2021.
News reports indicate that there could be another short sell ban as soon as the coming week. Indications are that the ban could last 6 months.
There are many implications of a total short sell ban including futures backwardation, market manipulation, and no emerging to developed market promotion.


Korea Short Sell Ban: Background, Manipulation, Holdings, Flows, Short Interest, Implications

South Korea

The KOSPI Index is a capitalization-weighted index of all common shares on the Korean Stock Exchanges. The Index was developed with a base value of 100 as of January 4, 1980. Note: The preferred shares are excluded in calculating the KOSPI Index from June 14, 2002. 

Korea Stock Exchange Kospi Index (KOSPI INDEX)

Korea Stock Exchange Kospi Index (KOSPI INDEX)

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

Yoon's Impeachment Passed: Upcoming Schedule, Procedures, and Market Impact

This post details Yoon's impeachment approval in South Korea's National Assembly: upcoming schedule, procedures, and local stock market impact.

Sanghyun Park

EQD | Volatile Roads: Unveiling Risk in the Asian Auto Industry Through the Options Market

Global auto industry faces tariff risk. The option market assigns the highest risk to Chinese car makers. The Indian auto sector appears least...

Gaudenz Schneider

KOSDAQ150 Adhoc Index Rebalance: Eco&Dream to Replace Paradise Co

Eco&Dream will replace Paradise Co in the KOSDAQ150 Index at the close on Friday. Paradise Co could be added to the KOSPI200 Index in December...

Brian Freitas

Korea Short Sell Ban: Background, Manipulation, Holdings, Flows, Short Interest, Implications

Media reports indicate that there could be a temporary short sell ban in Korea. This could lead to futures backwardation, market manipulation and a...

Brian Freitas

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

Yoon's Impeachment Passed: Upcoming Schedule, Procedures, and Market Impact

This post details Yoon's impeachment approval in South Korea's National Assembly: upcoming schedule, procedures, and local stock market impact.

Sanghyun Park

EQD | Volatile Roads: Unveiling Risk in the Asian Auto Industry Through the Options Market

​Global auto industry faces tariff risk. The option market assigns the highest risk to Chinese car makers. The Indian auto sector appears least...

Gaudenz Schneider

KOSDAQ150 Adhoc Index Rebalance: Eco&Dream to Replace Paradise Co

Eco&Dream will replace Paradise Co in the KOSDAQ150 Index at the close on Friday. Paradise Co could be added to the KOSPI200 Index in December...

Brian Freitas

Korea Short Sell Ban: Background, Manipulation, Holdings, Flows, Short Interest, Implications

Media reports indicate that there could be a temporary short sell ban in Korea. This could lead to futures backwardation, market manipulation and a...

Brian Freitas

Global auto industry faces tariff risk. The option market assigns the highest risk to Chinese car makers. The Indian auto sector appears least...