Derivatives and Quantitative Strategist

Gaudenz Schneider

Equity Derivatives

<ul>
<li>US equity indices led global markets in a post-election sharp decline in implied volatility.</li>
<li>With only 34 trading days left in 2024, investors might want to hedge the gains from a profitable year with tactical long puts.</li>
<li>Several markets make good candidates for long put positions due to a combination of cheap options and potentially bearish factors. One example being the <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 (AS51 INDEX)</a> </li>
</ul>


US equity indices led global markets in a post-election sharp decline in implied volatility.
With only 34 trading days left in 2024, investors might want to hedge the gains from a profitable year with tactical long puts.
Several markets make good candidates for long put positions due to a combination of cheap options and potentially bearish factors. One example being the S&amp;P/ASX 200 (AS51 INDEX) 


EQD | Global Option Implied Volatility – 34 Trading Days Left in 2024, Year-End Positioning.

<ul>
<li>Global equity markets have experienced falling prices and increasing volatility over the past week. Some markets were affected more than others.</li>
<li>Hedging opportunities in the <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 (AS51 INDEX)</a>, the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ftse-100-index-ukx" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22904:1" rel="noopener">FTSE 100 Index (UKX INDEX)</a>, or the Swiss Market Index; all with sub-13% implied volatility.</li>
<li>The <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nikkei-225" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22909:1" rel="noopener">Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX)</a> experienced some of the largest market and volatility moves in international comparison, with more turbulence likely ahead following the Japanese elections.</li>
</ul>


Global equity markets have experienced falling prices and increasing volatility over the past week. Some markets were affected more than others.
Hedging opportunities in the S&amp;P/ASX 200 (AS51 INDEX), the FTSE 100 Index (UKX INDEX), or the Swiss Market Index; all with sub-13% implied volatility.
The Nikkei 225 (NKY INDEX) experienced some of the largest market and volatility moves in international comparison, with more turbulence likely ahead following the Japanese elections.


EQD | Global Option Implied Volatility - Nikkei 225, Nifty 50, S&P/ASX 200, S&P 500, SMI, FTSE 100

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Considering constructive market dynamics and the recent $SPX breakout above 5783 following several months of consolidation, we upgraded our outlook to bullish as of our 10/15/24 U.S. Macro Vision report</li>
<li>Since late-July, we have been neutral on the SPX, preferring to buy near 5100-5200 support and sell near 5670-5783 resistance until there is a break in either direction.</li>
<li>The verdict of the market is the only one that matters, and the breakout above 5783 is the market's way of saying the path of least resistance is higher.</li>
</ul>


Considering constructive market dynamics and the recent $SPX breakout above 5783 following several months of consolidation, we upgraded our outlook to bullish as of our 10/15/24 U.S. Macro Vision report
Since late-July, we have been neutral on the SPX, preferring to buy near 5100-5200 support and sell near 5670-5783 resistance until there is a break in either direction.
The verdict of the market is the only one that matters, and the breakout above 5783 is the market's way of saying the path of least resistance is higher.


Bullish Outlook Focused on Large- And Mid-Caps; Russell 2000 Below Resistance; Concerns Dwindling

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

Rikki Malik

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Precious Metals and the associated equities have been a high-conviction investment idea for us in 2024</li>
<li>Gold is up 32% YTD and a representative index of gold miners is up 39%</li>
<li>Should we take the money and run? Is it over?</li>
</ul>


Precious Metals and the associated equities have been a high-conviction investment idea for us in 2024
Gold is up 32% YTD and a representative index of gold miners is up 39%
Should we take the money and run? Is it over?


As Good as Gold – Take the Money and Run?

Nasdaq-100 Stock Index / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>$SPX remains below 5783, the upper-end of important target/resistance area we've discussed for a month+ (5670-5783). 5670 was prior all-time high set in July, while 5783 is 2% above 5670.</li>
<li>It's hard to call it a "decisive" breakout if SPX isn't even 2% above its prior high.  In 2007, SPX made a top after climbing 1-2% above its prior high.</li>
<li>The 2007 topping analog has tracked the current market almost perfectly, with similar backdrops to today including new Fed cutting cycle, recession indicators going off, yield curve un-inverting, defensives outperforming</li>
</ul>


$SPX remains below 5783, the upper-end of important target/resistance area we've discussed for a month+ (5670-5783). 5670 was prior all-time high set in July, while 5783 is 2% above 5670.
It's hard to call it a "decisive" breakout if SPX isn't even 2% above its prior high.  In 2007, SPX made a top after climbing 1-2% above its prior high.
The 2007 topping analog has tracked the current market almost perfectly, with similar backdrops to today including new Fed cutting cycle, recession indicators going off, yield curve un-inverting, defensives outperforming


Still No Decisive Breakout as SPX Tests 5783 Resistance; Ideal Time to Shift to Defensives

United States

The NASDAQ-100 Index is a modified capitalization-weighted index of the 100 largest and most active non-financial domestic and international issues listed on the NASDAQ. No security can have more than a 24% weighting. The index was developed with a base value of 125 as of February 1, 1985. Prior to December 21,1998 the Nasdaq 100 was a cap-weighted index.

Nasdaq-100 Stock Index (NDX INDEX)

EQD | Global Option Implied Volatility – 34 Trading Days Left in 2024, Year-End Positioning.

Global equity indices saw a post-election volatility drop, making options cheap in several, but not all, markets. Consider hedging gains with...

Gaudenz Schneider

EQD | Global Option Implied Volatility - Nikkei 225, Nifty 50, S&P/ASX 200, S&P 500, SMI, FTSE 100

Global equity markets have seen falling prices and rising volatility. Hedging opportunities exist in the FTSE 100, SMI, and S&P/ASX 200. The...

Gaudenz Schneider

Bullish Outlook Focused on Large- And Mid-Caps; Russell 2000 Below Resistance; Concerns Dwindling

Bullish Outlook Focused on Large- and Mid-Caps $SPX $NDX $QQQ $IJH $MDY $IWR as of the Oct 11 close above 5783; Russell 2000 $IWM Still Below...

Vermilion Research

As Good as Gold – Take the Money and Run?

2024 has been a strong year for precious metals and associated equities, with gold up 32% YTD and gold miners up 39%. The question now is whether...

Rikki Malik

Still No Decisive Breakout as SPX Tests 5783 Resistance; Ideal Time to Shift to Defensives

Still No Decisive Breakout as $SPX Tests 5783 Resistance; On watch for SPX bull trap/failed breakout, confirmed only on a break below 5670. 2007...

Vermilion Research

EQD | Global Option Implied Volatility – 34 Trading Days Left in 2024, Year-End Positioning.

​Global equity indices saw a post-election volatility drop, making options cheap in several, but not all, markets. Consider hedging gains with...

Gaudenz Schneider

EQD | Global Option Implied Volatility - Nikkei 225, Nifty 50, S&P/ASX 200, S&P 500, SMI, FTSE 100

​Global equity markets have seen falling prices and rising volatility. Hedging opportunities exist in the FTSE 100, SMI, and S&P/ASX 200. The...

Gaudenz Schneider

Bullish Outlook Focused on Large- And Mid-Caps; Russell 2000 Below Resistance; Concerns Dwindling

Bullish Outlook Focused on Large- and Mid-Caps $SPX $NDX $QQQ $IJH $MDY $IWR as of the Oct 11 close above 5783; Russell 2000 $IWM Still Below...

Vermilion Research

As Good as Gold – Take the Money and Run?

​2024 has been a strong year for precious metals and associated equities, with gold up 32% YTD and gold miners up 39%. The question now is whether...

Rikki Malik

Still No Decisive Breakout as SPX Tests 5783 Resistance; Ideal Time to Shift to Defensives

Still No Decisive Breakout as $SPX Tests 5783 Resistance; On watch for SPX bull trap/failed breakout, confirmed only on a break below 5670. 2007...

Vermilion Research

Global equity indices saw a post-election volatility drop, making options cheap in several, but not all, markets. Consider hedging gains with...

Global equity markets have seen falling prices and rising volatility. Hedging opportunities exist in the FTSE 100, SMI, and S&P/ASX 200. The...

2024 has been a strong year for precious metals and associated equities, with gold up 32% YTD and gold miners up 39%. The question now is whether...