Derivatives and Quantitative Strategist

Gaudenz Schneider

Quantitative Analysis

<ul>
<li>This Insight presents intraday data to illustrate regional volatility moves over the past one and a half trading days. </li>
<li>Sunday’s US tariff announcement led to a global decline in equities and a spike in volatility on Monday. Asian indices began to recover today with a slight decrease in volatility.</li>
<li>Market reaction to Sunday's announcement was short-lived, so far, and the impact on implied volatility muted. The risk of a renewed volatility spike to or above Monday's intraday high's remains.</li>
</ul>


This Insight presents intraday data to illustrate regional volatility moves over the past one and a half trading days. 
Sunday’s US tariff announcement led to a global decline in equities and a spike in volatility on Monday. Asian indices began to recover today with a slight decrease in volatility.
Market reaction to Sunday's announcement was short-lived, so far, and the impact on implied volatility muted. The risk of a renewed volatility spike to or above Monday's intraday high's remains.


EQD Intraday | Tariff Tantrum Impact on Intraday Volatility

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>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sigma-healthcare-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15966:1" rel="noopener">Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU)</a> and Chemist Warehouse (CWG) shareholders have approved the merger with 99.86% and 100% of the votes cast in favour.</li>
<li>The Second Court Hearing is on 3 February and the merger will be implemented on 12 February, which is when the passive buying could commence.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sigma-healthcare-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15966:1" rel="noopener">Sigma Healthcare</a> has continued to trade higher on a record margin and sales expansion for CWG and expected passive buying that could top A$3bn over the next few months.</li>
</ul>



Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU) and Chemist Warehouse (CWG) shareholders have approved the merger with 99.86% and 100% of the votes cast in favour.
The Second Court Hearing is on 3 February and the merger will be implemented on 12 February, which is when the passive buying could commence.

Sigma Healthcare has continued to trade higher on a record margin and sales expansion for CWG and expected passive buying that could top A$3bn over the next few months.


Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU): Shareholders Approve Merger; Passives Could Start Buying in Two Weeks

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sigma-healthcare-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15966:1" rel="noopener">SigmaHealthcare</a> and ChemistWarehouse shareholders meet on 29 January. If the merger resolutions are approved, Second Court Hearing is on 3 February and the merger will be effective on 4 February.</li>
<li>Upward migration in one large global index could take place on 13 February while upweights and upward migrations in the S&amp;P/ASX indices should be at the close on 21 March.</li>
<li>Upward migration in the other global index could take place in March or June. Total passive buying estimate is A$2.76bn. This will be offset by positioning and CWG shareholders selling.</li>
</ul>



SigmaHealthcare and ChemistWarehouse shareholders meet on 29 January. If the merger resolutions are approved, Second Court Hearing is on 3 February and the merger will be effective on 4 February.
Upward migration in one large global index could take place on 13 February while upweights and upward migrations in the S&amp;P/ASX indices should be at the close on 21 March.
Upward migration in the other global index could take place in March or June. Total passive buying estimate is A$2.76bn. This will be offset by positioning and CWG shareholders selling.


Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU): Index Inclusions & Upweights Increase Passive Buying to A$2.7bn

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>Nearing the end of the review period, there could be 36 adds/deletes across the S&amp;P/ASX family of indices in March.</li>
<li>Passive trackers will need to trade a lot of stock in the forecast changes, with the impact being especially large for the changes to 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</a> and S&amp;P/ASX 300.</li>
<li>Completion of the merger with Chemist Warehouse in February will set off huge passive buying in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sigma-healthcare-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15966:1" rel="noopener">Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU)</a> over the February to June period.</li>
</ul>


Nearing the end of the review period, there could be 36 adds/deletes across the S&amp;P/ASX family of indices in March.
Passive trackers will need to trade a lot of stock in the forecast changes, with the impact being especially large for the changes to the S&amp;P/ASX 200 and S&amp;P/ASX 300.
Completion of the merger with Chemist Warehouse in February will set off huge passive buying in Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU) over the February to June period.


S&P/​​​​​​​​​ASX Index Rebalance Preview: Lots of Change; Could Be More with Sigma/CWG Merger

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

Australia

The S&P/ASX 200 measures the performance of the 200 largest index-eligible stocks listed on the ASX by float-adjusted market capitalization. Representative liquid and tradable, it is widely considered Australia's preeminent benchmark index. The index is float-adjusted. The index was launched in April 2000.

S&P/ASX 200 (AS51 INDEX)

EQD Intraday | Tariff Tantrum Impact on Intraday Volatility

The Tariff Tantrum triggered a universal equity decline and spike in volatility. Intra-day data shows that market reaction was short-lived, but...

Gaudenz Schneider

Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU): Shareholders Approve Merger; Passives Could Start Buying in Two Weeks

A strong CWG trading update took SIG higher. Then 99.86%/100% of SIG/CWG shareholders approved the merger. There is positioning but SIG could move...

Brian Freitas

Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU): Index Inclusions & Upweights Increase Passive Buying to A$2.7bn

Higher market cap leads to more index inclusions. Total passive buying in Sigma Healthcare is estimated at 943.25m shares (A$2.76bn; US$1.73bn)...

Brian Freitas

S&P/ASX Index Rebalance Preview: Lots of Change; Could Be More with Sigma/CWG Merger

There could be 36 changes for the ASX indices in March. There is big flow and impact. The Sigma merger with CWG will result in over A$2bn of...

Brian Freitas

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

EQD Intraday | Tariff Tantrum Impact on Intraday Volatility

The Tariff Tantrum ​triggered a universal equity decline and spike in volatility. Intra-day data shows that market reaction was short-lived, but...

Gaudenz Schneider

Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU): Shareholders Approve Merger; Passives Could Start Buying in Two Weeks

A strong CWG trading update took SIG higher. Then 99.86%/100% of SIG/CWG shareholders approved the merger. There is positioning but SIG could move...

Brian Freitas

Sigma Healthcare (SIG AU): Index Inclusions & Upweights Increase Passive Buying to A$2.7bn

Higher market cap leads to more index inclusions. Total passive buying in Sigma Healthcare is estimated at 943.25m shares (A$2.76bn; US$1.73bn)...

Brian Freitas

S&P/​​​​​​​​​ASX Index Rebalance Preview: Lots of Change; Could Be More with Sigma/CWG Merger

There could be 36 changes for the ASX indices in March. There is big flow and impact. The Sigma merger with CWG will result in over A$2bn of...

Brian Freitas

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

The Tariff Tantrum triggered a universal equity decline and spike in volatility. Intra-day data shows that market reaction was short-lived, but...

S&P/ASX Index Rebalance Preview: Lots of Change; Could Be More with Sigma/CWG Merger

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