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>Monthly deep-dive into price and vol metrics across Global indexes and macro assets.</li>
<li>In-Depth look at the current state of the markets as well as how volatility and price may unfold.</li>
<li>We highlight strong seasonal trends in April, with all markets typically rising and realized vol typically coming in below implied.</li>
</ul>


Monthly deep-dive into price and vol metrics across Global indexes and macro assets.
In-Depth look at the current state of the markets as well as how volatility and price may unfold.
We highlight strong seasonal trends in April, with all markets typically rising and realized vol typically coming in below implied.


April Global Macro Volatility: Strong Price and Vol Seasonals

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>It has been a decent year for the index rebalance strategy, though there have been some big hiccups along the way.</li>
<li>Forecasting the index changes and impacts has been important, but timing (especially momentum/value regime changes) and hedge selection have also been major factors affecting the returns of the strategy.</li>
<li>As passive AUM continues to increase, we expect focus on the strategy to continue in 2025 with market players taking different approaches to trading the potential and announced index changes.</li>
</ul>


It has been a decent year for the index rebalance strategy, though there have been some big hiccups along the way.
Forecasting the index changes and impacts has been important, but timing (especially momentum/value regime changes) and hedge selection have also been major factors affecting the returns of the strategy.
As passive AUM continues to increase, we expect focus on the strategy to continue in 2025 with market players taking different approaches to trading the potential and announced index changes.


How Has the Index Rebalance Strategy Performed in 2024?

Derivatives and Quantitative Strategist

Gaudenz Schneider

<ul>
<li>Cross-Market volatility snapshot highlighting option opportunities. Today's opportunities are in the Nifty 50 and in Bitcoin</li>
<li>Nifty 50: The index crossed the 50-day moving average, signaling a bullish trend. Hedging gains is recommended due to expected macroeconomic uncertainty in Q1 2025.</li>
<li>Bitcoin: Surpassed $100,000, driven by positive sentiment towards the incoming US President's crypto-friendly stance. Options strategies are suggested, plus how a synthetic Bitcoin bond compares to a corporate bond.</li>
</ul>


Cross-Market volatility snapshot highlighting option opportunities. Today's opportunities are in the Nifty 50 and in Bitcoin
Nifty 50: The index crossed the 50-day moving average, signaling a bullish trend. Hedging gains is recommended due to expected macroeconomic uncertainty in Q1 2025.
Bitcoin: Surpassed $100,000, driven by positive sentiment towards the incoming US President's crypto-friendly stance. Options strategies are suggested, plus how a synthetic Bitcoin bond compares to a corporate bond.


EQD | Global Option Implied Volatility - From Nifty 50 to Bitcoin, Plus BTC-Bond Special

Event-Driven

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing) / Event-Driven

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing)

<ul>
<li>We first wrote about the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ishares-msci-emerging-markets-223f5da3-7054-4e4f-bc55-b7f0852c2581" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31998:1" rel="noopener">iShares Emerging Markets ex-China (EMXC US)</a> ETF 3 years ago when AUM was less than US$500m. AUM now stands at US$11bn.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ishares-msci-emerging-markets-223f5da3-7054-4e4f-bc55-b7f0852c2581" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31998:1" rel="noopener">IShares Emerging Markets ex-China (EMXC US)</a> has outperformed <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ishares-msci-emerging-markets" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:438:1" rel="noopener">iShares Emerging Markets (EEM US)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ishares-msci-emerging-markets-217fc48e-4faa-4bc3-b730-443d6e06728b" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:32500:1" rel="noopener">iShares Emerging Markets Asia (EEMA US)</a> with lower volatility and a lower drawdown.</li>
<li>With the Chinese economy misfiring and markets under pressure, we could see a further shift in positioning away from China and that means inflows to other Emerging Markets.</li>
</ul>


We first wrote about the iShares Emerging Markets ex-China (EMXC US) ETF 3 years ago when AUM was less than US$500m. AUM now stands at US$11bn.

IShares Emerging Markets ex-China (EMXC US) has outperformed iShares Emerging Markets (EEM US) and iShares Emerging Markets Asia (EEMA US) with lower volatility and a lower drawdown.
With the Chinese economy misfiring and markets under pressure, we could see a further shift in positioning away from China and that means inflows to other Emerging Markets.


Emerging Markets Ex-China: Looking Back... And Forward

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ping-an-insurance-group-co-of-c2975d60-47cd-4246-a7a6-25297586242b" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24682:1" rel="noopener">Ping An Insurance (601318 CH)</a> trades at a 40% premium to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ping-an-insurance-grp-co-of-china-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12880:1" rel="noopener">Ping An Insurance (2318 HK)</a>. The premium has blown out the last week and there could be a reversal.</li>
<li>The difference in Ping An's AH premium versus the HSAHP Index has shrunk to its narrowest level in the last 10 years.</li>
<li>Shareholding in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ping-an-insurance-group-co-of-c2975d60-47cd-4246-a7a6-25297586242b" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24682:1" rel="noopener">Ping An Insurance Group of (601318 CH)</a> via Northbound Connect has dropped and shareholding in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ping-an-insurance-grp-co-of-china-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12880:1" rel="noopener">Ping An Insurance (H) (2318 HK)</a> via Southbound Connect has increased steadily.</li>
</ul>



Ping An Insurance (601318 CH) trades at a 40% premium to Ping An Insurance (2318 HK). The premium has blown out the last week and there could be a reversal.
The difference in Ping An's AH premium versus the HSAHP Index has shrunk to its narrowest level in the last 10 years.
Shareholding in Ping An Insurance Group of (601318 CH) via Northbound Connect has dropped and shareholding in Ping An Insurance (H) (2318 HK) via Southbound Connect has increased steadily.


Ping An A/​H Premium: Blow Out Could Lead to Sharp Reversal

China

The CSI 300 Index is a free-float weighted index that consists of 300 A-share stocks listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. Index has a base level of 1000 on 12/31/2004. * Due to our agreement with CSI, shares in the index is restricted, please visit SSIS<go> for more information and access. This ticker holds prices fed from Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 Index (SHSZ300 INDEX EQUITY)

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

Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 Index (SHSZ300 INDEX EQUITY)

April Global Macro Volatility: Strong Price and Vol Seasonals

Analysis of price and volatility metrics across global indexes and macro assets, showing strong seasonal trends in April with markets rising and...

John Ley

How Has the Index Rebalance Strategy Performed in 2024?

The index rebalance strategy has performed reasonably well this year. Accurate forecasting of index changes and optimal hedge selection have played...

Brian Freitas

EQD | Global Option Implied Volatility - From Nifty 50 to Bitcoin, Plus BTC-Bond Special

Opportunities in Nifty 50 and Bitcoin options due to bullish trends and positive sentiment. Global volatility overview of 15+ markets and...

Gaudenz Schneider

Emerging Markets Ex-China: Looking Back... And Forward

EMXC's AUM has increased from US$420m in March2021 to US$11bn now. That has led to selling of China stocks and buying of other EM stocks. The U.S....

Brian Freitas

Ping An A/H Premium: Blow Out Could Lead to Sharp Reversal

The Ping An AH premium has dropped from the highs of 40% mid last week. There should be a further drop in the AH premium, but it could be a bumpy...

Brian Freitas

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

April Global Macro Volatility: Strong Price and Vol Seasonals

​Analysis of price and volatility metrics across global indexes and macro assets, showing strong seasonal trends in April with markets rising and...

John Ley

How Has the Index Rebalance Strategy Performed in 2024?

The index rebalance strategy has performed reasonably well this year. Accurate forecasting of index changes and optimal hedge selection have played...

Brian Freitas

EQD | Global Option Implied Volatility - From Nifty 50 to Bitcoin, Plus BTC-Bond Special

​Opportunities in Nifty 50 and Bitcoin options due to bullish trends and positive sentiment. Global volatility overview of 15+ markets and...

Gaudenz Schneider

Emerging Markets Ex-China: Looking Back... And Forward

EMXC's AUM has increased from US$420m in March2021 to US$11bn now. That has led to selling of China stocks and buying of other EM stocks. The U.S....

Brian Freitas

Ping An A/​H Premium: Blow Out Could Lead to Sharp Reversal

The Ping An AH premium has dropped from the highs of 40% mid last week. There should be a further drop in the AH premium, but it could be a bumpy...

Brian Freitas

Analysis of price and volatility metrics across global indexes and macro assets, showing strong seasonal trends in April with markets rising and...

Opportunities in Nifty 50 and Bitcoin options due to bullish trends and positive sentiment. Global volatility overview of 15+ markets and...

Ping An A/H Premium: Blow Out Could Lead to Sharp Reversal