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Hedging

Options Blueprint Series: Backspreads as a Portfolio Hedge1. Introduction Backspreads are a versatile options strategy as they allow traders to benefit from significant moves in the underlying asset, particularly when there is an expectation of increased volatility. 2. Understanding Backspreads A backspread is an advanced options strategy involving the sale of a small number of options and the purchase of a larger number of out-of-the-money options. This setup creates a position that benefits from large price movements in the underlying asset. 3. Generic Uses of Backspreads Backspreads offer traders a flexible tool to capitalize on significant price movements and shifts in market volatility. Here are some common uses: Market Sentiment Alignment: Bullish Sentiment (Call Backspreads): Traders use call backspreads when they expect a significant upward move. This strategy involves selling a smaller number of lower-strike call options and buying a larger number of higher-strike call options. Bearish Sentiment (Put Backspreads): Conversely, put backspreads are used when traders anticipate a significant downward move. This involves selling a smaller number of higher-strike put options and buying a larger number of lower-strike put options. Volatility Trading: Backspreads are particularly useful in trading volatility. They create positions with positive Vega, meaning they benefit from increases in implied volatility. This makes backspreads an excellent choice during times of market uncertainty or expected volatility spikes. 4. Hedging an Equity Portfolio using with S&P 500 Futures Put Backspreads Put backspreads offer an effective way to hedge a long equity portfolio against sharp downward moves. By setting up a put backspread, traders can create a position that not only provides downside protection but also benefits from increased market volatility. Setting Up a Put Backspread for Hedging: Sell 1 OTM Put: The initial step involves selling one out-of-the-money (OTM) put option. This option will generate a premium, which can be used to offset the cost of the puts that will be purchased. Buy 2 Lower OTM Puts: Next, purchase two lower OTM put options. These options will provide the necessary downside protection. Depending on the strike selected, the cost of these puts will be fully or partially covered by the premium received from selling the higher-strike put. Constructing a Positive Vega Position: The structure of the put backspread results in a position with positive Vega. This characteristic is particularly valuable as volatility typically rises during periods of sharp declines. Risk Profile: Below is the risk profile of a put backspread used for hedging purposes as described in section #6 below. 5. Market Scenarios Understanding how a put backspread behaves under different market scenarios is crucial for effective trade management and risk mitigation. Here, we explore the potential outcomes: Market Moving Up or Staying the Same: Flat P&L If the market moves up or remains around the current level, the put backspread will likely expire worthless. Market Moving Down Sharply: Increased Profitability If the market experiences a sharp decline, the put backspread would potentially become profitable. Impact of Increased Volatility: Enhanced Gains A rise in implied volatility benefits the put backspread as higher volatility increases the value of the bought puts more than the sold put, adding to the overall profitability of the strategy. Maximum Risk and Trade Management: Maximum Risk: Limited to the difference between the strike prices minus the net credit received (or plus the net debit paid). Trade Management: It is essential to actively manage the position. 6. Trade Example To illustrate the application of a put backspread as a hedge, let's consider a detailed trade example using S&P 500 Futures Options. Trade Rationale: Current Market Condition: The S&P 500 Futures have just created a new all-time high, indicating that the market is at a crucial juncture. From this point, the market could either continue its upward trajectory or experience a severe change of direction. Implied Volatility (VIX): The VIX, which measures the implied volatility of options, is currently very low at 11.99. This low volatility environment makes it an ideal time to enter a backspread, as any future increase in volatility will significantly benefit the position. Trade Setup: Underlying Asset: S&P 500 Futures Current Price: 5447 Strategy: Put Backspread Expiration Date: December 2024 Specifics: Sell 1 OTM Put: Sell 1 4600 put option Buy 2 Lower OTM Puts: Buy 2 4100 put options Entry Price: Sell 1 4600 Put: Receive $2,160 premium per contract (43.2 points) Buy 2 4100 Puts: Pay $1,068.5 premium each; total $2,137 for two contracts (21.37 points x 2) Net Cost: The net cost of the backspread is the premium paid for the bought puts minus the premium received from the sold put. Net Cost: $2,137 (paid) - $2,160 (received) = $23 net credit As seen below, we are using the CME Group Options Calculator in order to generate fair value prices and Greeks for any options on futures contracts. Maximum Risk: 500 – 0.46 = 499.54 points (distance between strike prices minus the net credit received). 7. Importance of Risk Management Risk management is a fundamental aspect of successful trading and investing. It involves identifying, analyzing, and mitigating potential risks to protect capital and maximize returns. When implementing a put backspread as a portfolio hedge, understanding and applying robust risk management practices is crucial. Using Stop Loss Orders and Hedging Techniques: Stop Loss Orders: Placing stop loss orders helps limit potential losses by automatically closing a position when the market reaches a certain price level. This ensures that losses do not exceed a predetermined amount, providing a safety net against adverse market movements. Hedging Techniques: Utilizing hedging strategies, such as combining put backspreads with other options or futures contracts, can provide additional layers of protection. This approach can help manage risk more effectively by diversifying exposure and reducing the impact of unfavorable market conditions. Importance of Avoiding Undefined Risk Exposure: Defined Risk Strategies: Employing strategies with clearly defined risk parameters, such as put backspreads, ensures that potential losses are limited and known in advance. This contrasts with strategies that expose traders to unlimited risk, which can lead to catastrophic losses. Position Sizing: Properly sizing positions based on risk tolerance and account size is essential. This involves calculating the maximum potential loss and ensuring it aligns with the trader's risk management plan. Precise Entries and Exits: Entry Points: Entering trades at optimal levels, based on technical analysis, support and resistance and UFO levels, and market conditions, enhances the probability of success. In the case of put backspreads, entering when volatility is low and market conditions are favorable increases the potential for profitability. Exit Points: Setting clear exit points, including profit targets and stop loss levels, helps manage risk and lock in gains. Regularly reviewing and adjusting these levels based on market developments ensures that positions remain aligned with the trader's overall strategy. Continuous Monitoring and Adjustment: Regular Review: Continuously monitoring market conditions, position performance, and risk parameters is essential for effective risk management. This involves staying informed about economic events, market trends, and changes in volatility. Adjustments: Making timely adjustments to positions, such as rolling options, adjusting stop loss levels, or hedging with additional instruments, helps manage risk dynamically and adapt to changing market conditions. By incorporating these risk management practices, traders can effectively use put backspreads to hedge their portfolios and protect against significant market downturns. 8. Conclusion In summary, put backspreads offer a powerful tool for hedging long equity portfolios, especially in low volatility environments and/or when markets are at all-time highs. By understanding the mechanics of put backspreads, their application in various market scenarios, and the importance of active risk management, traders can enhance their ability to protect their investments and capitalize on market opportunities. When charting futures, the data provided could be delayed. Traders working with the ticker symbols discussed in this idea may prefer to use CME Group real-time data plan on TradingView: www.tradingview.com This consideration is particularly important for shorter-term traders, whereas it may be less critical for those focused on longer-term trading strategies. General Disclaimer: The trade ideas presented herein are solely for illustrative purposes forming a part of a case study intended to demonstrate key principles in risk management within the context of the specific market scenarios discussed. These ideas are not to be interpreted as investment recommendations or financial advice. They do not endorse or promote any specific trading strategies, financial products, or services. The information provided is based on data believed to be reliable; however, its accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. Trading in financial markets involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. Each individual should conduct their own research and consult with professional financial advisors before making any investment decisions. The author or publisher of this content bears no responsibility for any actions taken based on the information provided or for any resultant financial or other losses.
CME_MINI:ES1!Education
by traddictiv
Options Blueprint Series: The Collar Strategy for Risk ReductionIntroduction to Nasdaq Futures Nasdaq Index Futures offer traders exposure to the Nasdaq-100 index, a benchmark for U.S. technology stocks, without directly investing in the index's component stocks. Trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), Nasdaq Futures provide a critical tool for managing market exposure on the future of technology and biotech sectors. Key Contract Specifications: Point Value: Each point of the index equates to $20 per contract. Margins: As determined by the CME, margins vary, reflecting the volatility and current market conditions. As of the time of this publication the CME website shows a maintenance margin of $17,700 per contract. Trading Hours: Nearly 24-hour trading capability, aligning with global market hours to provide continuous access for traders. It's important to note that similar strategies and benefits are available with Micro Nasdaq Futures , which are scaled down to a tenth of the standard Nasdaq Futures, making them accessible to a broader range of traders due to their lower margin requirements (Margin is 10 times less, point values are 10 times less, etc.) Basics of the Collar Strategy The Collar strategy is a risk management tool used by traders to protect against large losses in their investments while also capping potential gains. It is particularly useful in volatile markets or when significant price swings are expected but their direction is uncertain. Components of the Collar Strategy: Own the Asset: Typically involves owning the underlying asset, but in the case of futures, it involves holding a long position in the Nasdaq Futures contract. Buy a Protective Put: This put option gives the right to sell your futures contract at a predetermined strike price, serving as insurance against a significant drop in the market. Sell a Covered Call: This call option grants someone else the right to buy your futures contract at a set strike price, generating income that can offset the cost of the put option, but it limits the profit potential if the market rises sharply. This strategy forms a price collar around the current value of the futures contract, protecting against drastic movements in both directions. The use of this strategy in Nasdaq Futures trading can be especially effective given the index's exposure to high-growth, high-volatility sectors. Application to Nasdaq Futures Implementing the Collar strategy with Nasdaq Futures involves selecting the right put and call options to effectively hedge the position. Here's how you can set up this strategy: Choose the Underlying Contract: Decide whether to use standard E-mini Nasdaq-100 Futures or Micro mini Nasdaq-100 Futures based on your investment size and risk tolerance. Select the Put Option: Identify a put option with a strike price below the current market price of the Nasdaq Futures. This strike should represent the maximum loss you are willing to accept. The graphics of this article show UFO Support Price Levels below which accepting a larger loss could be seen as a form of hope. Using UFO Support Price Levels as a reference to select the Put strike could be an efficient manner to determine the desired risk. Choose the Call Option: Pick a call option with a strike price above the current market level, where you believe gains will be limited. The premium received from selling this call helps offset the cost of the put, reducing the overall expense of the setup. Selecting a call with its premium equal to the put price would allow for the Collar strategy to be cost-free (not risk-free). Risk Profile Visualization: A graphical representation of the risk profile will show a flat line of loss limited to the downside by the put and capped gains on the upper side by the call. This visualization helps traders understand the potential financial outcomes and their likelihood. Forward-Looking Trade Idea Considering the recent market dynamics, Nasdaq Futures have been experiencing a range-bound pattern after reaching all-time highs. With current geopolitical tensions such as the recent conflict between Iran and Israel, there's a potential for sudden market movements. Scenario Analysis: Continuation of Uptrend: If the market breaks above the range, selling the covered call may yield limited gains but will provide premium income. Significant Drop: If the market drops due to intensified conflicts, the protective put limits the potential loss, safeguarding the investment. That is knowing that if the market was to rebound after a significant drop, the strategy could end up as profitable as long such rebound would happen prior to the Options expiration date. Trade Setup: Entry Point: Current market price of Nasdaq Futures. Put Option: Select a put option below the current market price. The chart example uses the UFO Support Level located around 18,000. Premium paid for the 18,000 Put is estimated to be 511.79 points * $20 ($10,235.8). Call Option: Choose a call option above the current market price targeting the same level of premium as the premium paid for the put. The 18,300 Call is estimated to provide 522.65 points * $20 ($10,453). Expiration: Options with a 1-3 month expiration to balance cost and protection level. This trade example uses June Expiration which is 67 days away from expiration. As seen on the above screenshot, we are using the CME Options Calculator in order to generate fair value prices and Greeks for any options on futures contracts. This setup aims to utilize the Collar strategy to navigate through uncertain times with controlled risk, taking into account both the potential for continuation of the uptrend and a protective mechanism against a sharp decline. Risk Management Discussion Effective risk management is crucial when trading futures and options. The Collar strategy inherently incorporates risk management by design, but understanding and applying additional risk control measures is essential for successful trading. Key Risk Management Techniques: Limited Risk: By default, the Collar strategy is a limited risk strategy where the risk is calculated by looking at the current Nasdaq Futures price compared to the Put strike price and adding or subtracting the Collar execution price for a debit or credit respectively. Use of Stop-Loss Orders: Although the Collar strategy provides a natural hedge, setting stop-loss orders beyond the put option's strike can provide an extra safety net against gap risk and extraordinary market events. Regular Review and Adjustment: As market conditions change, the relevance of the chosen strike prices may alter. Regularly reviewing and adjusting the positions to ensure they still reflect your risk appetite and market outlook is advised. Diversification: While the Collar strategy protects an individual position, diversifying across different asset classes can further protect the portfolio from concentrated risks associated with any single market. Conclusion The Collar strategy offers Nasdaq Futures traders a structured way to manage risk while maintaining the potential for profit. By capping potential losses with a protective put and limiting gains with a covered call, traders can navigate uncertain markets with increased confidence. This strategy is particularly applicable in volatile markets or during periods of geopolitical tension, providing a buffer against significant fluctuations. When charting futures, the data provided could be delayed. Traders working with the ticker symbols discussed in this idea may prefer to use CME Group real-time data plan on TradingView: www.tradingview.com This consideration is particularly important for shorter-term traders, whereas it may be less critical for those focused on longer-term trading strategies. General Disclaimer: The trade ideas presented herein are solely for illustrative purposes forming a part of a case study intended to demonstrate key principles in risk management within the context of the specific market scenarios discussed. These ideas are not to be interpreted as investment recommendations or financial advice. They do not endorse or promote any specific trading strategies, financial products, or services. The information provided is based on data believed to be reliable; however, its accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. Trading in financial markets involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. Each individual should conduct their own research and consult with professional financial advisors before making any investment decisions. The author or publisher of this content bears no responsibility for any actions taken based on the information provided or for any resultant financial or other losses.
CME_MINI:NQ1!Education
by traddictiv
Hedging in Forex When done correctly, hedging is a great method to help protect your position(s) against big price fluctuations. This post will delve further into hedging and discuss how you can use it to not only protect your position(s) but also how to potentially use it to your advantage in turning losing positions into profit-taking opportunities. What is hedging in Forex? Hedging implies protection against the risk of future price fluctuations for assets arranged in advance. It is a financial strategy used to protect a trader from losing trades resulting from adverse moves in currency pairs. Hedging is used in almost all types of financial industries; however, it has a more specific form in the foreign exchange market. Direct Hedging Direct hedging in forex normally takes place by the trader opening a position in the opposite direction of an existing trade. This is done in order to reduce the risk exposure of the existing position. Normally, the trader or investor carries out his or her risk analysis and quantifies the risk levels involved before instituting both the original and hedged trades. They would subsequently be responsible for controlling the level of change in their positions that takes place due to the ensuing price volatility of the market instrument(s) being traded. For example, let's assume you open a sell position on GBPUSD, and while your position is running, the market suddenly goes up, so now your open P&L (profit and loss) number is going down. Let's continue to assume that you are still confident in the original sell position; however, you are wary that the market is likely to experience adverse price movements. To prepare for this, you open a buy position to fully hedge the trade. In a fully hedged trade, the P&L number will not move because there is both a buy and sell position open. Now that the trade is fully hedged, if the market continues to go up, the trade's buy position will continue to profit while the sell position will continue to take a loss. However, if the market reaches a resistance level, you can exit the buy position at a profit and hold the original sell position while the market comes back to your original entry point. While many traders would close out the initial position and accept any losses, a direct hedge would allow you to profit from the second trade, which would avoid the loss. To get a further understanding, let's see this in the example below. Hedging with multiple currencies Another strategy would be for a trader to utilise two different currency pairs that are highly correlated, either in a positive sense or a negative sense. For example, a long trade can be opened for the USDJPY currency pair, and a short trade can be opened for its USDCHF counterpart. Because it is highly likely that both pairs move in the same direction due to the USD factor, any drawdown or loss on one of the trades would be made up for by gains and profits in the other trade. Though the risk is usually mitigated with this hedging strategy, for this method to work successfully with different currency pairs, it is essential that the trader does his or her research on both pairs involved in the potential hedge to ensure that the correlation is high between them through their respective movements in the market. This is to guarantee that when market volatility does ensue, whether it is based on a news update such as a major central bank meeting or some other unexpected event, then the two current pairs in question will move as expected in the market. Hedging with commodities Commodities are popular to hedge with because they are usually seen as safe haven products. Gold is usually the go-to product hedge for traders who especially want to protect themselves from rising inflation. When inflation becomes uncontrollable, gold prices tend to rise. Gold, in contrast, is a hedge against a lower US currency. In other words, gold prices and the US dollar tend to have an opposite relationship. When gold prices rise, the US dollar tends to fall, and vice versa. Gold has long been seen as a form of currency, which is why it's a strong hedge against a dollar crash or hyperinflation. Another popular commodity to hedge with is oil. Some currencies are particularly vulnerable to the impact of oil prices (these forex pairs are commonly known as 'commodity pairs'). Both the Canadian dollar and the Australian dollar are notable examples. The price of oil and the exchange values of the Canadian dollar and Australian dollar usually have an inverse relationship. When the price of oil rises, the USD/CAD and AUD/USD exchange rates tend to fall, and vice versa. You can use the oil hedging approach to hedge your USD/CAD and AUD/USD trade risk in this scenario. For example, you can go short AUD/USD and long oil as a hedging position, and vice versa. Advantages and Disadvantages There are significant advantages and disadvantages to engaging in hedging activities in forex: Advantages The biggest advantage is that it protects the trader against unpredictable price movements. If your account experiences high volatility or unexpected price swings, your hedged position may be able to help protect the total worth of your account by generating a profit on that position, which can help stabilise your account balance until the other position gains value. In other words, hedging gives the opportunity to profit on a position that would maintain the account balance during a volatile or unexpected price swing before a reversal takes place, leading to other positions going back to their original value. When hedging is incorporated properly, your risk-reward ratio is better within your control. This is because a hedge acts as a helpful counterbalance to your other position(s), thus providing support in the form of price gains even when your other position(s) are moving in the opposite direction. Hedging can broaden your portfolio's diversification. If you are hedging multiple products, this can spread out your open positions to reduce the chance of a single variable or event wiping out all of your positions. Disadvantages On the other hand, a hedge can also very likely reduce the potential for profit. If a trader has an open position in profit and the price continues to move in a certain direction after the trader implements a hedged trade in the opposite direction, then the hedged trade would be at a loss, nullifying the gains made by the original trade after the hedged trade was opened. Additionally, traders must be aware of additional trading costs such as commissions and overnight swap charges (if the hedge is held overnight). To add, hedging is not an ideal practice for beginners in trading, as it requires the proper practice and education needed to handle opposing trades at the same time in what could be an unfamiliar market, reflecting both the numerical and positional complexities of the hedging mechanic. There is also the risk of hedging, resulting in increased losses to the trader's account due to some hedged trades not being correlated directly to initial positions; this could be because of leverage, margin, or other reasons. This has the potential for huge drawdowns in the overall position when price volatility ensues. Another disadvantage is that, unfortunately, not all forex brokers or trading providers offer the hedging function to their traders, so traders will usually have to inquire if this function is possible before proceeding to trade with the respective broker or provider. While you can make money from hedging, it is very important to note that before that, forex hedging should first be about mitigating risks. A trader's primary aim when hedging should always be to protect their capital against adverse moves in the currency markets. Hedging can also be very complex and costly, especially if the trader does not have much experience with this trading method, so it is not recommended to use this method in a live trading environment until you understand the mechanics of hedging, as it requires a great deal of planning and understanding. BluetonaFX
Education
by BluetonaFX
4
Harvesting Risk Hedged Treasury YieldEver heard of risk-free rates? Risk free rates are commonly understood to refer to interest rates on 10-year US treasuries. These are considered risk-free as the likelihood of the US government defaulting is considered extremely unlikely. Treasuries pay out a fixed interest and can be redeemed for their face value at maturity. Fixed returns and negligible default risk make treasuries a critical addition to any decent investment portfolio. With inflation on the downtrend and Fed’s hiking cycle nearing its apex, long term treasuries provide a fixed income-generating asset with no reinvestment risk. Little default risk does not mean zero market risk. As highlighted in our previous paper , bond prices are materially exposed to interest rate risk. CME Group’s treasury futures allow investors to hedge that risk. This paper has been split into two parts – the first provides an overview of treasury futures and their nuances while the second walks through the trade setup required to harness risk-hedged yield. TREASURY FUTURES Treasury futures enable investors to express views on a bond’s future price movement. Investors can also hedge against interest rate risk by locking in a coupon rate. CME treasury futures are deliverable with eligible treasury securities which ensures price integrity. QUOTING Treasuries are quoted in fractional notation as a percent of their par value. For instance, a bond quoted at 111’272 suggests that it is trading 11 + 27.2/32 (11.85%) above its par value. This allows standardized quotation of bonds with different coupon rates. Note that notion of quotes in cash markets may be different from futures. AUCTION SCHEDULE Treasuries are auctioned periodically depending on their maturity duration. • Treasury Bills with maturity between 4 to 26 weeks are auctioned every week while T-Bills with maturity of 1-year are auctioned every four weeks. • Treasury Notes with maturity of 2, 3, 5, and 7 years are auctioned every month while T-Notes with maturity of 10-years are auctioned every quarter. • Treasury Bonds are auctioned every quarter. The auctions for each type of security are staggered to reduce their market impact. CONVERSION FACTOR It is possible for a large range of “eligible” treasuries to be available for deliveries against standardised futures contract as new treasuries are regularly auctioned at changing rates. The most recently auctioned securities that are eligible for delivery are called “on the run” securities. To standardize the delivery process for varying securities, a conversion factor unique to each bond is used. The buyer of the futures contract would pay the Principal Invoice Price to the seller. The Principal Invoice Price is the “Clean Price” of the security and is calculated by applying the Conversion Factor to the settlement price. When the Conversion Factor is less than 1, the buyer pays less than the settlement price and when it is higher than 1 the buyer pays more. ACCRUED INTEREST In addition to the adjustment for the quality of the bond being delivered, the buyer must also compensate the seller for any interest the bond would accrue between the last payment and the settlement date. The final cost to deliver the treasury futures contract would be the Clean Price + Accrued Interest. CHEAPEST TO DELIVER Due to the Conversion Factor, which is unique to each bond, some bonds appear to stand out as cheaper alternative for the seller to deliver. So, if a seller has multiple treasury securities, a rational seller will choose to deliver the one that best optimizes the Principal Invoice Price. As a result, futures price most closely tracks the Cheapest-to-Deliver ("CTD”) securities. This also provides an arbitrage opportunity for basis traders. In this case, the basis is the relationship between the cash price of the security and its clean price on the futures market. Small discrepancies in these may be profited upon. Notably, specialized contracts such as CME Ultra 10-year Treasury Note futures with selective eligibility requirements diminish the effects of CTD by reducing the range of deliverable treasuries. HEDGING BOND PRICE RISK WITH TREASURY FUTURES Treasury securities are a crucial and substantial addition to any well diversified portfolio, offering income generation, diversification, and safety. With interest rates elevated and inflation heading lower, coupon rates for long-term US treasuries are yielding positive real returns. Moreover, 10Y yield is hovering at its highest level in 13-years suggesting a strong entry point. Since the coupon rate of the security is fixed and they can be redeemed at face value upon maturity, the present higher yielding treasuries are a great long-term income generating investment. Despite the inverted yield curve, which suggests yields on longer-term securities are lower, a position in long-term bonds protects against reinvestment risk. Reinvestment risk refers to the risk that when the bond matures, rates may be lower. With Fed at the apex of its hiking cycle, rates will likely not go any higher. So, a position in long term T-bond, locked in at the current decade-high rates, offers a lucrative opportunity. The position also benefits in the uncertain scenario of a recession as bond prices rise during recessions. This investment fundamentally represents a long treasury bond position which profits in two ways: (a) Rising bond prices when interest rates decline, and (b) Coupon payments. If the coupon payout is unimportant, fluctuations in the bond price can be profited upon in a margin efficient manner using CME futures. This does not require owning treasuries as the majority of the treasury futures are cash settled with just 5% reaching delivery. In the fixed income case, the bond is held until maturity which leads to opportunity costs from bond price fluctuations. CME futures can be used to harvest a fixed yield from treasuries and remain agnostic to rate changes, by hedging the long treasury position with a short treasury futures position. This position is directionally neutral as losses on one of the legs are offset by profits on the other. The payoff can be improved by entering the short leg after bond prices are higher. To hedge treasury exposure using CME futures the Basis Point Value (BPV) needs to be calculated. BPV, also known as DV01, measures the dollar value of a one basis point (0.01%) change in bond yield. BPV depends upon the bond’s yield to maturity, coupon rate, credit rating and face value. Notably, BPV for longer maturity bonds is higher as their future cashflows are affected more by changes in yield. Another commonly used term is modified duration which determines the changes in a bond’s duration or price basis of a 1% change in yield. Importantly, the modified duration of the bond is lower than 100 BPV’s since the bond price relationship to yield is non-linear. BPV can be calculated by averaging the absolute change in the bond’s yield-to-maturity, its value when held until maturity, from a 0.01% increase and decrease in yield. Where there are multiple bonds in a portfolio, the BPV for a unit exposure will have to be multiplied by the number of units. On the futures side, BPV can be calculated as the BPV of the cheapest to deliver security for that contract divided by its conversion factor. By matching the BPV’s on both legs, the hedge ratio can be calculated. This represents the number of contracts needed to entirely hedge the cash position. SUMMARY OVERVIEW OF CME TREASURY FUTURES CME suite of treasury futures allow investors to gain exposure to treasury securities across a range of expiries in a deeply liquid market. Each futures contract provides exposure to face value of USD 100,000. The 2-Year, 5-Year, and 10-Year contract are particularly liquid. Micro Treasury Futures are more intuitive as they are quoted in yields and are cash settled. Each basis point change in yield represents a USD 10 change in notional value. These products reference yields of on-the-run treasuries and settled daily to BrokerTec US Treasury benchmarks ensuring price integrity and consistency. Micro Treasury Futures are available for 2Y, 5Y, 10Y, and 30Y maturities enabling traders to take positions across the yield curve with low margin requirements. TRADE SETUP TO HARVEST RISK HEDGED TREASURY YIELDS A long position in the on-the-run 10Y treasury notes and a short position in CME Ultra 10Y futures allows investors to benefit from the treasury bond’s high coupon payment while remaining hedged against interest rate risk. Hedge ratios can be calculated using analytical information from CME’s Treasury Analytics Tool to obtain the BPV of each of the legs: The on-the-run treasury pays a coupon rate of 3.375% pa. and its last quoted cash price was USD 98.04. It has a DV01 of USD 76.8. Since, each contract of CME Treasury Futures represents face value of USD 100,000, the long-treasury position would need to be in multiples of USD 100,000. For a face value of USD 500,000 (USD 100,000 x 5) this represents a notional value of USD 490,000 (Face Value x Cash Price) . The long-treasury position's DV01 = USD 76.8 x 5 = USD 385. The cheapest-to-deliver security has a DV01 of USD 92.2 and a conversion factor of 0.8244. The futures leg thus has a BPV = Cash DV01/Conversion Factor = USD 92.2/0.8244 = USD 111.8. The hedge ratio = BPV of Long Treasury/BPV of Short Futures = USD 385/USD 111 = ~4 (3.4) So, four (4) lots of futures would be required to hedge the cash position which would require a margin of USD 2,800 x 4 = USD 11,200. Though the notional on the two legs does not match, the position is hedged against interest rate risk and pays out 3.375% per annum in coupon payments. MARKET DATA CME Real-time Market Data helps identify trading set-ups and express market views better. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com DISCLAIMER This case study is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. Trading or investment ideas cited here are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management or trading under the market scenarios being discussed. Please read the FULL DISCLAIMER the link to which is provided in our profile description.
TVC:US10YEducation
by mintdotfinance
1
Preserving Your Capital Like A ChampIn the world of trading, effective trading capital management can mean the difference between success and failure. We cannot stress enough how critical this aspect is to long-term success. Today we will delve into the importance of managing your trading capital, the various strategies employed by many successful traders, and how you can implement these techniques to safeguard your investment and maximize profits. Understanding the Importance of Trading Capital Management Trading capital refers to the amount of money allotted for the purpose of trading your desired market. Proper management of trading capital is crucial for traders, as it helps them minimize losses and in turn, maximize profits. In essence, trading capital management is all about striking the right balance between taking risks and preserving your hard-earned money. One key aspect that differentiates successful traders from gamblers is their mindset. Gamblers tend to chase big wins, hoping for a life-changing payout, while traders focus on consistently generating small, predictable returns over the long term. Don’t get us wrong, big wins can and do happen, and they feel great when they do. Think of trading as a really long boxing match. It's rare and impractical for a boxer to believe they can knock out their opponent by flying out of a corner with no defense and going straight for a haymaker each time. The foundation for success takes many consistent jabs, and an unwavering defense, much like trading. Traders who want to be long-term successful will prioritize risk management and capital preservation, ensuring that they can continue trading even after incurring losses so they can pursue consistent profits. The Struggle is Real For New Traders New traders often find difficulty in managing their trading capital effectively. This is primarily due to their focus on making profits rather than minimizing risks. The desire to make money can lead to taking unnecessary risks, which can result in significant losses. It is crucial to remember that every loss must be recovered through a profitable trade to regain lost ground. So why not implement strategies that mitigate that lost ground in the first place? Strategies To Adopt for Long-Term Success So, what are some of the techniques that successful traders use to optimize their chances of consistent profits in the markets? Here are a few suggestions to improve your trading capital management: Implementing Stop-Loss Orders Always trade with a stop-loss. There are countless ways to implement a stop-loss, and we covered this in great detail in a previous article that is linked below. A stop-loss order allows you to specify a price at which your trade will be automatically closed if the market moves against you. This is the most practical and easily enactable capital management technique you can use. Some would consider trading without a stop-loss to be one of the cardinal sins of trading, as it prevents you from managing risk effectively. Utilizing Reward Risk Ratios (RRR) Every trade carries the risk of making a loss. Successful traders assess their potential trade risk and potential reward before entering a position. Utilizing reward-to-risk ratios may seem complicated, but it doesn't have to be. Many traders will often aim for a reward that is twice their risk or a ratio of 2 to 1. So in theory for every $1 you risk you aim to make $2 in profit. Your RRR can also help you understand what your theoretical minimum win rate would need to be a profitable trader. Utilizing this information is very handy when backtesting and forward-testing your strategy. In the early stages of a trader's journey, we highly recommend to keep a trading journal to keep track of these metrics. Keeping track of your wins and losses and keeping your RRR consistent offers deep insight into whether you are on the right path to consistency. Managing Your Money How much capital are you risking per trade? It's difficult to predict which trades will be profitable, but it's essential to risk a consistent amount on every trade. Coupled with an appropriate risk-to-reward ratio, this approach can help protect your trading account. For example, consider risking only 1-2% of your total trading portfolio on each individual trade with a maximum overall of 10% among your trades. This may not seem like much, but if you can remain disciplined with your stop losses and RRR you greatly increase the odds of success. If you have a small account don’t sweat it. It will help you grow that account size and compound those gains in a stable fashion that would outlast the method of throwing your entire account into each trade. Hedging Holding long and short positions on various assets in different sectors can help protect against any aggressive moves that affect the market as a whole. For instance, if there was a sudden 'flash crash,' the traders who solely went long would experience a loss or a potentially significant loss without proper risk mitigation. However, if you held both long and short positions, you could have made profits to offset the losses. Obviously, market events are hard to account for, but hedging can be a useful capital preservation strategy. Focusing on a Single Asset to Limit Risk Exposure Some traders prefer to concentrate on trading one asset to minimize risk exposure. This can be effective, especially when the trader has in-depth knowledge of the specific asset being traded. The potential downside is that this can limit your trading opportunities, but we highly advise this approach for new traders. Focusing on one asset can help you grow your experience and hone your strategy through a rigorously disciplined approach. Consistency in Risk and Money Management There is no one-size-fits-all approach to trading, and that's part of the beauty of it all. A strategy that works for one trader may not work for another. The key to improving your trading strategy is to adopt a disciplined approach to risk and money management. While this approach may not be as flashy as some in the trading community portray, consistently minimizing risk is an essential aspect of enhancing overall profitability and is a massive attribute to long-term success. Final Thoughts on Trading Capital Management Effective trading capital management is crucial for success in the world of trading. By adopting a disciplined approach to risk and money management, traders can minimize losses, maximize profits, and safeguard their investments. The techniques discussed – implementing stop-loss orders, utilizing reward-to-risk ratios, managing money, and diversifying trades – are all essential components of a successful trading capital management strategy. Remember, the key to success in trading lies not in chasing the knockouts but rather by consistently landing the jabs while maintaining a stout defense. By following these strategies adopted by long-term, successful traders and focusing on preserving capital, you can improve your chances of obtaining that same long-term success in the markets.
NASDAQ:MSFTEducation
by LeafAlgo
GOLD : What Drives the Price of Gold ?OANDA:XAUUSD Gold is highly sought after, not just for investment purposes and to make jewelry but also for use in the manufacturing of certain electronic and medical devices. As of February 2023, the price of gold was more than $1,870 an ounce. While down around $100 from a high posted in April 2022, it is still up considerably from levels under $100 seen 50 years ago. But what factors drive the price of this precious metal higher over time ? KEY TAKEAWAYS 1 Investors have long been enamored by gold, and the price of the metal has increased substantially over the past 50 years. 2 Not only does gold retain additional value, but supply and demand have a huge impact on the price of gold—especially demand from large ETFs. 3 Government vaults and central banks comprise one important source of demand for gold. 4 Gold sometimes moves opposite to the U.S. dollar because the metal is dollar-denominated, making it a hedge against inflation. 5 Supplies of gold are primarily driven by mining production. Conclusion : Gold Is a high Value Asset , Which Can be Hedge Against Growing Inflation.
OANDA:XAUUSDEducation
by INVESTRONE
Bites Of Trading Knowledge For New TOP Traders #18 (short read)Bites Of Trading Knowledge For New TOP Traders #18 ---------------------------------------------------------------- What is the Blockchain? - The Blockchain is a decentralized ledger that is append-only meaning that data can only be added to it. Once information is added, it is extremely difficult to modify or delete it. The Blockchain enforces this by including a pointer to the previous Block in every subsequent Block. The pointer is a Hash of the previous block. Hashing involves passing data through a one-way function to produce a unique Fingerprint of the input. If the input is modified even slightly, the Fingerprint will look completely different. Since the Blocks are linked in a Chain, there is no way for someone to edit an old entry without invalidating the Blocks that follow, allowing a secure structure. What Is a Blockchain Consensus Algorithm? - A consensus algorithm is a mechanism that allows users or machines to coordinate the agreement of what is a valid block in the Blockchain in a distributed setting. It needs to ensure that all participants in the system can agree on a single source of truth. Types of consensus algorithms include Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS). What is Proof of Work? - Proof of Work (PoW) is a mechanism for preventing the same bitcoin funds from being spent more than once. Proof of Work consists of a consensus algorithm, which is a protocol that sets out the conditions for what makes a block in the Blockchain valid. It ensures the security and integrity of bitcoin’s distributed ledger. RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CORPORATES AND INDIVIDUAL INVESTORS - Common application of financial market instruments for managing risk and opportunities. Hedging Portfolio Risk Hedging bitcoin exposure with the Bakkt ® Bitcoin (USD) Cash Settled Monthly Futures (BMC) contract is a way to manage portfolio risk by taking a directional position opposite to the underlying asset as protection. For example, a hedger may have plans to hedge downward price movement in bitcoin using futures contracts based on in-house market and portfolio analytical processes. The market analysis may use common technical analytical techniques such as support and resistance to formulate the trade decision. If bitcoin is expected to weaken as it nears the resistance area, the hedger may plan to enter into a short futures position using the Bakkt ® Bitcoin (USD) Cash Settled Monthly Futures contract under either price levels of $27,500 or $32,500 to lock in the value of their underlying bitcoin position. Alternatively, if the hedger was in a short bitcoin position and wanted to hedge their position as price rose, entering a long futures position above price levels $12,500 or $16,500 could be considered. TRADDICTIV · Research Team -------- Disclaimer: We do not provide investment advice, nor provide any personalized investment recommendations and/or advice in making a decision to trade. Before you start trading, please make sure you have considered your entire financial situation, including financial commitments and you understand that trading is highly speculative and that you could sustain significant losses.
ICESG:SDX1!Education
by traddictiv
The hedged grid trading system experiment The hedged grid trading system uses the principle that one should be able to cash in at a gain no matter which way the market moves. No stops are therefore required at all. The only way this is logically possible is that one would have a buy and sell active at the same time. Most traders will say that that is trading suicide but let's take some to look at this more closely. Let's say that a trader enters the market with a buy and sell active when a currency is at a level of say 100. The price then moves to 200. The buy will then be positive by 100 and the sell will be negative by 100. At this point we start breaking trading rules. We cash in our positive buy and the gain of 100 goes to our account. The sell is now carrying a loss of -100. The grid system requires one to make sure that cash in on any movement in the market. To do this one would again enter into a buy and a sell transaction. Now, for convenience, let's assume that the price moves back to level 100. The second sell has now gone positive by 100 and the second buy is carrying a loss of -100. According to the rules one would cash the sell in and another 100 will be added to your account. That brings the total cashed in at this point to 200. Now the first sell that remained active has moved from level 200 where it was -100 to level 100 where it is now breaking even. The 4 transactions added together now magically show a gain:- 1st buy cashed in +100, 2nd sell cashed in +100, 1st sell now breaking even and the 2nd buy is -100. This gives an overall a gain of 100 in total. We can liquidate all the transactions and have some tea.
NASDAQ:AEHREducation
by zrrsys
The hedged grid trading systemThe hedged grid trading system uses the principle that one should be able to cash in at a gain no matter which way the market moves. No stops are therefore required at all. The only way this is logically possible is that one would have a buy and sell active at the same time. Most traders will say that that is trading suicide but let's take some to look at this more closely. Let's say that a trader enters the market with a buy and sell active when a currency is at a level of say 100. The price then moves to 200. The buy will then be positive by 100 and the sell will be negative by 100. At this point we start breaking trading rules. We cash in our positive buy and the gain of 100 goes to our account. The sell is now carrying a loss of -100. The grid system requires one to make sure that cash in on any movement in the market. To do this one would again enter into a buy and a sell transaction. Now, for convenience, let's assume that the price moves back to level 100. The second sell has now gone positive by 100 and the second buy is carrying a loss of -100. According to the rules one would cash the sell in and another 100 will be added to your account. That brings the total cashed in at this point to 200. Now the first sell that remained active has moved from level 200 where it was -100 to level 100 where it is now breaking even. The 4 transactions added together now magically show a gain:- 1st buy cashed in +100, 2nd sell cashed in +100, 1st sell now breaking even and the 2nd buy is -100. This gives an overall a gain of 100 in total. We can liquidate all the transactions and have some tea.
NASDAQ:TSLAEducation
by zrrsys
Bites Of Trading Knowledge For New TOP Traders #12 (short read)Bites Of Trading Knowledge For New TOP Traders #12 ---------------------------------------------------------------- What is Hedging? - Hedging is the action taken through the use of a financial instrument to minimize the loss or risk of the loss of value of an asset due to adverse asset price movements. Who are Hedgers? - Hedgers are market participants such as commodity producers who want to lock in selling prices of commodities they produce, or food manufacturers who want to lock in buying prices of raw materials purchased. Market participants also include financial institutions handling financial assets and use derivative products such as futures to manage the risk of a portfolio of financial assets. What is the difference between Physically Delivered vs Cash Settled Futures Contracts? - Physical delivery is a term in a futures contract which requires the actual underlying asset to be “physically delivered” upon the specified delivery date, rather than being traded out with an offsetting contract. Cash settled futures on the other hand allows for the net cash amount to be paid or received on the settlement date of the futures contract. Futures exchanges may offer both types of contracts to market participants who have different purposes for trading futures contracts. RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CORPORATES AND INDIVIDUAL INVESTORS - Common application of financial market instruments for managing risk and opportunities. Diversification: Correlation in Futures Investors could allocate a portion of their portfolio to establish a managed futures position to deliver non-correlated results under most market conditions, which may serve as a risk mediator within an overall portfolio. This may deliver lower relative returns during periods of price stability. However, during periods of market stress, managed futures could outperform the broad market. For example, the Asia Tech 30 index which has no Thai companies as a component stock would not be expected to have any Thai Baht (USDTHB) currency exposure and which could be included in a managed futures portfolio at times where there is no or low correlation between the two markets and could be used as a hedge during times of negative correlation. Diversification: Portfolio Focused on Asset Returns Individual investors who have a portfolio of foreign stocks will have a return that is composed of the return of the foreign currency-denominated stock plus the change in currency exchange rates. Therefore, investing abroad means having exposure to two different sources of risk and return made up of the underlying asset and the exchange rate. For a long-term investor, the focus on return-generating assets may be the priority rather than returns from currency exchange rates. This could imply removing currency risk through a clearly defined hedging strategy process initially and then adding back currency exposure at a later stage if it is determined that currency exposures could improve a portfolio’s return. Investors would need to analyze their expected returns with and without currency exposures and determine their net currency exposure that they would like to remove. U.S. Dollar based portfolios could use futures contracts such as the Mini US Dollar Index ® Futures to hedge a basket of foreign stocks denominated in their respective domestic currencies. TRADDICTIV · Research Team -------- Disclaimer: We do not provide investment advice, nor provide any personalized investment recommendations and/or advice in making a decision to trade. Before you start trading, please make sure you have considered your entire financial situation, including financial commitments and you understand that trading is highly speculative and that you could sustain significant losses.
ICESG:SDX1!Education
by traddictiv
Bites Of Trading Knowledge For New TOP Traders #9 (short read)Bites Of Trading Knowledge For New TOP Traders #9 --------------------------------------------------------------- What is Hedging? - Hedging is the action taken through the use of a financial instrument to minimize the loss or risk of the loss of value of an asset due to adverse asset price movements. Who are Hedgers? - Hedgers are market participants such as commodity producers who want to lock in selling prices of commodities they produce, or food manufacturers who want to lock in buying prices of raw materials purchased. Market participants also include financial institutions handling financial assets and use derivative products such as futures to manage the risk of a portfolio of financial assets. What is the difference between Physically Delivered vs Cash Settled Futures Contracts? - Physical delivery is a term in a futures contract which requires the actual underlying asset to be “physically delivered” upon the specified delivery date, rather than being traded out with an offsetting contract. Cash settled futures on the other hand allows for the net cash amount to be paid or received on the settlement date of the futures contract. Futures exchanges may offer both types of contracts to market participants who have different purposes for trading futures contracts. RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CORPORATES AND INDIVIDUAL INVESTORS - Common application of financial market instruments for managing risk and opportunities. Risk management is the responsibility of market participants designed to limit risk exposures that specifically applies to the participants financial profile in the market. The financial profile of a participant may include their role in the financial market or the amount of capital under their responsibility to be managed in the market, and therefore the risk variables that each would need to identify may be unique. For both corporate and individual investors, the market to trade would be a key variable to clearly state and support with reasons for trading or investing. Reasons for selecting one market over another could include price volatility, liquidity, daily volume traded, size of the minimum price increment, and value of the minimum price increment. Comparing these variables between markets will help decide the suitability and/or risk of each. For example, if Mini-Brent Crude Oil futures (BM) moves around $2.00 per day (or 2 points) and a point is worth $100, a trader might experience a $200 fluctuation in their account balance for one day. Another example is the U.S Dollar / Singapore Dollar (USDSGD), which could move 70 pips or more per day and trading a standard lot size with each pip worth $10, a $700 fluctuation could be expected for one day. Market participants may also manage their risk through the size of their positions. The larger their position size, the greater is their exposure and the smaller their position size their exposure is lower. Investors should determine the risk that would result from various position sizes and select the size that ensures that their risk limit is not exceeded. Finally, setting stops with a specified loss amount provides protection if the market does not move in the desired direction. It helps to prevent creating a loss scenario which is larger than an account can handle. TRADDICTIV · Research Team -------- Disclaimer: We do not provide investment advice, nor provide any personalized investment recommendations and/or advice in making a decision to trade. Before you start trading, please make sure you have considered your entire financial situation, including financial commitments and you understand that trading is highly speculative and that you could sustain significant losses.
ICESG:SDX1!Education
by traddictiv
How Inflation Affects Our Savings & Our LivesFor the past few months, we’ve heard a lot in the news about increasing living costs. The cost of our essential goods and services – from our food to our electricity bills, housing, and electronics – is constantly rising. And our salary increases (if any) aren’t enough to cover the increasing cost of our basic expenses. I wanted to write this article for several reasons. I’m not trying to paint a gloomy picture, but rather to help people better understand the situation and how increasing prices affect our lives. So, as trivial as it may sound, let’s start with the basics and the basic definition of inflation. What Is Inflation? Inflation is the decline of the purchasing power of a currency over time measured amongst a pre-selected basket of goods. Now, here’s where it gets more interesting. The root cause of inflation is an increase in the supply of money in an economy. Our local monetary authorities (Central Banks and Governments) can increase the money supply, either by printing and giving away more money to individuals, by legally devaluing the currency, or by loaning new money into existence and purchasing government bonds from banks on the secondary market. In all such cases, the supply of money increases. Thus, your living expenses increase, your purchasing power decreases, and you get less for your money. There are some exceptions to this – but we will get into that a bit later when we look at possible solutions to this phenomenon. So, now, let’s review what we’ve seen for the past year, how inflation has affected our lives, and what our governments and central banks have done about it. What Are Governments Doing? Europe – The EU member countries agreed on a Pandemic Emergency Program. It’s designed to support the economies of member countries, and it’s worth 1.8 trillion euros. That’s a little over 2 trillion dollars. America – The US has several programs designed to help its economy. The first was a 3 trillion dollar program designed to help the US overcome the difficulties of the COVID19 pandemic. There are also several other programs going to the Senate for approval, all of which will further fuel the current inflationary cycle. What Level Of Inflation Are We Currently Experiencing? Well, this is a great question. It’s also a bit tough to answer. You might think that the easiest way to measure price increases is by comparing prices at the grocery store, at the petrol station, or with your landlords. And that makes sense. But you might not all see the same level of inflation from one item to the next. This is because the official inflation figures are calculated slightly differently, and they’re based on a so-called basket of goods. In the US, this “basket of goods” is managed by the Central Statistical Office. They decide what items to include in the basket and how often to change them. So, when the US inflation was calculated at 7.00% last week (the highest recorded rate in the last four decades), this was based on that specific basket of goods. That said, we’re seeing sharp increases in the official inflation data in many countries – with the UK hitting 5.40%, 5.70% for Germany, and 36% for Turkey. This means, regardless of each country’s chosen ‘baskets’, consumers worldwide are experiencing sharp measurable price increases. The more we get into the new year, the more we find ourselves asking when this vicious cycle will end. Experts are yet to agree on what kind of inflation we’ll see in the months ahead. However, the one thing that they all seem to agree on is that inflation is here to stay for the next two to five years. What Can We Do To Protect Our Savings And Plan For A Better Financial Future? There are a few options that you can consider. For those of you who prefer to take a more traditional approach towards money, well, these options might not be for you. But let’s explore all the options available to you, regardless of your age: 1 – Savings accounts If this has worked for you previously, I’m sorry to tell you that it might not work this time. Unfortunately, putting your money in a savings account is unlikely to be your best option when it comes to protecting your savings and your hard-earned money. This is because of the meagre interest rates on offer. When measured against the official inflation figures, with a 1% interest rate, you are still likely to be losing at least 4% – 5% of your actual purchasing power. While the official inflation figures might be around 7%, the level of inflation for your specific purchases could be as high as 12% to 15%. For simplicity of calculation, let’s look at an example. Say you had 100,000 USD or EUR in a savings account with your favourite bank, you would be making a whopping 1,000 USD or EUR in interest in a year (that’s assuming you are lucky enough to get a 1% interest rate from your bank). With inflation ranging between 12% to 15%, this means that you will be down between 11% to 14%. That’s a loss of about 11,000 to 14,000 USD or EUR per year. You won’t see that reflected in your bank account as numbers, but you will feel it when you go out to purchase goods. And let’s not forget that we are entering the 2nd year of high inflation – and that means twice the potential loss in buying power. 2 – Real estate In my country, we have a saying that if a person doesn’t know what to do with their money, they put it into real estate. It might still be a good choice; it depends on how you look at money. But with real estate returning between 7% -8% gross per year and with rising maintenance costs, it still might not make up for the 12%-15% increase in inflation. You might help to make a complete evaluation – one that factors in increasing prices and that factors in the size of your investment. If there is further inflation, or if you find yourself in sudden need of money, you may find yourself selling at a less than ideal price. Again, this doesn’t mean that real estate isn’t a good investment; it can be, based on your financial goals and investment horizon. Another thing to consider when evaluating your investment options is your purchasing power. It might help to compare the purchasing power of your investment now with the possible increase in the price of the property in the future. It might also help to keep in mind that if inflation goes up by 20% over three years, for example, then your property will need to go up by more than 20% in value for you to benefit from the investment. 3 – Bonds The FED is on track to raise interest rates in 2022. So, could government bonds be the way forward? 10Y US Treasuries are often considered the benchmark for a risk-free investment. That said, they don’t usually bring high returns. Let’s assume that, in a best-case scenario, you get the kind of high annual return we saw at the beginning of the century (5%-6%). Unfortunately, it still wouldn’t be enough to beat inflation and increase your overall purchasing power. 4 – Precious Metals Precious metals, in particular gold, have always been considered a great way to protect against inflation. One thing to consider: the financial markets haven’t been reacting very well recently to the idea of the Federal Reserve keeping a hawkish mood for the next year to come. In recent years, we have noticed how the inverse correlation between the stock market and gold has partially vanished during “cold” periods of general selloff. To avoid getting liquidated on their positions on stocks, big players would rather start selling massively their positions on assets where they have gained substantial profits, as it could be on gold. The result: massive drops also on the precious metal. This means that the old-fashioned hedge against inflation might have severe volatility in price during a bear market. 5 – Cryptocurrencies Cryptocurrencies are considered the new store of value. They have recently been compared to precious metals and sometimes been referred to as digital gold, especially when we talk about the king of cryptos – Bitcoin. Bitcoin has proven to be a great store of value, providing stellar performances in the past years, closing 2021 with +57%. Investors who have been able to jump on crypto projects at early stages have been able to get stellar returns in the sphere of 3 to 4 digits percentage. The only tiny issue with cryptos is that they require a cold-blooded investor, being able to “hodl” during periods like the current one, where they have been losing across the board more than 50% of the picks. It’s an investment that requires a very high appetite for risk. Be sure to take a look at our blog for more content. And don’t miss out on our free webinars. Next up: “How to protect your crypto investment against adverse market movements”.
ECONOMICS:USCCPIEducation
by Atlas-Horizon
Bites Of Trading Knowledge For New TOP Traders #7 (short read)Bites Of Trading Knowledge For New TOP Traders #7 --------------------------------------------------------------- What is Bitcoin and from where did it originate? – Bitcoin is a digital form of a medium of exchange with no central bank control which issues fiat currencies. Instead, the financial system involving bitcoin is managed by thousands of computers distributed around the world, a decentralised ledger, where anyone can participate by downloading open-source software and connecting to the ecosystem. The invention and implementation of bitcoin is credited to the person or persons known Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009. The white paper “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System“ states that bitcoin was to be, “A purely peer-to-peer version of electronic cash would allow online payments to be sent directly from one party to another without going through a financial institution.” What is the Blockchain? – The Blockchain is a decentralised ledger that is append-only meaning that data can only be added to it. Once information is added, it is extremely difficult to modify or delete it. The Blockchain enforces this by including a pointer to the previous Block in every subsequent Block. The pointer is a Hash of the previous block. Hashing involves passing data through a one-way function to produce a unique Fingerprint of the input. If the input is modified even slightly, the Fingerprint will look completely different. Since the Blocks are linked in a Chain, there is no way for someone to edit an old entry without invalidating the Blocks that follow, allowing a secure structure. What is Mining? – Mining is the process in which transactions between users are verified and added to the decentralised ledger. The process of mining bitcoin is responsible for introducing new coins into the existing circulating supply and is one of the key elements that allows bitcoin to work within the peer-to-peer decentralized network, without the need for a third party central authority. What Is a Blockchain Consensus Algorithm? – A consensus algorithm is a mechanism that allows users or machines to coordinate the agreement of what is a valid block in the Blockchain in a distributed setting. It needs to ensure that all participants in the system can agree on a single source of truth. Types of consensus algorithms include Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS). What is Proof of Work? – Proof of Work (PoW) is a mechanism for preventing the same bitcoin funds from being spent more than once. Proof of Work consists of a consensus algorithm which is a protocol that sets out the conditions for what makes a block in the Blockchain valid. It ensures the security and integrity of bitcoin’s distributed ledger. RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CORPORATES AND INDIVIDUAL INVESTORS – Diversification: Portfolio Focused on Pairs Trading Strategies – Many individual investors use a pairs trade as a trading strategy that involves matching a long position with a short position in two markets with a high correlation. In currency trading, the most economically and politically stable and liquid currencies are commonly the focus of market participants as the focus for currency pairs trading like these eight most traded currencies: U.S. dollar (USD), euro (EUR), Japanese yen (JPY), British pound (GBP), Australian dollar (AUD), Canadian dollar (CAD), Swiss franc (CHF), and Chinese Yuan (CNY). If an individual investor is pairing EUR with CHF as part of their pairs trading portfolio, they could use common technical indicators like moving averages as part of their analysis in forming a trade decision. For example, EURUSD on 4th May had crossed the moving average, but USDCHF had not shown similar price action, which could indicate the potential for follow through failure in the EURUSD to the downside. Contrast this with the 16th June where both EURUSD and USDCHF had both crossed the moving average and had clear follow through subsequently. Investors would need to analyze their expected returns with and without currency eThe investor could alternatively consider trading the Mini US Dollar Index ® Futures given that the analysis could point to an opportunity being in the U.S. Dollar, which had been removed as a factor in this pairing. TRADDICTIV · Research Team -------- Disclaimer: We do not provide investment advice, nor provide any personalized investment recommendations and/or advice in making a decision to trade. Before you start trading, please make sure you have considered your entire financial situation, including financial commitments and you understand that trading is highly speculative and that you could sustain significant losses.
ICESG:SDX1!Education
by traddictiv
Bites Of Trading Knowledge For New TOP Traders #6 (short read)Bites Of Trading Knowledge For New TOP Traders #6 --------------------------------------------------------------- What is Hedging? – Hedging is the action taken through the use of a financial instrument to minimize the loss or risk of the loss of value of an asset due to adverse asset price movements. Who are Hedgers? – Hedgers are market participants such as commodity producers who want to lock in selling prices of commodities they produce, or food manufacturers who want to lock in buying prices of raw materials purchased. Market participants also include financial institutions handling financial assets and use derivative products such as futures to manage the risk of a portfolio of financial assets. What is the difference between Physically Delivered vs Cash Settled Futures Contracts? – Physical delivery is a term in a futures contract which requires the actual underlying asset to be “physically delivered” upon the specified delivery date, rather than being traded out with an offsetting contract. Cash settled futures on the other hand allows for the net cash amount to be paid or received on the settlement date of the futures contract. Futures exchanges may offer both types of contracts to market participants who have different purposes for trading futures contracts. RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CORPORATES AND INDIVIDUAL INVESTORS – Diversification: Correlation in Futures – Investors could allocate a portion of their portfolio to establish a managed futures position to deliver non-correlated results under most market conditions, which may serve as a risk mediator within an overall portfolio. This may deliver lower relative returns during periods of price stability. However, during periods of market stress, managed futures could outperform the broad market. For example, the Asia Tech 30 index which has no Thai companies as a component stock would not be expected to have any Thai Baht (USDTHB) currency exposure and which could be included in a managed futures portfolio at times where there is no or low correlation between the two markets and could be used as a hedge during times of negative correlation. Source: ICE Connect Diversification: Portfolio Focused on Asset Returns – Individual investors who have a portfolio of foreign stocks will have a return that is composed of the return of the foreign currency-denominated stock plus the change in currency exchange rates. Therefore, investing abroad means having exposure to two different sources of risk and return made up of the underlying asset and the exchange rate. For a long-term investor, the focus on return-generating assets may be the priority rather than returns from currency exchange rates. This could imply removing currency risk through a clearly defined hedging strategy process initially, and then adding back currency exposure at a later stage if it is determined that currency exposures could improve a portfolio’s return. Investors would need to analyze their expected returns with and without currency exposures and determine their net currency exposure to be removed. U.S. Dollar based portfolios could use futures contracts such as the Mini US Dollar Index ® Futures to hedge a basket of foreign stocks denominated in their respective domestic currencies. TRADDICTIV · Research Team -------- Disclaimer: We do not provide investment advice, nor provide any personalized investment recommendations and/or advice in making a decision to trade. Before you start trading, please make sure you have considered your entire financial situation, including financial commitments and you understand that trading is highly speculative and that you could sustain significant losses.
ICESG:SDX1!Education
by traddictiv
CORRELATION,DIVERSIFYING & HEDGING: An elementary viewGreetings In the world of forex trading or trading of any financial instrument for that matter, many complex, technical and convoluted words are thrown around in conversations. Such jargon, though is relevant, tends to result in many blank stares especially among some of my peers, many of whom are not finance, economics or statistic fundi's. Many of them with basic education, yearn to be part of these conversations and also contribute their own opinions. This leads to many of them simply offering that awkward nod, wide smile and occasional laugh when everyone else does. they are relegated to conversation observers who's feet seem stuck to the floor. I've been there and that feeling is gut-wrenching, degrading and leads you to view the rest of the crowd as snobs, elitists or braggarts. this then creates apathy toward the subject matter. Well i will try, through this article, to open one of the many back doors to this world. I will attempt to unwrap and "break it down" to bite size chunks so that maybe one day when you are in the midst of the so called "esteemed highbrows", you will also throw in your "two cents". This article will explore the concept of correlation trading. Correlation can also be viewed as the interconnection, interdependence, association or link between. So correlation trading (especially in forex), is basically a statistical measure of the relationship (or association or interdependence) of currency pairs. A simplified example would be if you take the AUDJPY pair. This pair is an association or link-between the AUDUSD and the USDJPY . It would stand to argue that the AUDJPY pair is "correlated" to the AUDUSD and USDJPY. A negative correlation implies that the currency pairs will move in opposing directions while positive correlations tend to move in the same direction. Negative correlated pairs are usually used for hedging purposes. Correlation coefficients range from-1 to +1. A correlation of -1 implies that the two currency pairs will move in opposite directions every time and vice versa if the coefficient is +1. In the past, at this stage of the conversation, I would have switched off looking for how to exit the group, but read further as we further dissect this further. What i have come to appreciate is that you don't have to fully get it the first time, but it will make sense as you progress. So correlations are usually tabulated and presented in different date ranges, namely daily, weekly, monthly, 6 monthly and yearly. A simple example of the EURUSD against USDJPY pair would look like: DAILY +0.44 WEEKLY -0.42 MONTHLY -0.34 6 MONTHLY -0.55 YEARLY -0.85 interpretation Over a period of one year the EURUSD had a strong negative correlation against the USDJPY , meaning that 85% of the time when the EURUSD went up the USDJPY went down. Conversely over the daily time period these pairs were positively correlated. This example was also deliberately drawn up to show the correlations do not always remain the same over time. From the example the effects BREXIT might cause the temporary positive correlation on the daily time range among many other economic factors taking place in Japan. SHOW ME HOW TO MAKE FROM THIS!!! Now we have some understanding of correlation in forex pairs, here's how the "mashed potatoes mixes with the gravy". We know that the EURZAR and the USDZAR have a very strong positive correlation(I am biased on ZAR: South African Rand since i'm the mother continent), so trading trading on both pairs might not be advisable as it simply doubles your exposure. For instance you buy 1 lot of EURZAR and the same on USDZAR , knowing that these pairs are likely to move in the same direction, will simply double the chances of you losing more if the trade goes against you and vice versa. Lets say you try to get a "one up" on the market like what i tried to do when I started trading by going long on EURZAR and short on USDZAR at the same time. Well my friend that is a contra-trade (a trade that cancels the other) and most of the time you will end in a loss. You might be asking how you will end in a loss if the trades cancel out each other, well firstly these pairs don't always move in the same exact pip range (because they are not 100% correlated) and they have different pip values. Trust me the math doesn't lie, I won't go into it i might lose you at this point. However pairs that are negatively correlated to the EURZAR like the ZARJPY should not take an opposite position. Since we know that when the EURZAR goes up the ZARJPY goes down. So buying (or going long on) EURZAR and selling (or going short on) ZARJPY is the same as buying two position of EURZAR . In other words we have doubled our risk. Some people might say well that the disadvantages stated above can also be utilised to our benefit if we know how to hedge our trades and also bring in diversification. Now this conversation is the one where we graduate to the master class of the inner circle of trading pro's. a friend approached me and enlightened me to the fact you can also diversify your trading portfolio, especially if you have a directional bias on a particular pair. Say, for example, you believe that the ZAR is entering a bullish season, you can diversify by putting a buy(going long) on EURZAR and USDZAR knowing fully well that the American economy has a different bias than the European monetary authorities, therefore by spreading risk between EURZAR and USDZAR will lower losses if the USD goes in the opposite direction quickly, allowing you to adjust your portfolio. This learned friend of mine went on to explain that for pairs that are negatively correlated, like the EURZAR and the ZARJPY can be used for hedging purposes through the use of the different pip values ( PIP is the smallest move in the price of a currency pair). Hedging is the opening of a position with the purpose of offsetting any gain or loss on the other transaction. Assume the value of the pip move in EURZAR is $10 for a lot of 100,000 and the value of a pip move in ZARJPY is $8 or a lot of 100,000. Knowing this can help us hedge our exposure to EURZAR . (Please be aware that certain countries do not allow hedging) Let say i open a position of 1 short EURZAR lot of 100,000 units and 1 short ZARJPY lot of 100,000 units. When the EURZAR increases by 10 pips, the 1 would in a loss of $100 (number of PIPs X Value per PIP). However, since ZARJPY moves opposite to the EURZAR , the short ZARJPY position would be profitable, nearly up to $80 (this is due to the strong negative correlation). This would turn the net loss of the portfolio into just -$20 instead of the full $100. On the flip side this hedge also means smaller profits in the event of a rally down in EURZAR . However, in the worst-case scenario, losses become relatively lower. CONCLUSION All traders regardless at which stage you are, from novice to grand-master, there is need to have an appreciation of correlations and how they affect your portfolio. work towards: 1.Eliminating contra-trades (Trades that cancel each other out) 2.Diversify Risk. By not putting your eggs in one basket. By taking advantage of the imperfect correlations, one can open two positions in the same direction knowing that you limit your exposure to one pair. 3. Potentially double up on profits. In our example above, the high correlation between EURZAR and USDZAR , would mean that if you open a position one of the pairs you can open a similar position on the other pairs thus potentially doubling profits and vice versa. 4. Hedging. This usually results in lower profits, but it also minimises your losses. 5. Confirm break outs and avoid fake outs. Although I did not discuss this aspect in this article, it is the very topic that will be in my next article that i will be releasing next and will sure be topic that will result in all those finance and economics gurus offering you a 2 minute attentive silence, as they nod their heads to your insightful analysis of the markets. You might even get a "let's chat later privately and explore this in depth, or that's exactly what i was about to say". This will leave you walking a little taller, with a bounce in your step, calling shots. All i am saying is if i can do this, surely you can too. Takunda Mudenge is a market analyst based out of Zimbabwe, Africa. He writes in his personal capacity and the information is purely for educational and entertainment purposes and should not be construed or assumed to be investment advice. The information above was collected from various investment websites and literature and all attempts were made to make it into contemporary English.
Education
by takundamudenge
1
EDUCATION: TIPS: MANAGING THE TESTED NONDIRECTIONALUnless you've been buried under a rock somewhere, you'll know that we've experienced a big, broad market move from the late December "Dump Everything, Including the Kitchen Sink" lows at SPY 234 to where we finished Friday. If you were bullish assumption directional in virtually any broad market instrument or exchange-traded fund at or near those late December/early January lows, well, you're feeling pretty awesome here. However, if you went nondirectional at those same lows (short strangle, short straddle) in light of the high volatility environment that existed at that point in time, you may be struggling with call side test and have your share of inverteds on. With that in mind, here are a few tips for managing tested nondirectionals, particularly short strangles and short straddles. 1. Don't Panic/Take Time To Manage The Setup Thoughtfully. If you've been selling short strangles or straddles for any period of time, you'll know that markets move. You can't have a perfectly delta balanced setup all the time, and you probably shouldn't try to keep things that way. Constantly going for delta neutral costs you fees and commissions at the very least and subjects you to potential whipsaw if you're too aggressive. Take a deep breath, close your phone's trading app, and look at the setup again when you've got sufficient time to evaluate what you should do, which should include looking at all your options (rolling the untested side up, rolling the whole setup out, adding needed delta via an additional setup,* or a combination of those). 2. Stay Mechanical As To "When." I generally have a few rules as to when something must be done with a broken setup: (a) A side is approaching worthless (<.05). (b) There is ex-divvy assignment risk. (c) Time is simply running out. All other times are basically "non-must" times when you probably should just hand sit on the setup and attempt to allow the probabilities to work out without intervention. I would note that hand sitting patiently for one of these "must do" points in time is the hardest thing to do in practice, but probably gives better results than constantly fiddling with the setup. (I tend to be a fiddler, so I can speak from experience). 3. Stay Mechanical As To "Where." Intraexpiry Rolls: My general rule on intraexpiry rolls is to roll the untested side toward current price to a strike that will cut net delta position in half where there is side test or the side to be rolled is approaching worthless, assuming that doing that will be productive from a credit received standpoint. For example, if the position's net delta has skewed out to -50, look to roll the untested side to a strike that will reduce that net to =25. As a possible alternative rule, roll the untested to the 30 delta strike; it won't necessarily cut your net delta in half, but it's also a good mechanical rule. If an intraexpiry roll won't be productive (<.25 is kind of my cut off), look to roll out for duration. Rolling For Duration: I generally look to roll the tested side "as is" and the untested to the 30 delta strike. 4. Be Familiar With "Inversion Math." If either an intraexpiry/duration roll results in an inverted setup, keep in mind that the number of strikes the strangle is inverted must be subtracted from total credits received to determine your max profit potential in the inverted. For example, if you received 2.00 for a short strangle and rolled for a 1.00 credit to an inverted that is 2 dollars wide, the max profit potential of that setup isn't 3.00 (total credits received); it's the total credits received minus the width of the inversion: 3.00 (total credits received) - 2.00 (inversion width) = 1.00. Your scratch point is still 3.00, but you won't be able to get out of that setup for less than 1.00 max, so there's no point in shooting for 1.50, for example. Conversely, rigorously attempt to avoid rolling to an inversion that is wider than total credits received, since you won't be able to exit that setup at your scratch point profitably. 5. Look to Bail On Inversions At Scratch. Broken setup risk is generally not centered, the probability of profit is lower than an original setup, max profit potential generally isn't ideal as a function of how much buying power a broken is tying up, and there is there is random assignment risk, depending how deep in the money the tested side is. A scratch is always better than a loser. 6. Keep Track As You Go. Regardless of which type of roll you do, keep track of total credits received as you do each one. Going back through your platform or brokerage statement to look at what you received in credits adds work to the basic scratch calculation process and can lead to addition/subtraction errors as to where your scratch point lies. I have a spread sheet for active trades to avoid doofy addition errors. Aside from calculating short strangle scratch points, it's just a good habit to have a spreadsheet, particularly with things like covered calls, where you can work positions over several months, if not years, of time. * -- Getting required delta via a separate setup (short calls, short call verticals, downward put diagonals, short skewed strangles/straddles for short delta; short puts, short put verticals, upward call diagonals, long skewed strangles/straddles for long delta) is also something that you can do to delta balance, but it naturally adds its own risk.
AMEX:SPYEducation
by NaughtyPines
2