8月22日,道瓊斯工業(yè)平均指數(Dow Jones Industrial Average)下跌超過600點,原因是投資者再次對美聯儲(Federal Reserve)的激進加息感到擔憂,結束了今年夏季的股市反彈。
與此同時,芝加哥期權交易所(Chicago Board Options Exchange)的波動率指數(Volatility Index)在8月22日上升了近17%。波動率指數又被稱為華爾街的“恐慌指數”。
1987年黑色星期一股市崩盤之后誕生的波動率指數,用于衡量美國股市的預期波動率。該指數基于標準普爾500指數(S&P 500)看漲和看跌期權的實時價格,自2008年金融危機以來在華爾街被廣泛應用。
期權是一種衍生品,使投資者有權利(但沒有義務)在指定日期或指定日期之前按照特定價格買入或賣出一種標的資產。
波動率指數之所以又被稱為“恐慌指數”,是因為它用于衡量市場波動率或者價格變化速度,可以用來評估投資者和交易商的情緒。
它的工作原理是:當投資者和交易商擔心股市的未來時,他們更可利用期權幫助保護其投資組合。這反過來會推高波動率指數,讓其他投資者意識到他們的同行感覺到了危險。
專家們對《財富》雜志表示,8月22日,有多個關鍵因素幫助推高了波動率指數。
首先,8月22日是俄羅斯民族主義哲學家、弗拉基米爾·普京總統的“精神導師”亞歷山大·杜金的女兒達里婭·杜金娜被刺殺之后的第一個交易日。交易商預計,普京可能針對此次刺殺采取反擊,進一步減少對歐洲的天然氣供應,并認為此次刺殺事件只會延長俄烏沖突的時間。
聯信銀行(Comerica Bank)的首席經濟學家比爾·亞當斯告訴《財富》雜志:“在歐洲迎來冬季能源短缺和經濟嚴重下滑之前,俄烏沖突平息的可能性越來越低。”
除此之外,8月22日也是俄羅斯國有能源巨頭俄羅斯天然氣工業(yè)股份公司(Gazprom)宣布北溪1號(Nord Stream 1)管道再次進行計劃外維護之后的第一個交易日。北溪1號將俄羅斯的天然氣通過波羅的海輸送到德國。
隨著天然氣價格創(chuàng)歷史新高,批評者認為俄羅斯利用這條管道懲罰對其實施制裁的歐洲國家,并“脅迫”各國使用俄羅斯盧布購買天然氣。
由于北溪1號管道維護和杜金娜遇刺身亡,8月22日,美國和歐洲的天然氣價格暴漲,作為歐洲天然氣基準的荷蘭TTF天然氣期貨價格上漲19%,達到每兆瓦時291.90美元。
但波動率指數的大幅上升,不只是因為歐洲出現能源短缺的可能性增加。投資者擔心,盡管持續(xù)通脹導致經濟增長停滯,歐美各國央行將不得不繼續(xù)加息,進而增加了西方爆發(fā)更嚴重經濟衰退的可能性。
安永-博智?。‥Y-Parthenon)的首席經濟學家格雷格·達科說:“對歐洲通脹持續(xù)上升的預期以及對各國央行采取激進緊縮政策的擔憂,讓投資者變得高度緊張?!彼€表示,“在可預測的未來,市場將依舊處于一個高度動蕩的環(huán)境?!?/p>
除了對經濟衰退的擔憂和歐洲的能源危機以外,波動率指數上升的另外一個潛在原因是,交易商試圖在最近喜憂參半的經濟新聞的沖擊下,從市場波動中獲利。
近幾年,隨著與指數掛鉤的交易所交易基金(ETF)和衍生品的興起,波動率指數交易變成了一個小型產業(yè)。位于休斯頓的投資公司Sanders Morris Harris的董事長喬治·保爾指出,波動率指數“對投資者而言是從市場波動中獲利的一種高效的、低成本、流動性的方式,前提是投資者對市場漲跌的判斷準確。”
保爾表示,隨著波動率指數交易的增長,該指數將不再像以前一樣,充分代表市場的“恐慌”或“貪婪”。但他認為,該指數依舊是“個人和機構管理投資組合風險的一個主要工具”,其作為衡量投資者情緒的指標,重要性不容忽視。
他說:“波動率指數已經變成了抵消波動性的黃金標準。因此,它是一種非常高效的機制,盡管它所采用的看跌/看漲比率與市場上漲或下跌的關聯度較為寬松?!?財富中文網)
譯者:劉進龍
審校:汪皓
8月22日,道瓊斯工業(yè)平均指數(Dow Jones Industrial Average)下跌超過600點,原因是投資者再次對美聯儲(Federal Reserve)的激進加息感到擔憂,結束了今年夏季的股市反彈。
與此同時,芝加哥期權交易所(Chicago Board Options Exchange)的波動率指數(Volatility Index)在8月22日上升了近17%。波動率指數又被稱為華爾街的“恐慌指數”。
1987年黑色星期一股市崩盤之后誕生的波動率指數,用于衡量美國股市的預期波動率。該指數基于標準普爾500指數(S&P 500)看漲和看跌期權的實時價格,自2008年金融危機以來在華爾街被廣泛應用。
期權是一種衍生品,使投資者有權利(但沒有義務)在指定日期或指定日期之前按照特定價格買入或賣出一種標的資產。
波動率指數之所以又被稱為“恐慌指數”,是因為它用于衡量市場波動率或者價格變化速度,可以用來評估投資者和交易商的情緒。
它的工作原理是:當投資者和交易商擔心股市的未來時,他們更可利用期權幫助保護其投資組合。這反過來會推高波動率指數,讓其他投資者意識到他們的同行感覺到了危險。
專家們對《財富》雜志表示,8月22日,有多個關鍵因素幫助推高了波動率指數。
首先,8月22日是俄羅斯民族主義哲學家、弗拉基米爾·普京總統的“精神導師”亞歷山大·杜金的女兒達里婭·杜金娜被刺殺之后的第一個交易日。交易商預計,普京可能針對此次刺殺采取反擊,進一步減少對歐洲的天然氣供應,并認為此次刺殺事件只會延長俄烏沖突的時間。
聯信銀行(Comerica Bank)的首席經濟學家比爾·亞當斯告訴《財富》雜志:“在歐洲迎來冬季能源短缺和經濟嚴重下滑之前,俄烏沖突平息的可能性越來越低?!?/p>
除此之外,8月22日也是俄羅斯國有能源巨頭俄羅斯天然氣工業(yè)股份公司(Gazprom)宣布北溪1號(Nord Stream 1)管道再次進行計劃外維護之后的第一個交易日。北溪1號將俄羅斯的天然氣通過波羅的海輸送到德國。
隨著天然氣價格創(chuàng)歷史新高,批評者認為俄羅斯利用這條管道懲罰對其實施制裁的歐洲國家,并“脅迫”各國使用俄羅斯盧布購買天然氣。
由于北溪1號管道維護和杜金娜遇刺身亡,8月22日,美國和歐洲的天然氣價格暴漲,作為歐洲天然氣基準的荷蘭TTF天然氣期貨價格上漲19%,達到每兆瓦時291.90美元。
但波動率指數的大幅上升,不只是因為歐洲出現能源短缺的可能性增加。投資者擔心,盡管持續(xù)通脹導致經濟增長停滯,歐美各國央行將不得不繼續(xù)加息,進而增加了西方爆發(fā)更嚴重經濟衰退的可能性。
安永-博智?。‥Y-Parthenon)的首席經濟學家格雷格·達科說:“對歐洲通脹持續(xù)上升的預期以及對各國央行采取激進緊縮政策的擔憂,讓投資者變得高度緊張?!彼€表示,“在可預測的未來,市場將依舊處于一個高度動蕩的環(huán)境?!?/p>
除了對經濟衰退的擔憂和歐洲的能源危機以外,波動率指數上升的另外一個潛在原因是,交易商試圖在最近喜憂參半的經濟新聞的沖擊下,從市場波動中獲利。
近幾年,隨著與指數掛鉤的交易所交易基金(ETF)和衍生品的興起,波動率指數交易變成了一個小型產業(yè)。位于休斯頓的投資公司Sanders Morris Harris的董事長喬治·保爾指出,波動率指數“對投資者而言是從市場波動中獲利的一種高效的、低成本、流動性的方式,前提是投資者對市場漲跌的判斷準確?!?/p>
保爾表示,隨著波動率指數交易的增長,該指數將不再像以前一樣,充分代表市場的“恐慌”或“貪婪”。但他認為,該指數依舊是“個人和機構管理投資組合風險的一個主要工具”,其作為衡量投資者情緒的指標,重要性不容忽視。
他說:“波動率指數已經變成了抵消波動性的黃金標準。因此,它是一種非常高效的機制,盡管它所采用的看跌/看漲比率與市場上漲或下跌的關聯度較為寬松?!?財富中文網)
譯者:劉進龍
審校:汪皓
The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank over 600 points on August 22 as fears of aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve crept back into investors’ minds, putting an end to this summer’s stock market rally.
At the same time, the Chicago Board Options Exchange’s Volatility Index (VIX), also known as Wall Street’s “fear gauge,” jumped nearly 17% to start the week.
The VIX was created after the Black Monday crash of 1987 as a way to measure the expected volatility of the U.S. stock market. It’s derived from real-time prices of S&P 500 call and put options, and has become widely used on Wall Street since the 2008 financial crisis.
Options, also known as derivatives, give investors the right—but not the obligation—to buy or sell an underlying asset at a specific price on or before a specified date.
The VIX has been given the moniker the “fear gauge,” because of its role in measuring volatility, or how fast prices change, which is seen as a way to gauge the sentiment of investors and traders.
It works something like this: When investors and traders become worried about the future of the stock market, they’re more likely to use options to help protect their portfolios. This, in turn, causes a rise in the VIX that helps other investors recognize that their peers are sensing danger.
Experts told Fortune that there were several key factors that helped push the VIX higher on August 22.
First, August 22 was the first trading day since the assassination of Daria Dugina, the daughter of the Russian nationalist philosopher and President Vladimir Putin’s “spiritual guide” Alexander Dugin. Traders are expecting Putin to respond to the assassination with further cuts to Europe’s natural gas supplies, and are betting that it will only help to extend the Russia-Ukraine war.
“The Russia-Ukraine war looks increasingly unlikely to wind down before it causes winter energy shortages and a severe downturn in Europe,” Bill Adams, Comerica Bank’s chief economist, told Fortune.
On top of that, August 22 was the first trading day since Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom announced another unscheduled maintenance period for the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that carries natural gas from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea.
With natural gas prices at record highs, critics say Russia has used the pipeline as a way to punish European nations for their sanctions and “blackmail” countries into using Russian rubles to purchase natural gas supplies.
Natural gas prices in the U.S. and Europe spiked on August 22 as a result of Nord Stream 1 pipeline maintenance and Dugina’s assassination, with Dutch TTF gas futures, a European benchmark for natural gas, rising 19% to reach $291.90 per megawatt hour.
But the surge in the VIX is about more than just the increasing chance of a European energy shortage. Investors are worried that central banks will be forced to continue raising interest rates in the U.S. and Europe even as economic growth stalls due to persistent inflation, thereby increasing the odds of a more severe recession in the West.
“Expectations of an ongoing surge in inflation in Europe along with the sentiment that central banks will pursue aggressive tightening is making investors extremely anxious,” said Greg Daco, EY-Parthenon’s chief economist, adding that he believes the markets will remain in “a highly volatile environment for the foreseeable future.”
Beyond recession fears and Europe’s energy crisis, another potential reason for the VIX’s rise could be that traders are attempting to make a profit off market swings amid the recent onslaught of mixed economic news.
Trading on the VIX has become a cottage industry in recent years due to the rise of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and derivatives tied to the index. George Ball, the chairman of Sanders Morris Harris, a Houston-based investment firm, noted that the VIX is “an efficient, low-cost, liquid way for investors to profit from market swings, up or down—assuming the investor is right about the direction.”
Because of the growth of VIX trading, Ball said that the VIX isn’t as good a representation of the market’s “fear” or “greed” as it used to be. Still, he noted that the index is still “primarily a tool to manage portfolio risk, both for individuals and institutions” and shouldn’t be discounted as a measure of investor sentiment altogether.
“It has become the gold standard for offsetting volatility,” he said. “As a result, it is quite efficient as a mechanism for doing that, even though the put/call ratio that it employs is only loosely linked to the market heading up or down.”