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Bill Luby of VIX and More May 14, 2008 Email this article to a Friend  Printer friendly page

Kudos to Adam at Daily Options Report for today’s A Quick Trading VIX Primer, which provides a succinct explanation of the basis for VIX options prices – some of which have left casual options traders scratching their heads in recent days.

In Adam’s words:

“The VIX estimates volatility on the SPX itself for the next 30 days.

VIX futures are a bet on where that estimate will be on the day the future expires. In other words, it is a snapshot of what the market expects for volatility 30 days AFTER the future expires. If it is a September future for example, you are guessing how the market prices volatility 30 days forward from September expiration. You are not betting on SPX volatility between now and September; that is a common misconception.�

Two graphics might help to illustrate this point. The first graphic initially appeared on VIX and More one year ago in VIX Futures: The One Picture to Remember and shows what happened to the VIX futures on the day before and the day of the record 64% spike on the VIX on February 27^th 2007. The bottom line is that the long-term outlook for volatility did not change appreciably, but the VIX futures moved from contango (upward sloping over time) to backwardation (downward sloping over time). So the future still looked the same, but the VIX was expected to take a different path to arrive at essentially the same place.

The second graphic is a snapshot of the VIX options as of this morning. Note that with the (cash/spot) VIX at 17.24, the bid on the May 17.00 puts (0.15) is almost the same as the bid on the May 22.50 calls (0.10). The reason? Mean reversion is priced into the VIX futures – and the options reflect the consensus opinion that a 5 point VIX spike is just about as likely as a 0.25 point drop in the VIX over the next week (recall that VIX options expire on Wednesdays; this month it is one week from today.)

by Bill Luby (VIX and More )

Disclaimer:

Please note that charts and commentary provided by the moderator are for educational purposes only. Any trades placed upon reliance on the moderator’s charts or information is taken at your own risk for your own account. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. While there is great potential for reward trading stocks, futures and options, there is also substantial risk of loss and you must decide your own suitability to trade. Future trading results can never be guaranteed. This is not an offer to buy or sell stock, futures, options or commodity interests.

Most trading systems are based on historical formulas which have worked in the past. However, what has happened before may or may not happen again. You can lose all your money trading stocks, futures, and options and you must decide your own suitability as to whether or not to trade. Only trade with true risk capital you can afford to lose. Only trade markets you can properly afford to trade. Properly funded trading accounts typically perform better than those that are not. Never risk more than 2-3% of your account on any one trade. Always define your risk before entering a trade and place a stop to limit your risk.

There are no guarantees or certainties in trading. Trading involves hard work, risk, discipline and the ability to follow rules and trade through any tough periods during a system’s draw downs. If you are looking for a guarantee, trading is probably not for you. Most people lose money trading. One of the reasons is that they lack discipline and are unable to be consistent. A system can help you become consistent. Ironically, worrying about the monetary aspect of trading can contribute to and cause a trader to make trading errors. Therefore, it is important to only trade with true risk capital.