Squeezed! [Volatility Edge]

The Option Pit VIX Traffic Light Is Green: Volatility is likely to stay high.

The S&P 500 rallied 92.81 points in what was a powerful short squeeze on Monday.

The VIX dropped 1.52 points to 30.10. That’s big, considering weekend effect.

But the landscape has not changed for the market as a whole.

The VIX curve did fall and flatten … but we are still in backwardation:

This means traders anticipate volatility going up, not down.

To further the point check out the big trades in VIX on Monday:

“Look, mom, no puts!”

While volume was low on Monday for VIX. The activity was clearly bearish the S&P and bullish volatility.

If you are looking for a reason to be bullish you could look at bond volatility, which did drop:

But, there are bigger things afoot…

Take a look at option volatility in Credit Suisse Options:

Short squeezes happen, and rallies are super-strong in a bear market.

But nothing has changed.

WIth Monday’s drop, traders should buy VIX November volatility, as I have been prescribing the past few days.

You will thank me.

Oh, and join me at 9:30!

Questions? Shoot me an email or comment below!

Your Only Option,

Mark Sebastian


Mark Sebastian

Mark Sebastian

Mark Sebastian is a former member of both the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) and the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), where he spent years mastering the art of options trading in the most competitive environment imaginable. As Chief Investment Officer at the hedge fund Karman Line Capital, Mark manages sophisticated options strategies for institutional clients. He is the author of two highly regarded books on options trading: ‘The Option Traders Hedge Fund’ and ‘Trading Options for Edge.’ Mark is a frequent guest on major financial networks including CNBC, Fox Business News, Bloomberg, and First Business News, where he provides expert commentary on market volatility and options strategies.

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About the Author

Mark Sebastian

Mark Sebastian

Former CBOE floor trader and CIO at Karman Line Capital. Author of ‘The Option Traders Hedge Fund’ with over 30 years of options trading experience.

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