Tag Archives: CBOE
Volatility and Performance of Options-Related Indexes in the 2010s
As we enter the 2020s with interest in worldwide geopolitical volatility, here are some key points about volatility and the performance of options-related indexes the 2010s. How Did Equity Volatility in the 2010s Compare to Volatility in Previous Decades? The average of the daily closing values of the VIX® Index in the 2010s was 16.9…
Performance and Volatility for Sectors in the 2010s
As we enter the 2020s, here are some key points about the 2010s – The U.S. economy has expanded for a record 126 straight months, the longest time period in U.S. history, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. The bull market in U.S. stocks has run about 10.7 years, one of the longest…
- Categories Equities
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- Equities
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VIX® Dropped Below S&P 500® Realized Volatility
While everyone has been concerned about the inverted yield curve, the CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) has been under the 21-trading-day realized volatility of the S&P 500 since Aug. 16, 2019. Since volatility traders care not only about what is expected but also what actually transpired, the spread between implied volatility and realized volatility is one…
- Categories Strategy
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- Strategy
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Cboe S&P 500 Buffer Protect Indexes: First Outcome Period Recap
On June 28, 2019 the July Series of the Cboe S&P 500 Buffer Protect Indexes completed their first one-year outcome period (6/28/18 – 6/28/19). The Cboe S&P 500 Buffer Protect Indexes are designed to afford investors defined exposures to the S&P 500 Price Index, where the downside buffer levels, upside growth potential, and outcome period…
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S&P 500 Cboe Target Outcome Indexes – Investor Applications
Many investments today target speculative returns, with uncertain levels of risk, over an uncertain period of time. While opportunistic, this approach to investing often brings a high degree of uncertainty. Outcome based investing encourages targeting a specific defined payoff profile, with an allowance for a specific defined level of risk, at a specific point in…
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Access the S&P 500 with Built-in Buffers
Earlier in 2018 S&P Dow Jones Indices, Cboe Global Marketssm, and Milliman Financial Risk Management LLC collaborated to build four new series of Target Outcome Indexes, designed to reflect defined exposures to the S&P 500 Index, where the downside protection levels, upside growth potential, enhancement level, and outcome period are all pre-determined. Each Series consists…
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Defensive “Buffer Protect” Option Strategies Can Help Investors Stay the Course
Equities have historically offered promising growth potential, but we have seen time and again how suddenly and severely the equity markets can be affected by events that are difficult to predict, and 2019 is not likely to be an exception. Losses can have a greater impact on portfolios than gains because the money remaining after…
- Categories Equities, Fixed Income, Strategy
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- Equities, Fixed Income, Strategy
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New All-Time Record – Open Interest for Cboe S&P 500 Options Surpasses 21 Million Contracts
While many investors are concerned about the fact that benchmark indexes for major investment classes are down year-to date, more investors are using S&P 500® options for goals related to risk management and income enhancement. On December 20 open interest for Cboe S&P 500 (SPX(SM) and SPXW) options surpassed 21 million for the first time…
- Categories S&P 500 & DJIA
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- S&P 500 & DJIA
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Strong Returns Over 32+ Years for BXMD Index That Writes OTM SPX Options
In recent years at many investment conferences I heard that many public pension plans face underfunding challenges, and they are very interested in investments with strong returns and moderate risk. While past performance is not a guarantee of future results, the Cboe S&P 500 30-Delta BuyWrite Index (BXMDSM) has shown higher returns and lower volatility…
Growth in Use of S&P 500 Options at Cboe Over 35 Years
Thirty-five years ago, on July 1, 1983, Cboe® launched SEC-regulated S&P 500® (SPX) index options with posted volume of 350 contracts. Since 1983 there has been tremendous growth in SPX options volume, as many individual and institutional investors now use the contracts for purposes such as portfolio management, hedging, and income generation. Below are five…



