Huge demand for one particular French election hedge
June 28 (Reuters) -There has beena significant increase in premium and demand for an array of Euro related FX options since the announcement of impending French elections, but one particular trade stands out - risk reversals.
Risk reversals are simple vanilla FX options that consist of a put strike set against a call strike - the right to sell a currency versus buy it. They benefit from increased FX volatility - implied and/or realised in a particular FX direction.
EUR/USD risk reversals have seen their EUR put over call (EUR/USD downside over upside) strike implied volatilities increase dramatically since the announcement of French elections. The benchmark 1-month expiry 25 delta risk reversals peaked above 1.5 from 0.15 since the French election announcement to reflect the increased risk of EUR/USD falling and increasing FX volatility.
These risk reversals are still being bought on any setback from their initial highs and are trading in much greater amounts than the 30-million euro average, which highlights the ongoing need to cover EUR/USD downside risk. A 1-week expiry 25 delta risk reversal traded on over a billion euros a leg (put versus call) at 1.3 and a 2-week expiry 10 delta risk reversal at 2.8 on 750-million euros a leg mid week.
Overnight expiry options now include the first round election results on Monday and are primed for EUR related volatility and potential EUR/USD losses.
For more click on FXBUZ
1-month and 1-year expiry EUR/USD 25 delta risk reversals https://tmsnrt.rs/4bn3jJe
(Richard Pace is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)
</body></html>Related Assets
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
