FX options wrap - Balancing current FX with impending risks
The FX volatility upon which FX options thrive has been lacking and leaves dealers to manage time decay costs whilst retaining protection from impending risks. This scenario is reflected in FX option premium and trade flows.
The USD has staged a recovery from its late September lows as the extent of the U.S. rate cut cycle is reduced and that's clearly concerned those who are short the USD, despite its current consolidation. A resurgence of the USD call over put option premium via benchmark 1-month 25 delta risk reversals highlights this situation as those options would hedge any further USD gains.
However, the current lack of actual/realised FX volatility is forcing sales of shorter dated implied volatility, with 1-week EUR/USD a prime example. It spiked from 5.5 to 6.5 Wed-Thurs, reflecting next week's ECB policy announcement risk to FX, but had almost fully reverted by the end of the day.
Post 1-month expiry implied volatility remains underpinned since including the next monthly U.S. jobs data, the U.S. election and the next Fed policy decision - all seen as major FX volatility risks. However, when compared to 1-month historic volatility, 1-month USD/JPY implied volatility might offer good risk versus reward.
If FX spends another week in stasis, look out for more big FX option strike expiries and related hedging flows to dominate.
For more click on FXBUZ
USD/JPY FXO 1-month implied vs historic volatility https://tmsnrt.rs/3BAq8gk
EUR/USD FX option strike expiries Oct 14-18 https://tmsnrt.rs/3NnBZ3Y
EUR/USD benchmark 1-month expiry 25 delta risk reversals https://tmsnrt.rs/4dGcntR
(Richard Pace is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)
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