South Korean Volatility Is Largely Resisting Geopolitical Risks
(Bloomberg) -- Implied volatilities in South Korean financial markets remain below long-term averages, highlighting the pricing of an all-out conflict in the peninsula remains remote.
- Political commentators may warn that this time may be different but markets only price a modest concern with tensions in the region having existed for decades and ultimately blow over
- Historically, the market rallies back and it has usually rewarded investors to fade negative price moves, resulting in a market reluctant to price excessively, particularly when global volatility is hitting cycle lows
- KOSPI2 3-month ATM implied volatility closed at 13.7% Thursday after hitting all-time lows of 10% on July 21, and still trades below the 5-year average of 14.1%, highlighting lack of pricing elevated North Korea fears
- VNKY, short-dated Nikkei 225 volatility, rallied to 16.3% from a 12-year low of 12.2% hit last week while 30-day realized volatility is at 8% after falling to a multi-decade low of 6.8%
- Downside NKY skew is at multi-year highs, see chart here of 3-month 90%-100% implied vol, which allow investors to structure more favorable downside hedges to take advantage of the steepness ahead of Jackson Hole and autumn U.S. fiscal deadlines
- Flight-to-quality bid on global core bonds has driven bunds out of a recent trading range, but may ultimately be a short squeeze and see downside skew interest increase on any expectations of fading of tensions and limited near-term fundamental catalysts for further rally, see more here
- NOTE: Tanvir Sandhu is an interest-rate and derivatives strategist who writes for Bloomberg. The observations he makes are his own and are not intended as investment advice
To contact the reporter on this story: Tanvir Sandhu in London at tsandhu17@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ven Ram at vram1@bloomberg.net Keith Jenkins
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