The US options market is experiencing record volumes, but concerns are rising over its reliance on a small group of banks to guarantee trades, which poses a concentration risk that could lead to significant losses if one of these banks fails, especially as market activity continues to grow rapidly.
The US options market is experiencing record volumes with a small group of banks, including Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and ABN Amro, dominating clearing activities and contributing nearly half of the OCC's default fund, raising concerns about concentration risk and the need for increased competition and regulatory adjustments to mitigate potential systemic failures.
Tesla's Q3 earnings are expected to cause a 7.25% swing in its stock price according to the options market, indicating significant investor anticipation of volatility around the earnings report.
Despite a 23% rally in Chinese stocks and low implied volatility, derivatives markets show investor skepticism about the sustainability of the rally, with expensive options and cautious positioning reflecting concerns over economic weakness and geopolitical risks.
The options market indicates that Nvidia's earnings report is currently more influential on market movements than the Federal Reserve's actions or jobs data. This highlights the significant impact of Nvidia's performance on investor sentiment and market trends.
The Bitcoin options market indicates a pre-halving price weakness and a bullish bias post-halving, with expectations for a price rally into six figures by December. Put options at strike prices of $61,000 and $60,000 have the highest open interest, suggesting a bearish sentiment leading up to the halving event, while calls at $70,000 and $80,000 are more popular for options expiring after the halving, indicating a bullish outlook. Analysts believe that the long-term outlook for Bitcoin depends more on macroeconomic factors and organic demand than the halving event.
The options market for Canoo Inc. (GOEV) is indicating high implied volatility, suggesting that investors are expecting a significant move in the stock. Analysts have mixed opinions, with one increasing earnings estimates for the current quarter. Options traders may see an opportunity in the high implied volatility to sell premium and capture decay, potentially reducing risk.
Bank of America suggests that buying Nvidia call options is a good way to profit from gains in the AI chipmaker's share price due to undervalued volatility in the options market. The bank's global equity derivatives team believes that the market is underestimating the range of outcomes for AI-related stocks, particularly Nvidia, and recommends using derivatives as a prudent strategy to chase the rally. Despite the potential sticker shock, buying outright call options on Nvidia has proven to be an effective way to benefit from the current rally, with Nvidia now dominating the U.S. options market.
Nvidia's options have dominated the US market, with traders flocking to derivatives bets to gain exposure to the AI theme, accounting for 25 cents of every dollar of premium traded in single-stock options. The chipmaker's options saw nearly $3 billion in premium traded daily on average, surpassing Tesla as the most heavily traded name. With Nvidia's market value briefly hitting $2 trillion, its options are expected to remain popular, drawing a range of bets and reflecting the insatiable demand for its chips. Other AI-related companies like Super Micro Computer and Arm Holdings have also drawn heavy options volume, indicating the enduring popularity of the AI theme among investors.
Bitcoin's price has tripled since the start of 2023, with technical analysis suggesting the possibility of reaching about $78,000 following four straight weeks of increases. Studies indicate potential for more gains, with some projecting a retreat to $40,000 before an advance to about $70,000. The options market is currently pricing the probability of reaching a new all-time high before halving at around 20% to 25%.
Shares of New York Community Bancorp fell 22% following a surprise quarterly loss and concerns about its exposure to commercial real estate. The bank's assets breached $100 billion after acquiring Signature Bank, leading to stricter regulatory requirements and a dividend cut. Analysts downgraded the stock, and Fitch downgraded its credit rating, while shareholders filed a lawsuit alleging concealment of loan portfolio deterioration. The stock's slump has led to heightened options activity and enriched short sellers.
The options market is experiencing a surge in activity, with an average of 44 million contracts changing hands daily in 2023, on track for an annual record. This represents more than double the figure from five years ago, as traders make bold bets on artificial intelligence and engage in round-the-clock trading, fueling the market with adrenaline and oodles of risk.
The recent massive stock market rally was driven by a combination of factors, including a decline in interest rates and a lack of Treasury auctions, which triggered a gamma squeeze in the options market. The absence of central banks as buyers of bonds and decreased global liquidity levels have contributed to the decline in rates. However, the rally may not continue with the same vigor as the market is now back into positive gamma territory, which will ease volatility but may cap further gains unless the call wall in the options market moves higher. The upcoming Treasury auctions will be critical and could reintroduce volatility in the market. Overall, the macro backdrop suggests that the economy is slowing, unemployment is rising, and inflation is sticky, which may keep stocks contained from advancing much further.
The notional open interest in bitcoin and ether options contracts on Deribit has reached $20.64 billion, nearing the peak recorded in November 2021. This milestone reflects the growing interest in options trading and the overall market expansion. Additionally, Goldman Sachs predicts that Ethereum's Dencun upgrade, expected in Q1 2024, will enhance the blockchain's scalability and reduce transaction costs for layer-2 rollups. Meanwhile, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried testified in his criminal trial, defending his company's bankruptcy filing. Bitcoin's price has decoupled from Wall Street's tech-heavy index, with a 34% increase since early September.