Options data suggests more volatility this week
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. As developments in artificial intelligence (AI) unsettle shares of traditional technology firms, investors await clarity on the final contours of the India-US trade deal and the risk of a US-Iran conflict rises, options sellers have initiated trades that point to continued market volatility this week, market experts said. In the last trading session on Friday, their strategy consisted of selling more Nifty call options expiring on Tuesday, in anticipation of corrective to flat markets, which would enable them to retain the premia paid by the call buyers.
After India and the US issued joint statements on an interim trade deal reached on 2 February, the benchmark Nifty50 surged to 26,341.2 points. The index had fallen from a record high of 26,373.2 on 5 January to 24,571.75 on the Union budget day of 1 February. Since then, however, the benchmark has declined 3.3% to 25,471.10 on Friday, dragged by the Nifty IT suffering its worst weekly loss in 10 months and investors weighing the benefits of the interim India-US trade deal, under which Indian imports into the US would face a lower tariff of 18% from 50% earlier.
On Friday fear gauge India VIX had surged 13.35% to 13.29, underscoring the uncertainty in the market. "Option sellers sold more calls as the AI transformative storm buffeted our IT companies at a time markets seem to have discounted news of the interim trade deal, while awaiting more clarity on its final contours in March," said S.K. Joshi, consultant, Khambatta Securities.
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