[1/2] Options floor brokers work on the floor of the NYSE American, formerly known as the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), at New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 11, 2023.
On Wednesday, the S&P 500 (.SPX) dropped to 4,401.38, near a a four-week low, putting the index on the verge of setting off a deluge of "mechanical selling", or stock selling by options dealers and certain trend-following investors, including commodity trading advisors (CTAs), Nomura’s McElligott said.
The selloff also pushed the Cboe Volatility Index (.VIX) - an options-based gauge of expected stock market gyrations - to its highest in nearly four weeks.
A drop below the 4,409 level for the S&P 500 triggers selling by CTAs with an estimated $12.3 billion of stock futures up for sale in aggregate, McElligott estimates.
If investors react to the latest drop in the market by selling volatility or by taking profits on existing hedges it could help stifle the selling pressure on the market, he said.
Persons:
Brendan McDermid, Nomura, Charlie McElligott, Nomura’s McElligott, McElligott, Saqib Iqbal Ahmed, Ira Iosebashvili, David Gregorio Our
Organizations:
NYSE, American Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Federal Reserve, Thomson, & $
Locations:
New York City, U.S, Charlie McElligott .