I bought the SPX Oct/Nov (7/27 day) 1225 put spread from 18.00 risk into the EU meet. Spread should be marked >18.60 by today's close. Currently marked to 17.75 mid.
I was looking this same spread yesterday but was tapped out until this AM when I cut my calendar. The term structure is very steep. The other trade I like is VIX Nov Puts vs SPY straddles. Vol is high when correlated to spot. It will likely come in. But we are likely to see some realized vol from here. I did roughly 10% notional on the straddle vs 7% notional on the VIX put.
I never understood the nomenclature of Synthetic. I always had to ask whenever someone quoted me gave me a show. You shorted JEF through a combo? (short call, long put)?
Yeah, the 12 Dec short call/short put combo. The natural is not short-able until 11/5 (or later). It was only 5-7 cents under the natural bid.
I didn't have a view on the trade, but I liked the vehicle because borrow can get real tight real fast if it turns out they are MF global 2.
Well if JEF is a fraud it's massive. I had to cover when they released their "$36MM exposure" press release. You will always pay a premium to trade the synthetic, but it was only a nickel to effect the short over when the natural was trading. My guess is that their exposure is overblown as I can't imagine the board wants to do time with Koz, Skilling and Madoff. Who knows.
I never got the impression that they were a very risk taking firm. I know that they have been growing and trying hard to build their franchise businesses. Then again, I didn't see MF Global from a hundred miles either. I was surprized how cheap the downside puts were given the market rumors. MS was far more punished for intangible rumors around greece. I think 4.5% annualized borrow is cheap insurance to being right and getting margin called in 2 weeks when the borrow cost is like 30%.