Funky indeed. Double no-touch with long vanilla straddle hedge = hybrid short fly? My small brain says that the long gamma on the vanilla is too expensive in addition to mismatched option expirations. I seem to recall this was more workable the other way around e.g. double touch and short vanilla straddle = hybrid long fly. Let's see what the big brain has to say LOL.
Yeah the Barriers expiration do not coincide with the long straddles so you might have to go out one month past the barriers. Another choice is to use SPX options and go long the strangle or OTM condor. Remember that the Barriers will offset each other to an extent so the straddle/strangle need not match the barriers exactly. It can be a half position as it is not a hedge but a means to make money if the market moves outside the range and the Barriers cancel each other. So do not look at it as a complete hedge. If you have Barriers of $250,000k on both sides, perhaps you can spend about $20,000 on OTM strangles or straddles and have a limited loss position with huge profit potential on the barriers...
OC, I think you're trying to wrap the credit spread methodology around this thread. That's fine, but there isn't an easy replication when trading = volty. There is very little gamma to be had in vanilla index options. Yes, the gamma is cheap as a function of cheap vols, but it's like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Trading straddles against the exotic double barrier is a nice idea, but their gamma position diverge. Strangles carry +dgamma, but they suffer from convergence risk close to expiration [otm gammas to 0] and the trade would require an outlay =/> the payoff on the double no touch due to the massive differences in barrier/vanilla convexity. Exotic/exotic replication is preferable via the long volbox -- short NDX gammas, long SPX gammas; perhaps a long SPX +/-30d 2x touch coupled to a short NDX +/-20d 2x touch.
Thanks Mo. He/she is not here yet, but the wife has me making the room ready and scheduling family visits.
Mine is due in July Hopefully I will be home trading fulltime by then and thus have more free time to annoy you all on this thread LOL..
Is that when your is due? Due you want to have a barrier option on the date of birth of our kids LOL...... not sure how to hedge it though since the MMs (Mommie Makers) control this market