that's why i wanted options... but these corners, short squeezes, etc. on real companies seem to end the same way - some people blow up, but the bubble gets burst when the govt / other company / large shareholder gives the shorts some way out, and the balloon gets deflated but fast.
Yeah - another poster mentioned that Lower Saxony might look to sell its 20% stake while these crazy prices persist. Alternatively, VW could sell some more equity for 'general corporate purposes'
either way VW fair market value is in the range of 50-100B. DB had a huge short position in VW, part of their long/short equity HF program with an AUM circa of 50B, which has clients all over the world. this will take some time to unwind and will have dramatic impact on the already beaten up performance. other top institutional HF were also short VW. cant imagine the outcome of this, but surely wont be pleasant. EDIT: rumors.
can *this* (the VW squeeze) finally be the thing which triggers the real panic? i've been doing a fair amount of reading of past crises/panics, and there's always something which is the pinpoint trigger "panic!", but before that, plenty of reasons why things went down. so it could be written up like "housing markets were overextended/bubble, credit overextended, people sold off, banks sold off - and what normally would have been something not crucial, VW short squeeze, wrecked a few of the last standing bastions..." similar to the northern pacific squeeze in 1901.... just saying...my long-term stuf is mainly cash, anyhow, just sitting and waiting.
Any ideas on the options markets exposures ? I assume out of the money lottery ticket winners are VERY happy today. Who is short uncovered calls?
VW stock should be high......the new Passat CC VR6 with 4Motion is very nice......wifey wants one (getting rid of her Lexus GS). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8b0Rqr8UI4 Anyone shorting the DAX as a fade move.....been taking some shots myself. 4700 and above has been working out so far....a probe higher would be nice to take a shot with bigger size.