| Many hedge funds do not care how high prices are. They only want oil to move. Using complex options trades such as “straddles”, which gain value when markets go up or down, they “buy” volatility. A straddle involves buying both a bullish call option and a bearish put option at the same strike price – say, $110 a barrel.
Clive Capital has thrown in the towel. Deep into its third year of losses, what was once one of the world’s largest commodity hedge funds shut down late last month. The closure is symptomatic of a broader trend – or more accurately, the lack of one. Hedge funds once feasted on wild action in oil. Now, volatility has fallen to historic lows. Plodding prices have forced traders to experiment with new ways to make money. ..............................................Full Article: Source
|