Traders are piling into strategies that protect their share portfolios against “volatility spikes”, underscoring how concerns over US President Donald Trump’s policies have left investors on edge despite an upbeat start to the year for equities.
Investors have turned to derivatives markets to protect against large swings in US equities even as measures of Wall Street volatility remain subdued and stocks have crept modestly higher since last year.
The move to hedge against low probability but high impact shocks — known as “tail risks” — highlights how Trump’s erratic shifts in trade and economic policies have left investors uneasy even if many are still betting that the new administration will be a boon to corporate America.