This chart compares The Volatility Exchange’s VolContract futures with
VIX futures, volatility and variance swaps, and delta-neutral
hedging.
|
Features
|
VolContract Futures
(realized volatility)
|
VIX
Futures
(implied volatility)
|
Volatility
& Variance Swaps
(realized volatility)
|
Delta-Neutral
Hedging
(realized volatility)
|
|
Expires
to actual, or realized, volatility or variance
|
|
X
Expires to a forecast
|
|
X
Path dependency does not provide "pure" volatility
exposure
|
|
Appeals
to retail traders
|
|
X
Does not necessarily
react to changes in
realized volatility
|
X
No access
|
X
Too complicated
|
|
Appeals
to option market-makers
|
|
?
Available on only a few
equity indices, and not
an effective hedge
|
?
May be difficult to
execute quickly and
at favorable prices
|
|
|
Appeals
to investment banks and institutions
|
|
X
Not willing to risk capital on forecasting
a future forecast of volatility
|
|
|
|
Appeals
to portfolio managers
|
|
?
So far, has worked only
based on S&P 500®
|
?
Losses can be extreme
for variance swaps
|
X
Requires constant monitoring
|
|
Exchange-traded
(regulated with no credit risk)
|
|
|
X
Subject to credit risk
|
|
|
Not subject
to market manipulation
|
|
X
Special opening quote that depends on liquidity
|
|
?
Large swings in P&L possible due to inconsistent
marking policies
|
|
Transparency
and price discovery
|
|
|
X
No public quote
|
|
|
Could
be traded on all assets
|
|
X
Only on very liquid
option markets
|
?
Must be traded
in large size
|
|
|
Easy
to calculate
|
|
X
Formula is complex and cannot be verified
without fee paid for data feed
|
|
X
Calculation requires
execution prices and commissions for each
transaction
|
|
Execution
costs low
|
|
|
?
No direct expense, but execution price may
not be favorable
|
X
Market spreads and commissions on all legs
and follow-up trades
|
