Explainer - U.S. election drives FX gamma to extremes
Nov 5 (Reuters) -The term "gamma demand" is circulating heavily in the FX market as the U.S. election approaches — but what exactly does it mean, and why is it significant?
Gamma is the rate at which an option's delta changes in response to movements in the underlying asset (the FX spot rate). Simply put, the more volatile the FX spot rate, the more an option's delta fluctuates, increasing the option's gamma. Options benefit from volatility in the FX spot market, and the upcoming U.S. election is expected to bring plenty of it.
Options with shorter expiries (typically under one month) and strike prices close to the current spot rate tend to have the highest gamma, driving up demand for these "gamma-rich" options. As a result, premiums for these options have surged to extreme levels across all currency pairs.
Implied volatility gauges the realised/actual volatility threat when determining the price of an FX option. One-week expiry FX option implied volatility has been trending significantly higher since including the U.S. election and from Tuesday overnight/next day expiry implied volatility has spiked to new long term highs, especially in MXN and CNH.
Those holding long gamma options will typically monetise them by regularly adjusting an opposing cash position which serves to neutralise exposure to the currency pairs direction, whilst capitalising on its realised volatility instead.
For more click on FXBUZ
Overnight expiry FXO implied volatility https://tmsnrt.rs/4hC4kkU
1-week expiry FXO implied volatility https://tmsnrt.rs/4fxoniQ
(Richard Pace is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)
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