Risk appetite is shifting in the stock options market: investors are no longer simply buying protection against downside; more and more funds are insuring themselves against missing out on further gains.
On August 4th, SPX call option trading volume hit a record high, nearly double the daily average of the past year; July 30th to August 5th also marked the five most active consecutive trading days for SPX calls in history.
More significantly, approximately 34% of S&P 500 component stocks experienced a 3-month call skew inversion, a record high. This means that for some stocks, upside option demand is strong enough to push up relative call pricing. This can be interpreted as market sentiment shifting from fear of a decline to, to some extent, fear of missing out on a rise.
If the trend continues, chasing the rally, options hedging, and trend trading could create a positive feedback loop, further amplifying short-term price volatility.
