Barclays has announced a loss of GBP 450m related to the sale suspension of OIL and VXX two weeks ago. The operational blunder is impressive.

Barclays has announced a loss of GBP 450m related to the sale suspension of OIL and VXX two weeks ago. The operational blunder is impressive.
Heavy demand for the first bitcoin ETF, which was listed yesterday.
But be wary of hidden costs. BITO is an expensive ETF to carry.
UBS got flack for recommending VIX ETFs to its clients. This suitability case has in fact deep roots in a significant ETF classification challenge: many product databases are mishandling the wide diversity of ETNs. Significant litigation is to be expected as a result.
On February 5th, 2018 (Volmageddon) the volatility reverse ETF XIV lost 96% of its value in the space of a few hours. Its iNAV was also miscalculated for an hour.
We have now discovered why: S&P Dow Jones was understaffed and did not release an ‘auto hold’ safety.
This human error contributes to current debate on the need to regulate index providers as investment advisors.
The SEC has released its new sets of priorities for 2021. Here they are. Climate & ESG risks, disclosures and policies will be the focus #1. Retail investors, seniors, retirement savors: Reg BI and Fiduciary Duty compliance Information Security & Operational...
Index providers provide research with some discretion on trillions of assets. They move markets. Their errors are costly.
Should those ‘data providers’ become ‘investment advisors’? The SEC is considering it. Two academics explain why and how this should be implemented.
‘When you combine ignorance and leverage, you get some pretty interesting results.” Warren Buffett
Three good notes from the derivatives research teams of Morgan Stanley, Société Générale, and Nomura point to a potential squeeze in the VIX, as a result of the increasing retail activism. This technical post explains the contents of the research papers. Spoiler alert, yes, the VIX is prone to a squeeze.
A good piece on the history of ETNs, who are in period of lackluster growth / demotion / regulatory pressure, unlike ETFs.
ETNs’ complexity makes them interesting for professionals, but unfortunately extremely dangerous for most investors as well. No, XIV is not a company…