Put-Options Volume for Asian ETFs Surges on Concern About Japan
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Put trading for an exchange-traded fund tracking Japanese shares surged to a record yesterday after equities in the nation jumped, while U.S. volume for bearish contracts on nations elsewhere in Asia also increased as the nuclear crisis north of Tokyo intensified.
More than 383,300 puts to sell the iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund changed hands in the U.S. yesterday. The ETF fell 3.7 percent to $9.66, the lowest price since September. Yesterday’s put volume was 11 times the four-week average. Trading of bearish options on ETFs tracking South Korean and Chinese stocks rose to the highest levels in at least nine months.