https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/...ord-5-trillion-options-expiration-2023-12-12/
Why are US stocks sluggish? Some blame a looming $5 trillion options expiration
By
Saqib Iqbal Ahmed
December 13, 20238:56 AM GMT+8Updated 2 months ago
NEW YORK, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Dealers squaring their books ahead of an options expiration that is set to be the largest on record for S&P 500-linked derivatives may be helping to tamp down swings in U.S. stocks, market participants said.
Some $5 trillion in U.S. stock options are set to expire on Friday, 80% in S&P 500-linked contracts - the largest such expiration in at least 20 years - according to Asym500 MRA Institutional, a unit of derivatives strategy and execution firm Macro Risk Advisors.
While such events can exacerbate volatility, strategists say market participants’ behavior ahead of the upcoming expiration has been muting stock gyrations and may be one reason equities have traded in a tight range over the last few weeks.
The S&P 500
(.SPX), opens new tab is up 21% this year, following a nearly 13% rally from its October lows. More recently, however, market moves have been subdued.
The benchmark index has not logged a greater than 1% move in either direction for 19 straight sessions, the longest such streak since early August. At the same time, the Cboe Volatility Index
(.VIX), opens new tab stands at 12.07, a near 4-year low.
Another example of the market's sluggish trading can be found in the 10-day realized volatility for the S&P 500, which is how much the index has swung over the last 10 sessions.