Global Correlations Part 1

A line graph showing density, kernel and normal

I downloaded MSCI regional monthly returns for North America, Europe, BRIC countries, Asia, and Latin America from January 2001 to October 2017.   Figure 1 displays statistics for the five regions over 202 months. Figure 1 N_AMERICA EUROPE BRIC ASIA EM_LATIN_AMERICA  Mean 0.439 0.355 0.827 0.417 0.825  Median 1.089 0.529 1.250 0.976 1.341  Maximum 11.624 13.053…

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What Do We Mean When We Talk About Volatility?

A bar graph with numbers of gspc

Most days, especially when the market is headed down, the financial news provides estimates of market volatility.  One common estimate that is widely published is the Volatility Index, known as the VIX and sometimes referred to as the fear gauge.  But what do we mean when we talk about market volatility? First off let’s be…

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China Volatility Reaches New Highs

A line graph showing shanghai composite index

While most China pundits focus on the dramatic drop in prices on the Shanghai Composite Index (SSE), I haven’t seen any comments on volatility.  The annualized volatility measured by a conditional volatility model is hovering around 60%.  The average annualized volatility for this index going back to January 2001 is 12% so this is quite…

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