50 Cent bets on VIX again

Do you remember the mysterious trader "50 Cent"? The guy who, for nearly a year, has consistently bet on put options on the VIX volatility index and, though for a long time shadowed, ultimately made a profit of tens of millions of dollars?
This might be a good example of how patience and persistence of trading, coupled with a good commercial strategy, reward the player.
Well, it looks like the mysterious trader is back to its favorite instrument again.
After profiting about $183 million and long absent, or rather awaiting, from the volatility index market, the trader made its bet again.
It was placed on Tuesday with the purchase of 50,000 call options with $28 bet on the volatility index at a level of 0.50 and 0-51 cents. On Wednesday morning, a similar deal was made again, but this time for 0.49 cents.
Of course, there are some doubts about whether the bet is made by the original "50 cent" and not by an immitator. So it's good to have one mind on S&P 500.

J. Gundlah: The spirit of volatility may not have come back to the bottle

Jeffrey Gundlach, the founder and CEO of DoubleLine Capital, has bad news for investors - the volatility index does not give clear signals to investors.
Markets are at an important crossroads, according to Gundlach.
The fall in the index was below the highest closing level since last year - at 16.04 on 10 August.
This year, of course, the story was far different, as the index rose momentarily during the day to levels of over 50 during the February crash.
The S&P 500 index has returned over its 50-day moving average, and technology stocks have returned to record levels. Still, it remains to be seen whether US stocks will have the strength to keep up.
It is very likely that the S&P 500 blue chip will try to get back above the psychological limit of 2,800 points, considering its closing on Friday.

A mysterious trader makes a big bet on volatility

A multi-dollar bet on increased market volatility, made by a mysterious trader, enters into the eyes of traders in the financial markets. The bet is about to turn into the largest, based on the volatility index this year.
The trade, made in July, predicts a serious rise in the volatility index in the short term. Meanwhile, the VIX index is currently at its lowest levels this year.
Based on the option trades, the trader expects the VIX index to rise to levels below 20 or slightly above 20. If the index rises above 20, then the position will become losing.
For comparison, VIX currently is traded at levels below 10, which is one of its lowest values ​​this year.
Experts recall that the deal may have a hedging goal of a large institutional investor portfolio rather than just a bet for higher volatility.
At the current record levels for US indices, the volatility index is at atypically low levels flirting with the lowest levels in 23 years.

Shares are cheaper, the dollar and gold are rising after Trump's threats

Global stocks fell and gold rose after US President Donald Trump said in connection with North Korea's provocations that they would be welcomed with fire.
The dollar appreciated against other major currencies as a result of increased uncertainty.
The S&P 500 index ended with minimum daily values ​​yesterday, following Trump's comments.
Trump's comments came after earlier yesterday from the capital of North Korea said they were ready to give Washington a cruel lesson of available strategic nuclear power in any US military action.
Serious increase also registered the volatility index. After the previous day VIX ended at a level below 10 points, it grew heavily yesterday, ending at its highest levels for a month.
The dollar rose by 0.5% against the euro to 1.1730 dollars for one euro.
Gold added about 1% to its value, following increased geopolitical tension, rising at trading levels of more than $1,273.