Yes, the equities markets are on a roll; the bulls are boisterous, and the “buy and holders” are popping champagne corks. Given this scenario, who would even suggest the idea of a fiduciary fund manager employing option-based hedging strategies that can potentially cut into upside returns?? After all, even though major exchanges throughout the globe have facilitated option-based hedging products for almost 30 years, options are “too complicated,” right?

OK, I’ll admit that I’m hearing about the “growing number” of large institutional managers that are using options, but options are just too complicated for all but those few MIT-educated portfolio managers who have found themselves working for a select group of forward-thinking and open-minded institutions.

Am I right?? I mean, gee–if I’m a long-only hedge fund, an RIA, an endowment, a pension manager, a family office, or a corporate treasurer, I have to not only figure out what a strike price is, but I need to figure out the difference between a call and a put, I have to consider tax implications, calculate break-even points, and I have to worry about the risk of stocks being “called away”, and when that happens, I lose out on the gains that I know will come, because I only pick stocks (or ETFs) that will go up at least 10%-15% within a few months of buying them, and more likely, 20%-30% over the next two or three years.

Well, if you’re a fund manager that’s been walking and talking the markets for more than a few years, you might know that bulls and bears make money, and pigs get slaughtered. Other than single stocks such as AAPL, equities markets (just like any other asset class) are cyclical. Prices go up, down, or they go side-ways.

Surprise! After almost 30 years of tepid use by fund managers handcuffed by mandates, the use of options by responsible and conservative institutions is finally gaining traction. Continue reading →