A Study Of U.S. Stock Market Volatility, Fall 2008

Abstract

This is a market volatility study utilizing three measures of assessing volatility in the U.S stock markets prior to and after the month of September 2008 using three proxies. The first is the VIX index, the CBOE options volatility measure. The next two are bearish, or short position strategy, ETF’s based on stock indexes but designed to reflect and benefit from stock market movements in the downward direction. They are the Power Shares index, symbol SDS, and the Rydex Index, symbol RMS. This research evaluates and analyzes weekly movements in the three volatility variables mentioned above for a period of the last eight months of 2008. This includes the four months prior to and the four months after the beginning of September 2008. Specifically, the relative magnitude, volatility and degree of correlation between the three variables will be examined and compared to the movements in NYSE, NASDAQ and S & P stock indexes. The life span and volume of trading, one measure of liquidity, in each of the three variables will also be evaluated. Part of the analysis, and conclusions, will involve analyzing how similar or dissimilar the three behave and whether one may be a better indicator of current  or future volatility in the stock market, or financial markets in general and how effective the bear market ETF’s might be as hedging vehicles in a down market.