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Extreme-Strike Comparisons and Structural Bounds for SPX and VIX Options

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  • Andrew Papanicolaou

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between the SPX and VIX options markets. High-strike VIX call options are used to hedge tail risk in the SPX, which means that SPX options are a reflection of the extreme-strike asymptotics of VIX options, and vice versa. This relationship can be quantified using moment formulas in a model-free way. Comparisons are made between VIX and SPX implied volatilities along with various examples of stochastic volatility models.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Papanicolaou, 2021. "Extreme-Strike Comparisons and Structural Bounds for SPX and VIX Options," Papers 2101.00299, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2021.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2101.00299
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