VOLATILITY IS BACK!
Editorial While we were lately observing a relative pick-up in the momentum displayed by risky assets (US equity markets at their highest, crude oil prices back above $80/ bbl , HY spreads at their lowest since 2007, premise of a rebound by emerging assets, rising US long interest rates), the selloff experienced by equity markets this week has turned the clock back to the start of the year, when strains over US interest rates triggered a brutal repricing of equities and volatility. The S&P500 lost 6.7% over the last 6 days, with a VIX spike that was far more pronounced than in Europe (V2X), markets having suffered from the US long rates hike and other idiosyncratic factors. The MSCI global index lost 5% since Oct 5th. This latest correction of the equity markets confirmed the concerns we expressed in recent weeks that US equities were showing signs of vulnerability.