In this bachelor’s thesis, we have presented the VIX volatility index and financial instruments whose payoffs depend on the value of the VIX index; these are VIX futures and VIX options. The values of the VIX index represent the 30-day expected volatility of the S&P 500 index and are calculated using out-of-the-money call and put options on the S&P 500 index. The S&P 500 index is a capitalization-weighted stock index of the 500 largest American companies that best represents the American stock market. We showed that investing in the S&P 500 index is a good long-term investment. A negative correlation between changes in the S&P 500 and the VIX index allows investors to hedge against fluctuations in their portfolio in the event of a decline in the value of the S&P 500 by investing in the VIX.
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