Running_Man
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2006
- Messages
- 2,844
Another thing is that sometimes these alarmist numbers add up all the total "value" of the derivatives, but many of them are similar "bets" in opposite directions. For example, a $1 billion position of derivatives that rise if the market does one thing may have a corresponding $1 billion position that does just the opposite. The net effect for these in any market is to cancel each other out.
It's like saying someone has a $1,000 long position on SPY and a $1,000 short position on SPY and saying they have $2,000 "at risk" in the market when, for all intents and purposes, they have zero because one bet cancels the other out (minus frictional costs).
Unless one of your two parties is unable to pay due to "liquidity" issues and suddenly your perfect hedge has big problems