Move Index—Bond Market Volatility
Many of us are familiar with the VIX Index, commonly referred to as the “Fear Index”. The VIX Index is a measure of “fear” as that relates to equity markets and typically rises during periods of falling prices, sometimes sharply during more precipitous declines. Move Index Did you know there's an index that gauges fear in the bond market? Originally created by Merrill Lynch, it's now called the ICE BofAML MOVE Index . This index measures how much investors expect interest rates to fluctuate. When there's worry about rising rates, the index goes up. It climbed sharply during the 2013 Taper Tantrum, reflecting heightened concerns about interest rate increases. The index rises as concerns grow that interest rates are on the march higher. The index will rise more sharply when there are fears in the market that rates may be headed significantly higher as was the case during the 2013 Taper Tantrum. Key Points to Understand: Implied Volatility: The MOVE Index...