Alpha Exchange

← Alpha Exchange2 jul · 24 min

The Three Types of Risk-Off

The Three Types of Risk-Off2 jul24 min

What causes significant risk-off events? Can they be anticipated to any degree? Understanding the how and why of these episodes is critical for investors seeking to avoid drawdowns.

In this short podcast, I share how I think about episodes of risk-off, with particular attention to the interaction between stock and bond prices — before, during, and after market vol events.

I outline three type of risk-off: the classic, the taper, and the liquidation, and provide examples of each. I also propose a fourth, in which the US Treasury market is itself the source of global instability.

I hope you find this discussion useful and I wish you an excellent July 4th holiday.