Euro-dollar volatility jumps to 15-month high

Updated 08 Mar, 2020

Deepening concerns about the health and economic impact of the virus have sent markets into a tailspin, and long dormant volatility in the $6.6 trillion-a-day FX market has been jolted into action.

Euro-dollar one-month implied volatility had hit record lows around 3.8% but started rising sharply in recent weeks and traded on Friday at 7.7%. It traded at 6.75% a week ago.

The euro has soared towards $1.13 this week, up from less than $1.08 last month.

Analysts say one source of the rise in volatility has been investors closing their carry trade positions, in which they borrow in negative-yielding currencies such as the euro and yen to buy higher-yielding assets in dollars or emerging markets.

Copyright Reuters, 2020

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