Reports Analyze 2018 Volatility Spike, Lessons Learned

A Wall Street Journal report looks back to early February 2018 when the Dow Jones fell over 1,100 points in one day amid extreme market swings, which some analysts attributed to the unwinding of trades in short-volatility products. The fund industry was hard hit that week with at least one fund manager shutting down as a result. A Bloomberg report also analyzes the events of that week and examines how retail investors were emboldened to bet on the markets remaining calm, as well as the lessons to be learned from “Volmageddon.” Some market observers believe the chances of a repeat are low, however others warn of a “larger market dislocation to come,” according to Bloomberg. Panelists will discuss the causes and impact of market volatility at the Mutual Fund Directors Forum’s upcoming Fund Governance and Regulatory Insights 2019 in Washington D.C. on March 4-5. Registration is available here.