Join Jeff Malec and Brian Stutland, Portfolio Manager at Equity Armor Investments, as they dive deep into the complex world of market volatility, AI’s transformative potential, and strategic investing. Drawing from his extensive trading experience, Stutland offers unique insights into the VIX, option strategies, and navigating today’s dynamic market landscape. From the dot-com era to […]
Category: VIX and Volatility
25
Sep
2025
NASDAQ 100, Options & Volatility: 0DTE, Tail Hedges, Structured Products — with Kevin Davitt & Nick Smith
In this lively episode of The Derivative, Jeff Malec sits down with NASDAQ’s Kevin Davitt and Nick Smith for a deep dive into the wild world of index options, with a special focus on the NASDAQ 100. These guys break down everything from the evolution of options trading to why the NASDAQ 100 is becoming […]
12
Sep
2025
High-Vol Trend Following: The Most Valuable Alternative Investment?
When we first opened Dunn Capital’s latest paper on trend following, we’ll admit we braced ourselves for another round of the usual talking points. You know the ones: “negative correlation,” “crisis alpha,” “diversification benefits”—all true, but frankly, we’ve heard it all before. The trend following community has been singing from the same hymnal for decades, […]
21
May
2025
Vol Traders: Who Showed up Amid April’s Wild Ride
Now that the dust has settled a bit after a topsy, turvy April – it’s time for a check in on the Volatility space. With the S&P down -12% MTD and -19% from it’s highs at one point, and the VIX hitting 52; April was crazy enough that we added a new VIX peak to […]
17
Apr
2025
The Endowment Playbook: Balancing Long-Term Goals with Current Market Volatility
In this wide-ranging conversation, Jeff Malec sits down with Dave Morehead, CIO of Baylor University’s $2.2 billion endowment, to explore the unique challenges and strategies of institutional portfolio management. From his early days trading derivatives in Chicago’s financial district to overseeing one of Texas’s prominent university endowments, Morehead shares invaluable insights on risk management, alternative […]
11
Apr
2025
WTF is this market? – with Vineer Bhansali of LongTail Alpha
In this emergency pod edition, Jeff Malec is joined by Vineer Bhansali, Founder and CIO at LongTail Alpha, LLC, to break down the market’s wild rollercoaster ride that demanded immediate attention. When markets hit new lows only to rocket back with a stunning 10% rally, we knew it was time for another “WTF episode” – […]
23
Jan
2025
A US state with a sovereign wealth fund? Utah’s new approach to old money with Peter Madsen
In this first episode of 2025, we’re plunging right into the fascinating world of sovereign wealth funds with Peter Madsen, the CIO of Utah’s School and Institutional Trust Funds Office (SITFO). Peter shares his unique perspective on managing a multi-billion dollar portfolio designed to support public education in the state for generations to come. From […]
14
Nov
2024
The Polymath Pod: Jason Buck and Zed Francis talk rates, vol, and cheeseburgers?!
To close out the 2024 season of the Derivative podcast, host Jeff Malec sits down with two friends of the pod, and friends of his – Jason Buck (@jasoncbuck) and Zed Francis (@convexitas) – for a wide-ranging discussion on the state of the markets, the unpredictability of macro events, and the importance of understanding underlying […]
17
Oct
2024
Carmika Partners Unpack the August Volatility Spike and Complexities of Options Trading
In this episode, we explore the world of options trading with Martin Vestergaard and Michael Cameron from Carmika Partners. The conversation begins with an in-depth analysis of the volatility spike that occurred in early August, as Vestergaard and Cameron share their insights on the market dynamics and the impact on their trading strategies. The discussion […]
22
Aug
2024
China Tech, Carbon, and Option Overlays in ETFs? Yep, with James Maund of KraneShares
Today’s episode on The Derivative, Jeff Malec sits down with James Maund, a veteran of the financial industry with experience spanning Goldman Sachs, the NYSE floor, and his current role at KraneShares. Maund provides a unique insider’s perspective on the rapid growth and innovation within the ETF space while outlining KraneShares main investment pillars – […]
