By Bob Fitzsimmons, Wedbush Executive Vice President

The events in the US natural gas markets on November 20^th epitomize the Keynes’ maxim, “The market can remain irrational much longer than you can remain solvent!”

Watching the surreal video of a CTA who lost all of his clients’ money (and then some) only several months after the February 5^th and 6^th “Volmageddon” is difficult to countenance. Listening to him attribute these losses to a “rogue wave” is nothing more than an expedient euphemism for poor money and risk management.

Contrary to the manager’s assertion that one should be able to sleep at night with a naked, short –options position, his clients have unfortunately learned the perils of his strategy.

The allure of theta decay is quickly offset by the powerful and accelerating force of negative convexity.

At Wedbush we firmly believe that:

• Selling options short without any corresponding hedge is extremely dangerous
• You must understand the risks associated with any trading strategy
• The capitalization of your clearing firm is extremely important

Contact a Wedbush representative today or email Bob to discuss appropriate trading strategies for your portfolio.