- Euro nosedived 300 pips on Thursday after ECB delivered a dovish taper.
- Risk reversals hit lowest since May 31, signaling a rising demand for EUR puts.
The EUR/USD fell from 1.1852 to 1.1562 on Thursday and extended losses to 1.1555 in Asian session today as ECB’s Draghi announced a QE taper but put off its next major decision (interest rate hike) until well into 2019.
The sell-off in the EUR / USD spot has pushed up demand for EUR puts (bearish bets). The one-month 25 delta risk reversals (EUR1MRR) fell to -0.825 – the lowest level since May 31. The gauge stood at -0.70 a day ago, and at -0.225 on June 7.
The drop to a two-week low of -0.825 represents rising implied volatility premium (rising demand) for EUR puts. Clearly, investors fear the single currency could extend the drop further and hence are seeking downside protection.
EUR1MRR