Overall moves in October hide significant asset class volatility - BNZ

FXStreet (Łódź) - The BNZ research team look at the way market volatility shaped in October.

Key quotes

"October is not always a terrible month for equity investors – there have simply been some well-documented shockers (1987 and 2008 among them)."

"But the early part of this October drew comparisons to those particular years."

"At one point, the S&P 500 was 7.7% weaker for the month, erasing all of the 2014’s gains and breaking below the 200-day moving average for the first time since late 2012."

"The VIX volatility index stormed to above 30%, suggesting that ‘fear’ levels amongst investors were at their highest since the European debt crisis in 2011."

"In the most eye-watering move of all, US 10-year Treasury bond yields collapsed 34bps in half a day, before recovering nearly all its losses before the close."

"These near-apocalyptic moves were only stymied after policymakers turned out in force."