leungchopan/iStock via Getty Images I usually do not make direct macro-related investments. However, there is an old saying in the hedge fund community: if you don't do macro, macro will do you. With that in mind, I always have macro views, and occasionally a highly convex opportunity arises that tickles my fancy. The Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF ( IVOL ) is just such...
leungchopan/iStock via Getty Images I usually do not make direct macro-related investments. However, there is an old saying in the hedge fund community: if you don't do macro, macro will do you. With that in mind, I always have macro views, and occasionally a highly convex opportunity arises that tickles my fancy. The Quadratic Interest Rate Volatility and Inflation Hedge ETF ( IVOL ) is just such an opportunity. The fund offers over 3% yield that has been structured to incur no tax liability over the past three years. IVOL was launched in 2019 by Nancy Davis, who started her career as one of (if not THE) largest traders of OTC interest rate derivatives. She was such a star at Goldman that she was named to its legendary prop desk and named head of OTC credit and derivatives trading in her mid 20s. Davis spotted flaws in many fixed income ETFs such as the ( AGG ), which hold a lot of residential mortgages. When interest rates rise, those mortgages lose value (higher yields equal lower prices for bonds). However, since people can refinance their mortgages into lower interest rates when interest rates fall, holders of those mortgages don't benefit from price appreciation that those fixed income securities should provide. In short, homeowners own an option on their mortgage. That means holders of those mortgages, such as the AGG, are short that option. Davis devised an ETF that should protect fixed income investors when interest rates rise and benefit them when interest rates fall. 75% of IVOL's portfolio is TIPS, mainly through the Schwab TIPS ETF ( SCHP ). Interest rates rise when inflation increases. TIPS stand for Treasury Inflation Protected Securities. They are treasuries where the principal increases by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (or decreases when that CPI is negative). The average duration is about 7 years. So, higher rates due to higher inflation means more principal, which should protect value. In return for this inflation protection, TI...
Advancements in artificial intelligence are enabling a host of new virtual applications, such as AI agents that can help write software, manage a company’s books, create short- and long-form videos, and write college entrance essays. AI also is good enough to run machines that can interact with the real world. The latest example is a report from Jefferies titled “From Asimov to the Assembly Line: ...
Advancements in artificial intelligence are enabling a host of new virtual applications, such as AI agents that can help write software, manage a company’s books, create short- and long-form videos, and write college entrance essays. AI also is good enough to run machines that can interact with the real world. The latest example is a report from Jefferies titled “From Asimov to the Assembly Line: Humanoid Robots Begin to Clock In.”
Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 3/27/26, Medtronic PLC (Symbol: MDT) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.71, payable on 4/17/26. As a percentage of MDT's recent stock price of $87.41, this dividend works out to approximate
Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 3/27/26, Medtronic PLC (Symbol: MDT) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.71, payable on 4/17/26. As a percentage of MDT's recent stock price of $87.41, this dividend works out to approximate
Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 3/27/26, Alerus Financial Corp (Symbol: ALRS) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.21, payable on 4/10/26. As a percentage of ALRS's recent stock price of $24.25, this dividend works out to a
Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 3/27/26, Alerus Financial Corp (Symbol: ALRS) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.21, payable on 4/10/26. As a percentage of ALRS's recent stock price of $24.25, this dividend works out to a
A COSCO Shipping container ship. Photo: VCG China’s COSCO Shipping Lines Co. Ltd. resumed standard container bookings from the Far East to six Middle Eastern countries on March 25, using a sea-to-land transfer network to bypass the blocked Strait of Hormuz. The shift shows how major carriers are trying to keep cargo moving after Iran blockaded the key maritime chokepoint following the outbreak of ...
A COSCO Shipping container ship. Photo: VCG China’s COSCO Shipping Lines Co. Ltd. resumed standard container bookings from the Far East to six Middle Eastern countries on March 25, using a sea-to-land transfer network to bypass the blocked Strait of Hormuz. The shift shows how major carriers are trying to keep cargo moving after Iran blockaded the key maritime chokepoint following the outbreak of war involving the U.S., Israel and Iran.
Investors in VanEck ETF Trust - Semiconductor ETF (Symbol: SMH) saw new options become available today, for the October 16th expiration. One of the key inputs that goes into the price an option buyer is willing to pay, is the time value, so with 205 days until expiration the ne
Investors in VanEck ETF Trust - Semiconductor ETF (Symbol: SMH) saw new options become available today, for the October 16th expiration. One of the key inputs that goes into the price an option buyer is willing to pay, is the time value, so with 205 days until expiration the ne
Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 3/27/26, First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (Symbol: FGBI) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.01, payable on 3/31/26. As a percentage of FGBI's recent stock price of $8.47, this dividend works
Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 3/27/26, First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (Symbol: FGBI) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.01, payable on 3/31/26. As a percentage of FGBI's recent stock price of $8.47, this dividend works
Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 3/27/26, One Liberty Properties, Inc. (Symbol: OLP) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.45, payable on 4/6/26. As a percentage of OLP's recent stock price of $22.28, this dividend works out
Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 3/27/26, One Liberty Properties, Inc. (Symbol: OLP) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.45, payable on 4/6/26. As a percentage of OLP's recent stock price of $22.28, this dividend works out
Investors in Vanguard Index Funds Mid-Cap Value Index VIPER Shs (Symbol: VOO) saw new options begin trading today, for the June 2027 expiration. One of the key inputs that goes into the price an option buyer is willing to pay, is the time value, so with 449 days until expiratio
Investors in Vanguard Index Funds Mid-Cap Value Index VIPER Shs (Symbol: VOO) saw new options begin trading today, for the June 2027 expiration. One of the key inputs that goes into the price an option buyer is willing to pay, is the time value, so with 449 days until expiratio
mustafaU/iStock via Getty Images By Kelvin Wong The global markets have once again seen a “wild swing of the pendulum” in the past eight hours, driven by conflicting news narratives related to the ongoing US-Iran war, which has lasted 25 days as of Tuesday, March 24, 2026. Tuesday’s session marked a mild reversal from Monday’s sudden burst of risk-on behaviour triggered by US President Trump’s cla...
mustafaU/iStock via Getty Images By Kelvin Wong The global markets have once again seen a “wild swing of the pendulum” in the past eight hours, driven by conflicting news narratives related to the ongoing US-Iran war, which has lasted 25 days as of Tuesday, March 24, 2026. Tuesday’s session marked a mild reversal from Monday’s sudden burst of risk-on behaviour triggered by US President Trump’s claim that the US and Iran are back on the negotiation table and a deal is imminent to end the conflict. Iranian officials refuted such claims, which led to a sell-off in global equities, a rebound in the US dollar, and a decline in benchmark oil prices, accompanied by an intraday softening of gold and silver. By the end of Tuesday’s US session, three major benchmark US stock indices ended with losses: S&P 500 (-0.37%), Nasdaq 100 (-0.77%), and Dow Jones Industrial Average (-0.18%), with a slight risk-off backdrop backed by an increased odds that the US White House is sending military ground forces to Iran for a US-Israel joint offensive as media reports stated that the US administration has ordered the 82nd Airborne Division to deploy around 2,000 soldiers to the Middle East. At around 4.15 am Singapore time, Wednesday, March 25 (right after the close of Tuesday’s US session), US President Trump gave a press conference that signalled that Iran had offered a “present” as a show of good faith in negotiations he has claimed are ongoing, hinting at a possible ceasefire to happen “very soon”. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 E-mini futures rose sharply at the start of the Wednesday, March 25, Asian session, with an intraday gain of 1% before it dwindled to 0.7% at this time of writing. However, Polymarket’s prediction market platform is not reflecting an imminent US-Iran ceasefire, and several key cross assets’ price action behaviour is not displaying clear signals of an all-out risk-on herd sentiment at this juncture. Unfolding them as follows... Low odds of a ceasefire by March 31 Fig...
Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 3/27/26, Humana Inc. (Symbol: HUM) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.885, payable on 4/24/26. As a percentage of HUM's recent stock price of $174.15, this dividend works out to approximate
Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 3/27/26, Humana Inc. (Symbol: HUM) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.885, payable on 4/24/26. As a percentage of HUM's recent stock price of $174.15, this dividend works out to approximate
Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 3/27/26, Prospect Capital Corporation (Symbol: PSEC) will trade ex-dividend, for its monthly dividend of $0.045, payable on 4/21/26. As a percentage of PSEC's recent stock price of $2.62, this dividend works out
Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel, on 3/27/26, Prospect Capital Corporation (Symbol: PSEC) will trade ex-dividend, for its monthly dividend of $0.045, payable on 4/21/26. As a percentage of PSEC's recent stock price of $2.62, this dividend works out
WTI Steady After Biggest Cushing Crude Build In 3 Years; Imports From Venezuela Highest Since 2019 Oil prices remain lower this morning , following the US proposal for a ceasefire with Iran, but off the lows following Iran's rejection. “From the Iranian perspective, Trump’s actions this week have demonstrated that the US can be pressured when Iran threatens further escalation,” said Arne Lohmann R...
WTI Steady After Biggest Cushing Crude Build In 3 Years; Imports From Venezuela Highest Since 2019 Oil prices remain lower this morning , following the US proposal for a ceasefire with Iran, but off the lows following Iran's rejection. “From the Iranian perspective, Trump’s actions this week have demonstrated that the US can be pressured when Iran threatens further escalation,” said Arne Lohmann Rasmussen, chief analyst at A/S Global Risk Management. Futures had already pared losses as Tehran fired a new wave of missiles at Israel, and signaled little willingness to compromise. Iran’s armed forces added to a stream of messaging that ruled out ceasefire talks, according to state-run IRIB News. They added that they wouldn’t allow oil prices to return to their previous levels until all threats against the country were removed . Overnight saw API report a modest rise in crude and refined product inventories and while oil prices are really more attuned to the geopolitical headlines currently, we're keeping our eyes on the domestic supply and demand for any signs of an actual impact locally. API Crude +2.35mm Cushing Gasoline +528k Distillates +1.39mm DOE Crude +6.93mm (-200k exp) Cushing +3.42mm - biggest weekly build since Jan 2023 Gasoline -2.59mm Distillates +3.03mm US crude stocks rose for the 5th straight week with inventories at the Cushing Hub soaring by 3.4mm barrels - the biggest build since Jan 2023 . Refined products were mixed with Distillates stocks up bigly while Gasoline stocks fell for the sixth straight week ... Source: Bloomberg For the 5th week in a row, there was no addition (or drawdown) for the US SPR. Total Cushing stocks are their highest since July 2024 while total gasoline stocks tumbled to their lowest since the start of the year... Source: Bloomberg Crude imports from Venezuela surged to their highest since 2019... US Crude production remains 'near' record highs - but despite a rising rig count, production is not increasing... Source: Bloomber...
Investors in Lockheed Martin Corp (Symbol: LMT) saw new options become available today, for the May 2027 expiration. One of the key inputs that goes into the price an option buyer is willing to pay, is the time value, so with 422 days until expiration the newly available contra
Investors in Lockheed Martin Corp (Symbol: LMT) saw new options become available today, for the May 2027 expiration. One of the key inputs that goes into the price an option buyer is willing to pay, is the time value, so with 422 days until expiration the newly available contra