The Impact of Back-Indexed Futures and Portfolio Insurance on the Stock Market

Welcome to a special episode of the Alpha Exchange, one where we look back on the historic event that was the 1987 stock market crash. We review the seismic crash in prices that occurred 35 years ago, on October 19th, 1987, when the DOW and S&P 500 fell by 22.6% and 20.4%, respectively. It was a day that the VIX, had it been a calculated index at that time, would have closed at 150, almost double the level reached during the GFC and Pandemic. It was the realization that selling could beget selling, not just because of the psychology of fear, but because of mechanical trading strategies that exist in markets. We review this truly important day in financial market history through the lens of podcast guests. Along the way, we’ll contemplate the lessons learned and the lasting impact of the crash.