
Top Traders Unplugged
Discover the fascinating world of investing with Niels Kaastrup-Larsen and his remarkable co-hosts. Each week, we bring you compelling conversations with legendary investors, leading economists, masterful traders, and forward-thinking thought leaders. From Trend Following and Global Macro to Geo-Politics, Commodities, Quant Investing, Crypto, and Volatility, we uncover the strategies, stories, and lessons behind their success. Gain actionable insights from industry veterans as we celebrate their achievements and learn from their challenges. Stay ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of investing - tune in weekly and elevate your financial knowledge. For the latest episodes and expert insights, visit https://toptradersunplugged.com
Latest episodes

Nov 28, 2021 • 1h 14min
SI168: The Trading Secrets of Trend Followers ft. Mark Rzepczynski
Mark Rzepczynski joins us today to discuss how markets will react to the likely upcoming tapering policies of central banks around the world, how Trend Followers overcome uncertainty, the reasons for and against overriding trading models, the historically optimum balance between bonds, stocks, and Trend Following, how trading non-correlated assets usually results in profitable long-term performance, and why longer-term trading systems tend to achieve the highest returns over time.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn this episode, we discuss:Overcoming the uncertainty in marketsWhen to override your system, if everBalancing between difference asset classesThe need to trade non-correlated assetsWhy longer-term systems achieve higher win percentages-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Mark on Twitter.Episode TimeStamps:00:00 – Intro02:03 – A huge thank you to listeners of the show for leaving your 5-star reviews on iTunes, and feel free to share our link with 3 of your like-minded friends: https://top-traders-unplugged.captivate.fm/listen 02:26 – Macro recap from Niels03:50 – Weekly review of performance09:12 – Q1; Glen: Can you give me some feedback on my equities Trend Following system?18:00 – Discussion on Central bank tapering42:15 – Clearing up some of the current discourse around inflation55:19 – Discussion on overriding models01:07:52 – Discussion on overriding models01:11:46 – Benchmark performance updateCopyright © 2024 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Nov 24, 2021 • 1h 9min
VOL05: Maintaining Liquidity & Cash Efficiency ft. Zed Francis
Jason Buck is joined today by Zed Francis to discuss the benefits of adding volatility strategies to your portfolio, achieving a negative a correlation to equities during market downturns, what Zed calls the ‘3 trading levers’, profiting from institutional volatility players, problems with some long-volatility strategies, when a discretionary approach is needed, how to adjust a portfolio if volatility is persisting, some thoughts on the VIX ETF, helping clients to achieve capital efficient accounts, maintaining liquidity for rebalancing during a selloff, and the deeper insight into the global macro landscape that being a volatility expert gives you.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn this episode, we discuss:The benefits of volatility strategies to a portfolioHow to profit from large stock market selloffsSome of Zed Francis’s unique approaches to volatility tradingProfiting from institutional volatility tradersWhen to apply a discretionary approachThe VIX ETFHelping clients to be cash efficient in their portfoliosThe need for liquidity during large market movesFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Jason on Twitter.-----Episode TimeStamps: 00:00 - Intro01:41 - Why should somebody add volatility or tail-risk strategies into their portfolio?03:10 - Seeking a negative correlation to equities06:16 - Can you explain what you call your ‘3 trading levers’?08:11 - Can you breakdown your approach to combining ‘long gamma’ and ‘short Vega’?13:40 - Do you aim to profit off institutional volatility sellers?15:16 - Tell us about the short-vega side of your approach?28:34 - The problems with some common long-volatility strategies?36:24 - How do you think about the ratio between your long-gamma trades and your short-Vega trades?38:02 - Do you want to explain your ‘Price is Right’ gameshow anology for long gamma strategies?40:57 - Do you think that a discretionary approach is always needed at times?50:27 - How do you adjust if volatility persists longer-term?55:36 - What are your thoughts on the VIX?57:50 - How to help clients to achieve capital efficient accounts?59:37 - How do you maintain capital efficient overlays and also maintain liquidity for rebalancing during a selloff?1:04:18 - Does being a volatility expert give you a deeper insight into the global macro landscape?Copyright © 2024 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Nov 22, 2021 • 1h 4min
SI167: The Road to Profits is Bumpy ft. Jerry Parker
Jerry Parker joins us today to discuss trading single stocks while maintaining a systematic approach, the benefits of trading a broad universe of assets, how investors naturally gravitate toward strategies with lesser returns, but hidden risks, why you need volatility in order to gain maximum returns, what to do with dividends as a Trend Follower, and diversifying Trend Following models versus diversifying look-back periods.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn this episode, we discuss:A systematic approach to trading single stocksWhy you should trade a broad universe of assetsWhy the best thing to do is often the hardest thing to do as investorsWhy volatility is our friend, especially when it's directionalHow to manage dividends as a Trend Following traderThe best methods of diversification-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Jerry on Twitter.Episode TimeStamps:00:00 - Intro01:41 - Feel free to share this podcast with like-minded friends using this link: https://top-traders-unplugged.captivate.fm/listen and a big thank you to those who have left a rating or review on iTunes02:03 - Macro recap from Niels03:10 - Weekly review of returns06:44 - Q1; Robert: How does Jerry select his single stocks to trade?16:27 - Q2; Brian: What does Jerry do with the dividends from the singles stocks he trades?20:20 - Discussion on recent New York Times article, ‘The Risk-Return Trade-Off Is Phony’31:34 - Trend Following and asset selection37:40 - Why the right thing to do is often the hardest thing to do45:36 - The need for asymmetry rather than low-volatility 48:48 - Diversifying Trend Following models versus diversifying TF look-back periods57:57 - How Trend Following thrives during inflationary environments01:01:10 - Benchmark performance updateCopyright © 2024 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Nov 18, 2021 • 1h 15min
VOL04: Profiting from Short-Term Volatility ft. Bastian Bolesta
Special guest, Bastian Bolesta, joins Jason Buck today to discuss why volatility strategies should be added to our portfolios, how to keep improving as a trader while not over-optimising your systems, how recent large equity selloffs have affected Bastian’s approach to the markets, the average duration of his long volatility trades, how to weight recent data versus long-term data, trading VIX contracts intra-day, shorter-term Trend Following, momentum trading, mean-reversion strategies, and the cash efficiency of intraday models.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn this episode, we discuss:Why we should be invested in volatility strategiesImproving over time but not over-tinkeringHow much markets may have changed in recent yearsThe average duration of volatility tradesRecent data versus long-term dataShorter-term Trend FollowingThe benefits of cash-efficiency within intraday modelsFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Jason on Twitter.-----Episode TimeStamps: 00:00 - Intro02:09 - Why should somebody add volatility strategies into their portfolio?04:09 - How do you overcome the problem of getting better but not wanting to tinker too much?11:03 - How has recent market behaviour affected your approach to volatility trading?22:05 - What is the average duration of your long volatility trades?28:02 - How do you weight recent data versus long-term data?31:07 - How do you look at trading intra-day VIX contracts?37:39 - What gave you the confidence to be able to execute short-term Trend Following?48:58 - How do you approach momentum trading?56:16 - Why do you take some of the long-sided trades during equity selloffs?01:01:38 - Tell us about the mean-reverting products you deal with?01:07:52 - Talk to us about the cash efficiency of intraday strategiesCopyright © 2024 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Nov 14, 2021 • 1h 8min
SI166: Riding the Waves of Volatility ft. Hari Krishnan
We’re joined by Hari Krishnan today, to discuss the ways in which Volatility strategies can complement Trend Following as a source of portfolio protection, how to manage expectations of investors, some experiences and thoughts from the large volatility events of 2018 and 2020, how to best protect yourself from large market selloffs, how to allocate between Trend Following and Volatility across different timeframes, and the possible effects of sustained inflation may have on volatility strategies.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn this episode, we discuss:Complementing Trend Following portfolios with Volatility strategiesMaintaining composure during different market environmentsThe sharp selloffs of 2018 and 2020Sound approaches for re-allocating money at appropriate timesThe resilience of Trend FollowingVolatility strategies during long periods of sustained inflation-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Hari on Twitter.Episode TimeStamps: 00:00 - Intro02:28 - Feel free to share this podcast with like-minded friends using this link: https://top-traders-unplugged.captivate.fm/listen and a big thank you to those who have left a 5-star rating or review on iTunes02:38 - Macro recap from Niels05:11 - Weekly review of returns11:09 - The ways in which Volatility strategies complement a Trend Following portfolio21:33 - Managing investors’ expectations27:57 - Some experiences and thoughts from the large volatility events of 2018 and 202029:44 - Look out for Hari’s new book30:34 - How to protect yourself from large market selloffs42:17 - How to allocate between different strategies across different timeframes44:35 - The relative strength of Trend Following during flash crashes54:55 - How the landscape and returns dispersion for volatility strategies looks like in 2021 58:06 - The possible effects of sustained inflation on volatility strategies01:05:28 - Benchmark performance updateCopyright © 2024 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Nov 10, 2021 • 1h 15min
VOL03: The Evolution of the VIX ft. Stefan Wintner
In today’s episode, Jason Buck is joined by Stefan Wintner of DUNN Capital, to discuss volatility as an asset class, the evolution of the VIX from its inception until now, some of the mechanics behind the VIX, the relationship between the VIX and the S&P 500, some thoughts on ‘volatility relative-value’ trading, the reliability of the VVIX, building and running models during different market environments, thoughts on kurtosis and skew, and volatility as a necessary component for a large Trend Following firm. -----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn this episode, we discuss:Volatility as an asset class of its ownThe journey of the VIX from its early days until nowAnalysing the relationship between the VIX and the S&P 500What’s known as volatility relative-value tradingThe usefulness of the VVIXOperating models during different market and economic environmentsKurtosis and skewThe need for Volatility strategies as part of a diversified investment portfolioFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Jason on Twitter.-----Episode TimeStamps:00:00 - Intro02:05 - Why should somebody add volatility strategies into their portfolio?04:48 - Do you consider Volatility to be an asset class of its own?05:58 - What was it like during the early days of the VIX market?08:28 - What is the VIX, and what is the calculation that goes into the VIX?14:07 - Tell us a little bit about the relationship between the VIX and S&P 50019:37 - How does volatility risk premium relate to other datasets you use?25:03 - What is ‘volatility relative-value’ trading?27:37 - How do you think about the ratio that you combine between the S&P 500 & the VIX?30:31 - Is it true that if you see a spike in the VIX, you’ll look to take advantage via the front-month volatility in that spike?33:29 - Do you think VVIX is a good measure for the volatility of volatility?35:09 - How do you use options in a creative way in your portfolio?37:22 - How do you identify and think about possible mispricings in the market?40:40 - Do you try to track both the normal price and OTC prices?42:00 - How do you approach building & running volatility models during different market environments?47:22 - Describe what volatility traders experienced during the ‘volmaggedon’ of February 201855:06 - How did you trade through the ‘known risks’ 2020 election?59:15 - How much can you rely on market history as a predictor for the future?01:02:49 - Is it true you’re likely to experience long periods of flat to negative performance while waiting for those huge, profitable moves in volatility?01:06:09 - How do you think about kurtosis and skew, and how they relate to other strategies?01:08:56 - Do you view what you do as a necessary component of a large Trend Following firm?Copyright © 2024 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Nov 7, 2021 • 1h 26min
SI165: Responsible Investing as a Trend Follower ft. Rob Carver
Rob Carver joins us today to discuss the perception of cryptocurrencies since the new Bitcoin futures ETF was launched, scaling into and out of positions, the possibility of a synthetic Bitcoin supply resulting from the new futures ETF, how to approach climate change and ESG investing as a Trend Follower, ideas for selecting which markets to trade, the benefits and drawbacks of trading single stocks, and how to embrace a creative mindset.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn this episode, we discuss:The new credibility of cryptocurrenciesScaling into positions using various methodsESG investing as a Trend Following investorHow to select the optimum markets to tradeTrading single stocksEmbracing creativity as a systematic investor-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Rob on Twitter.Episode TimeStamps: 00:00 - Intro01:14 - Feel free to share this podcast with like-minded friends using this link: https://top-traders-unplugged.captivate.fm/listen and a big thank you to those who have left a rating or review on iTunes03:12 - Macro recap from Niels06:45 - Weekly review of returns15:04 - Niels: Has your opinion of cryptocurrencies changed since the launch of the new Bitcoin futures ETF was announced?20:04 - Q1; Adam: What is your advice for scaling into positions?28:18 - Q2; Brendan: Do Bitcoin cash-settled futures create a synthetic Bitcoin supply?36:08 - How should futures traders approach climate change?49:03 - Choosing which markets to trade01:04:05 - Q3 & Q4; Michael: What are the benefits and drawbacks to trading single stocks? How do you come up with new ideas?01:16:45 - Factor investing and thoughts on longer-term momentum strategies01:21:46 - Benchmark performance update01:23:02 - Next week, special guest Hari Krishnan joins us on the showCopyright © 2024 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Nov 2, 2021 • 1h 14min
VOL02: Past, Present, & Future Volatility ft. Noel Smith
Today Jason Buck is joined by Noel Smith in the second of our series on Volatility. Topics discussed include: the benefits of ensemble investing, the predictability of market volatility, how certain market environments fool investors into thinking they are better than they really are, allocating between different strategies during different market environments, why nothing beats having ‘skin in the game’, balancing judgement calls versus algorithmic calls, pairs-trading VIX & bonds, determining when an asset is cheap or overpriced, and some thoughts on what might happen if markets enter a ‘stagflationary’ environment.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn this episode, we discuss: Ensemble investing and its benefits Whether market volatility can be predicted ahead of time The ways in which the markets can catch investors off-guard ‘Dialling’ into and out of strategies How Noel’s experience in prop trading and pit trading has helped him today Finding the balance between judgement calls and algorithmic signals Noel’s VIX and bonds pairs trade Assessing the current real value of an asset How to approach investing during a ‘stagflationary’ environmentFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Jason on Twitter.Follow Noel on Twitter, LinkedIn, and via his website.-----Episode TimeStamps:00:00 - Intro02:06 - Why should somebody add volatility strategies into their portfolio?03:20 - Do you think that volatility is quite predictable around benign market periods?04:12 - How do you apply your prop trading background to volatility strategies in general?05:13 - Did the days of pit trading leaving a big impression on you?06:28 - Why use ensembles?07:33 - How do you allocate between strategies during different macro environments?09:37 - How do you balance judgement calls versus algorithmic calls?11:38 - How do you think about the timing of adding and removing volatility protection?15:01 - Where did you come with the idea to pairs trade VIX and bonds?19:28 - Is there a volatility risk premium?21:14 - Tell us a little more about your ‘vol-arb’ strategy?26:28 - How are you determining if something is cheap or overpriced?27:53 - Do you put more weight on liquidity flow data as opposed to other fundamental data?30:32 - Can you describe your ‘dispersion’ strategy and elaborate on dispersion trades for those who haven’t heard them?34:30 - Can you describe your ‘dispersion’ strategy and elaborate on dispersion trades for those who haven’t heard them?39:33 - How do you think about past, present and future volatility?41:46 - How do you approach correlations across different timeframes?43:24 - Dispersion trades seem to go in and out of fashion, do you feel that your strategies run dispersion trades when they’re popular only?46:38 - Do you dial into and out of strategies rather than switching allocations?48:11 - Tell us more about the ‘bond vol-arb’ strategy51:01 - Tell us more about the ‘macro-bats’ strategy57:42 - What do you think will happen if markets enter a stagflationary environment?01:03:39 - How would you combine your ensemble investments into a wider portfolio?Copyright © 2024 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Oct 31, 2021 • 1h 6min
SI164: Compounding - The 8th Wonder of the World ft. Richard Brennan
This week, Richard Brennan joins us on the show to discuss how people can benefit from the effects of compounding while others end up a paying a price for it. We also cover some thoughts on ‘path dependency,' why those invested in stocks should diversify using Trend Following strategies, why stable returns can only be correctly judged over long time periods, how to analyse fund performance without being influenced by the effects of compounding, some thoughts on what is known as ‘geometric returns’, and we explain the term ‘ergodicity’.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn this episode, we discuss:How to stay on the right side of the effects of compoundingHow many strategies can be limited by the make-up of their previous versionsThe profitable & negative correlation of Trend Following to equities when stocks are fallingThe need to zoom-out when judging performanceThe terms 'ergodicity' and 'path dependency'-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Rich on Twitter.Episode TimeStamps:00:00 – Intro01:37 – A Thank you to Shane, our website developer, for his great work in creating the new Top Traders Unplugged website. We hope you all enjoy the new user interface02:09 – A huge thank you to listeners of the show, such as Dave W, for leaving your 5-star reviews on iTunes, and feel free to share this link with 3 of your like-minded friends: https://top-traders-unplugged.captivate.fm/listen 03:02 – Macro recap from Niels04:34 – Weekly review of performance12:04 – Making money to make money, and some insights on the compounding returns40:50 – How to judge different strategies accurately 44:04 – Explaining the term ‘ergodicity’52:17 – The diversifying features of Trend Following and their negative correlation to stocks during market downturns01:01:24 – Benchmark performance updateCopyright © 2024 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer

Oct 26, 2021 • 1h 12min
VOL01: The New Nature of Stock Market Movements ft. Hari Krishnan
Today Jason Buck is joined by Hari Krishnan in the first of our series on Volatility. Topics discussed include: the benefits of adding volatility strategies to your portfolio, why it can pay to avoid hedging when the crowd is already doing so, explaining the 'Put slingshot', how markets are different today from decades ago, protection against tail-risk, the psychology behind large markets sell-offs, and some thoughts on the effects of leverage on the markets.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HEREIn this episode, we discuss:The benefits of tail-risk hedges / adding volatility hedges to your portfolioThe importance of avoiding group think (in hedging)Some thoughts on what is known as the ‘Put slingshot’The new nature of stock market movementsThe repricing of risk during fast downturnsTail-risk protection versus Trend FollowingHow tail-risk protection can complement an existing allocation to Trend FollowingSome of the psychology and mechanisms behind large and sharp market movesHow positioning and leverage end up creating challenging markets to trade inFollow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Jason on Twitter.Follow Hari on Twitter.-----Episode TimeStamps:00:00 - Intro02:59 - Why should somebody include volatility or tail risk into their portfolio?04:35 - Do you think rolling option puts is a good hedging strategy?07:47 - The tradeoffs between near-term and long-term option pricing09:03 - Can you explain the differences between ‘Gamma’ and ‘Vega’ options profiles?10:15 - What are your thoughts on rolling options?15:05 - How do you think about the timing of adding and removing volatility protection?18:27 - In your book you mention the ‘Sombrero Trade’, can you describe what this is?21:54 - How risk becomes repriced during sharp selloffs25:04 - Does tail-risk protection help long-term Trend Followers?25:04 - Are you looking out for inflection points such as in March 2020, where everybody ran for the exits at the same time?43:15 - What are your thoughts on the huge amounts of passive inflows to the markets and the inelasticity it creates?49:08 - What about the those who say the Federal Reserve (the ‘Fed put’) is the ultimate protection and therefore no other protection is needed?54:10 - How do you think about those funds who use ‘vol targeting’?01:01:12 - How do you think about ETFs when it comes to ‘whales’ positioning?Copyright © 2024 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here3. Other Resources that can help youAnd if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click HerePrivacy PolicyDisclaimer