Vix And Fed Rate Decision Announcements

Since today is Fed day, i thought id take a look at how rate decisions have affected Vix. Vix data starts from early 90’s so we’ll have start from there.

import quandl
import pandas as pd
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import seaborn as sns
import datetime as dt
from pandas.tseries.offsets import *

sns.set(style="whitegrid")
%matplotlib inline

fed = pd.read_csv("fed_dates.csv", index_col="Date")
fed.index = pd.to_datetime(fed.index, format="%m/%d/%Y")
fed["Rate"] = fed["Rate"].apply(lambda x: x[:-1])

vix = quandl.get("YAHOO/INDEX_VIX", authtoken="YOUR_TOKEN_HERE")
vix["pct"] = np.log(vix["Close"]).diff()

Setting up the rate decision dates

fed_raised = fed[fed["Rate"] > fed["Rate"].shift(1)]
fed_lowered = fed[fed["Rate"] < fed["Rate"].shift(1)]
fed_unch = fed[fed["Rate"] == fed["Rate"].shift(1)]

Eyeballing all rate decisions since early 90’s along with Vix.
Clicking on the plot, summons you a bigger version.

sdate = vix.index[1] # When vix data starts

fig = plt.figure(figsize=(21, 11))

plt.plot(vix["Close"], linewidth=1, color="#555555", label="Vix (Log scale)")
plt.vlines(fed_raised.loc[sdate:].index, 8, 89, color="crimson", alpha=0.34, label="Rates raised")
plt.vlines(fed_lowered.loc[sdate:].index, 8, 89, color="forestgreen", alpha=0.34, label="Rates lowered")
plt.vlines(fed_unch.loc[sdate:].index, 8, 89, color="k", alpha=0.11, label="Rates unchanged")

plt.grid(alpha=0.21)
plt.title("Vix vs Fed funds rate decisions")
plt.margins(0.02)
plt.legend(loc="upper left", facecolor="w", framealpha=1, frameon=True)

The sample size is small, nevertheless lets look at how Vix has behaved in rate increases, decreases and when rates have unchanged

def get_rets(dates):
days_before = 10+1
days_after = 64+1
out_instances = pd.DataFrame()

for index, row in dates.iterrows():
start_date = index - BDay(days_before)
end_date = index + BDay(days_after)

out = vix["pct"].loc[start_date: end_date]
out.reset_index(inplace=True, drop=True)
out = out.fillna(0)
out_instances[index] = out

out_instances.ix[-1] = 0 # Starting from 0 pct
out_instances.sort_index(inplace=True)
out_instances.reset_index(inplace=True)
out_instances.drop("index", axis=1, inplace=True)
return out_instances

inst_raised = get_rets(fed_raised.loc[sdate:])
inst_lowered = get_rets(fed_lowered.loc[sdate:])
inst_unch = get_rets(fed_unch.loc[sdate:])

fig = plt.figure(figsize=(21, 8))

plt.plot(inst_raised.mean(axis=1).cumsum(), color="crimson", label="Rates raised")
plt.plot(inst_lowered.mean(axis=1).cumsum(), color="forestgreen", label="Rates lowered")
plt.plot(inst_unch.mean(axis=1).cumsum(), color="#555555", label="Rates unchanged")
plt.axvline(13, color="crimson", linestyle="--", alpha=1, label="Fed rate announcement date")
plt.axhline(0, color="#555555", linestyle="--", alpha=0.34, label="_no_label_")
plt.title("Vix mean returns after Fed rate decisions")
plt.ylabel("Vix cumulative pct change")
plt.xlabel("Days...")
plt.grid(alpha=0.21)
plt.legend(loc="upper left", facecolor="w", framealpha=1, frameon=True)

Thanks your time and feel free to leave a comment

AAII Sentiment At New Spx 21 Week Highs

Nothing quantitative here, just taking a look at how the AAII setiment has been when Spx is making new 21 week rolling highs. The recent AAII setiment has turned siginificantly negative even as Spx is plowing up and wanted to see when has that happened in the past.

import quandl
import pandas as pd
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import seaborn as sns

%matplotlib inline
sns.set(style="whitegrid")

aaii = quandl.get("AAII/AAII_SENTIMENT", authtoken="YOUR_KEY")
aaii.rename(columns={"S&P 500 Weekly High":"weekly_close"}, inplace=True)
weekly_max = aaii["weekly_close"].rolling(21).max()

bull_mean = (aaii["Bullish"] - aaii["Bullish"].rolling(21).mean()) / aaii["Bullish"].rolling(21).std()
bear_mean = (aaii["Bearish"] - aaii["Bearish"].rolling(21).mean()) / aaii["Bearish"].rolling(21).std()

fig, (ax1, ax2) = plt.subplots(2, 1, figsize=(16, 10), sharex=True)

ax1.set_title("AAII sentiment at Spx rolling 21 week highs")
ax1.plot(aaii["weekly_close"], color="#555555", label="_no_label_")

ax1.fill_between(aaii.index, 0, aaii["weekly_close"],
where=((bull_mean>=0) & (weekly_max == aaii["weekly_close"])),
color="forestgreen", alpha=0.34, label="Bullish sentiment dominant")
ax1.fill_between(aaii.index, 0, aaii["weekly_close"],
where=((bear_mean>=0) & (weekly_max == aaii["weekly_close"])),
color="crimson", alpha=0.96, label="Bearish sentiment dominant")
ax1.grid(alpha=0.21)
ax1.set_yscale("log")
ax1.legend(loc="upper left")

ax2.set_title("Standardized AAII setiment")
ax2.plot(bull_mean, linewidth=1, color="darkseagreen", label="Bullish")
ax2.plot(bear_mean, linewidth=1, color="crimson", label="Bearish")
ax2.grid(alpha=0.21)
ax2.legend(loc="upper left")
plt.margins(0.02)
fig.subplots_adjust(hspace=0.089)

Notebook:
https://github.com/Darellblg/voodoomarkets/blob/master/BlogAaiiSentimentAndSpxHighs.ipynb

Thanks your time and feel free to leave a comment