May 2018

Understanding
the Volatility Risk
Premium

Executive Summary
The volatility risk premium (VRP) reflects the compensation investors earn
for providing insurance against market losses. The financial instruments that
allow investors to protect against such downside exposure, primarily options,
tend to trade at a premium, as with all insurance. This insurance risk premium
embedded in options reflects investors’ risk aversion and their tendency to
overestimate the probability of significant losses. An investor may be able to
exploit these risk preferences and behavioral biases by systematically selling
options to underwrite financial insurance for profit. We illustrate the VRP
with a simple S&P 500 option-selling strategy example and show how it may
generate positive returns with moderate risk over the long run. We further
demonstrate that the option selling strategy exhibits low correlation to many
traditional and alternative return sources, further making the case for its
inclusion in an investor’s portfolio.

We thank Marco Hanig, Ronen Israel, Bradley Jones, Aaron Kelley, Lars Nielsen, and
Daniel Villalon for helpful comments and suggestions.

Ing-Chea Ang
Vice President

Roni Israelov, Ph.D.

Principal

Rodney Sullivan
Vice President

Harsha Tummala
Managing Director
Contents
Table of Contents 2

Introduction 3

Accessing the Volatility Risk Premium 4

Empirical Evidence 5

Return & Risk Characteristics 7

Adding the Volatility Risk Premium to a Portfolio 9

Conclusion 10

References 11

Disclosures 12

Table of Contents
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Understanding the Volatility Risk Premium | May 2018 3

Introduction
The volatility risk premium (VRP) represents the next six months.1 Exhibit 1 shows the
the reward for bearing an asset’s downside percentage of participants over time who
risk. It exists across geographies and in many believe the risk of such a catastrophic event
asset classes for the same basic reason as any is greater than 10%. From the graph we
insurance premium: investors seek downside see that since 1989, with a few exceptions,
protection against adverse events. a majority of both institutional and retail
investors (roughly two-thirds of them on
We believe that in the case of financial average) consistently believe that there is
insurance, investor demand for and value greater than a 10% chance of a catastrophic
placed on such insurance is underpinned by crash occurring within the next six months.
risk aversion and the tendency to overestimate In reality, the historical likelihood of such
the probability of extreme market events. an event has been only approximately 1%!
These investor traits may give rise to the
ability to systematically harvest the VRP Such overestimation of crash risk may lead
across time and markets. To illustrate this to investors’ willingness to pay and insurers’
investor behavioral bias to overestimate demand to receive a high price for portfolio
downside risk, we point to a survey conducted protection. Some investors seek to protect their
by Yale University (see Goetzmann et al. portfolios by purchasing options, and we find
2016) that asks both retail and institutional that such demand for hedging leads to financial
investors to estimate the probability of a insurance being systematically profitable,
“catastrophic stock market crash” within giving rise to the existence of the VRP.

Exhibit 1
Investors Frequently Overestimate the Risk of a Market Crash
Percent of Yale U.S. Crash Confidence Survey Participants Who Believe the Probability of a
Catastrophic Crash within the Next Six Months Is Greater Than 10%

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

Institutional Investors Median Retail Investors Median

Source: AQR, Yale School of Management. See footnote 1 for more information. Data from April 1989 to December 2016.
For illustrative purposes only.

1 The question asked by the Yale Confidence Survey is “What do you think is the probability of a catastrophic stock market crash in the
U.S., like that of October 28, 1929 or October 19, 1987 in the next six months, including the case that a crash occurs in the other
countries and spreads to the U.S.?”
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4 Understanding the Volatility Risk Premium | May 2018

Accessing the Volatility Risk Premium

Option contracts are the financial market’s price and the current stock price to make up for
standardized version of insurance and provide the shortfall below $100.
access to the VRP. An option buyer’s objective
is generally to hedge an asset against losses. An With options, similar to most insurance
option seller’s objective, conversely, is generally contracts, we expect the buyer to pay the seller
to profit from selling (also called “writing”) a premium as compensation for bearing this
the option contract. The option buyer pays an downside risk. As we discussed earlier, for
upfront cost, known as an option premium, that options, the premium may persistently exist
is collected by the seller. over time for several reasons. First, the option
seller needs to be incentivized to enter the
Exhibit 2 provides an example of an investor agreement because the seller is exposed to
who wants to hedge against a decline in the the risk of sharp price movements. Second, as
stock price below $100. The investor buys a cash- the Yale study indicates, market participants
settled put option with a strike price of $100, for consistently overestimate the likelihood of
which he pays a premium of $2. At expiration, market crashes and thus possibly the value of
the option will expire worthless if the stock price downside protection. This spread between an
is above $100 — the seller will have earned $2 option’s purchase price and its fair value — the
and the buyer will have lost/paid $2. However, seller’s expected profit over time — is commonly
if the stock price were to drop below $100, the referred to as the volatility risk premium.2 We
buyer would exercise the option and the seller next turn to explore the historical evidence of
would be required to provide a payment to the the VRP.
buyer equal to the difference between the strike

Exhibit 2
Option Contracts Provide Access to the VRP
Put Option Payoff: Right to Sell Security

$10

$8 Example: Put Option

Strike Price = $100
Option Profit & Loss

$6
Option Premium = $2

$4

Insurance Payout Strike Price = $100

$2 in Market Sell off
(Buyers want this)
$0
Financial Insurance Premium
(Seller want this)
-$2

-$4
$90 $92 $94 $96 $98 $100 $102 $104 $106 $108 $110
Source: AQR. For illustrative purposes only. Underlying Security Price
2 More technically, volatility risk premium refers to the spread between an option’s implied volatility (as calculated using, for example, the
Black–Scholes option pricing model) and the underlying asset’s subsequent realized volatility.
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Understanding the Volatility Risk Premium | May 2018 5

Empirical Evidence
We next illustrate the historical results from Exhibit 3
the perspectives of both buyers and sellers of The Option Buyer’s Perspective
options — in this case, put options. Protective Put Cumulative Returns

200%
Put Buyer’s Perspective:
We model an equity investor concerned about 150%
drawdowns, who thus seeks to hedge the
100%
portfolio against losses. For the period 1996
to 2016, we construct a hypothetical portfolio
50%
that is long the S&P 500 and a continuously
rolled one-month, 5% out-of-the-money 0%
“protective put” to hedge against losses.
-50%
1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
Exhibit 3 reports the results for the option
buyer (“S&P 500 + protective put”) in S&P 500 S&P 500 + Protective Put

comparison to simply holding the S&P 500

S&P 500 +
index. The hedged strategy achieves its 1996-2016 S&P 500 Protective Put
objective of lowering portfolio risk. It reduces Annualized Return 5.1% 1.8%
portfolio volatility from 16.1% to 12.7% Annualized Volatility 16.1% 12.7%
and shrinks the maximum peak-to-trough Sharpe Ratio 0.32 0.14
drawdown from 62% to 57%. However, these Max. Drawdown -62% -57%
benefits come at a hefty cost as average Beta to S&P 500 1.00 0.73
portfolio returns decline from 5.1% to 1.8%.
The strategy’s diminished returns more than
offset the benefits of volatility reduction as Source: AQR, Bloomberg, and OptionMetrics. Data from January 4,
1996, through December 31, 2016. For the protective put backtest,
the portfolio’s Sharpe ratio declined from the options used were front month S&P 500 put options, selected
to be 5% out of the money, sized to unit leverage, and held to expiry.
0.32 to 0.14. These results demonstrate that Returns are net of estimated transaction costs and excess of cash
continuously buying puts to hedge against (US three-month LIBOR). No representation is being made that any
investment will achieve performance similar to those shown. For
market risk can be quite expensive.3 illustrative purposes only and not representative of a portfolio AQR
currently manages. Hypothetical data have inherent limitations, some
of which are discussed in the disclosures.

3 Furthermore, Israelov (2017) looks at an in-depth analysis of protective put options and finds that the protection provided is not
compelling due to path dependency.
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6 Understanding the Volatility Risk Premium | May 2018

Put Seller’s Perspective: How does the Exhibit 4

option writer fare? We model the returns of The Option Seller’s Perspective
an investor that sells the same 5% out-of-the- Short Options Cumulative Returns
money put option every month, holding it to 40%
expiration. Additionally, this investor hedges
the equity exposure embedded in the options4, 30%
a common practice to reduce risk known as
20%
delta-hedging.

10%
From Exhibit 4, we observe that this option
selling strategy over the same 1996–2016 0%
period as before has been profitable,
-10%
generating annualized returns of 1.5% with
1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
a volatility of 2.2%.5 The strategy’s Sharpe
ratio is 0.68, which is higher than the 0.32
1996-2016 Short Options
Sharpe ratio generated for a passive S&P
Annualized Return 1.5%
500 strategy (as seen in Exhibit 3). We see
Annualized Volatility 2.2%
also that its drawdowns coincided with
Sharpe Ratio 0.68
equity market crashes (as seen in 2008). We
Max. Drawdown -10%
emphasize that as with most insurance,
Beta to S&P 500 0.04
option contracts pay out during bad times.
Overall, the strategy generated positive
returns and an attractive Sharpe ratio over Source: AQR, Bloomberg, and OptionMetrics. Data from January 4,
the long term, with little beta to equities.6 1996, through December 31, 2016. For the short options backtest,
the options used were Front Month S&P 500 put options, selected to
be 5% out of the money, sized to unit leverage, and held to expiry.
The short options backtest was also delta-hedged daily. Returns
are net of estimated transaction costs, gross of fees, and excess of
cash (US three-month LIBOR). No representation is being made that
any investment will achieve performance similar to those shown.
For illustrative purposes only and not representative of a portfolio
AQR currently manages. Hypothetical data have inherent limitations,
some of which are in the disclosures.

4 In this case, by shorting an appropriate amount of S&P 500 futures to offset the short put option’s positive exposure to the underlying
equity market.
5 Our illustrative example sells a unit-levered 5% out-of-the-money monthly put option to match the other side of the option buyer’s
position. A portfolio seeking to harvest the volatility risk premium would generally be constructed differently across a number of
dimensions in order to build a more optimal portfolio.
6 Additionally, Fallon et. al. (2015) show evidence of the volatility risk premium across a wide range of option markets across asset
classes.
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Understanding the Volatility Risk Premium | May 2018 7

Return & Risk Characteristics

Potential Benefits: Beyond providing a Potential Risks: Simply looking at the average
potentially profitable source of returns over correlation between an option selling strategy
the long run, a VRP strategy has another and the returns of the underlying market,
important potential benefit: It is diversifying however, does not tell the complete story. This
to other well-known sources of return. is because, as mentioned earlier, the primary
risk of a beta-hedged, short options strategy
Exhibit 5 shows the correlations of a simple, is the exposure to sudden, large market
beta- hedged equity option selling strategy movements.9 These sharp movements are the
(including selling options at multiple strikes) events that the option seller has underwritten
to common return sources.7 The strategy insurance against. This exposure is also the
exhibits fairly low correlation to both very reason that the option seller expects
traditional asset classes (stocks, bonds, and to be compensated over the long run (and
commodities) and well-known style premia historically has been, as shown in Exhibit 4).
(value, momentum, carry, and defensive),
indicating that the VRP may be a diversifying
source of return for many investors.8

Exhibit 5
S&P 500, Beta-Hedged Short Options Strategy Return Correlations
February 1996 - December 2016

1.0
Monthly Return Correlation

0.5

0.11 0.12 0.14

0.07 0.07
0.0
-0.07 -0.06

-0.5

-1.0
Stocks Bonds Commodities Value Momentum Carry Defensive
Source: AQR, Bloomberg, and OptionMetrics. Stocks are represented by the S&P 500, Bonds are represented by the Barclays US
Aggregate, and Commodities are represented by the Bloomberg Commodity Index. The beta-hedged short options strategy sells an
equal amount of the following front-month S&P 500 options: 25-delta put, 25-delta call, and 50-delta straddle. These options are held to
expiration and beta-hedged daily. Results are gross of transaction costs and fees. See footnote 7 for more information. No representation
is being made that any investment will achieve performance similar to those shown. For illustrative purposes only and not representative of
a portfolio AQR currently manages. Hypothetical data have inherent limitations, some of which are in the disclosures. Diversification does
not eliminate the risk of experiencing investment losses.

7 We backtest a strategy that sells an equal amount of the following front-month S&P 500 options: 25-delta put, 25-delta call, and
50-delta straddle. These options are held to expiration and beta-hedged daily. Hull and White (2016) describe methods to adjust
standard Black-Scholes delta to hedge equity market beta.
8 Styles are defined in Asness et al. (2015). These style premia are captured in numerous asset classes: stock selection, industry
allocation, country allocation in equity, fixed income, and currency markets, and commodities, by combining several indicators in each
asset class and forming hypothetical long–short style portfolios that are rebalanced monthly while seeking to ensure the portfolio is
market neutral. See disclosures for more detail.
9 A beta-hedged short options strategy typically has little exposure to small market moves. Options are nonlinear instruments, however,
and the strategy is exposed to the market during large market moves due to an option contract’s convexity.
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8 Understanding the Volatility Risk Premium | May 2018

Investors should also consider the conditional volatility), the strategy may experience flat
nature of the VRP strategy’s correlations. That or even positive returns. So, contrary to
is, it’s not just average correlations that matter common belief, an equity market decline
but also how the strategy performs in specific does not necessarily lead to losses for a
market environments. Exhibit 5 reports short options strategy.
that the full-period correlation between the
strategy and the S&P 500 was fairly low (0.07). Some investors may also question whether
However, as seen in Exhibit 6, the strategy selling options makes sense when volatility
can experience losses during more extreme is low and correspondingly option prices
market moves, both positive and negative, are “cheap.” Israelov and Nielsen (2015)
such as in March 2000 and September show however, that the VRP persists across
2008, when the S&P 500 gained and lost volatility regimes. Even in a low volatility
approximately 10%, respectively. environment, implied volatility has tended
to be higher than realized volatility, meaning
The key point is that the nature of equity that selling options in such environments has
market returns matters. Again, sharp equity still been profitable on average. In sum, we
market movements (with high daily realized believe that the rationale behind the existence
volatility) can lead to losses for a short options of the VRP — providing insurance against
strategy. However, during gradually declining large market moves — prevails regardless of
equity markets (with low daily realized the current level of volatility.

Exhibit 6
VRP Strategies Tend to Have Their Worst Performance during Sudden Market
Changes — Either Up or Down
S&P 500, Beta-Hedged Short Options Strategy Returns versus S&P 500 Returns
February 1996 – December 2016

3%

2%
Monthly Options Strategy Returns

Correlation = 0.07

1%

0%

-1%

Mar '00
-2%

-3%
Sept '08
-4%

-5%
-20% -15% -10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15%

Monthly S&P 500 Return

Source: AQR, Bloomberg, and OptionMetrics. Beta-hedged short options strategy that sells an equal amount of the following front-month
S&P 500 options: 25-delta put, 25-delta call, and 50-delta straddle. These options are held to expiration and beta-hedged daily. Results
are gross of transaction costs and fees. See footnote 7 for more information. No representation is being made that any investment
will achieve performance similar to those shown. Hypothetical data have inherent limitations, some of which are in the disclosures. For
illustrative purposes only.
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Understanding the Volatility Risk Premium | May 2018 9

Adding the Volatility Risk Premium

to a Portfolio
Investors interested in adding the VRP to their strategies, they have similar economic
portfolio have multiple options. The strategy exposures. The strategy’s objective is to
can be a standalone portfolio, one of multiple generate equity-like returns with lower risk
sleeves of a multi-alternative portfolio, part and beta to equity markets. Although it
of a buy-write strategy, or part of a volatility- generally has a beta of around 0.5, it seeks to
enhanced equity strategy. We discuss briefly replace the lower expected returns due to a
each of these approaches. lower allocation to the equity risk premium
by allocating to the VRP.10 Because a VRP
Standalone VRP Strategy (Beta = 0.0): A beta- allocation has a low correlation to equities,
neutral short options portfolio (the primary the strategy generally has lower volatility
focus of this paper) maybe an attractive stand- than a pure equity investment and thus a
alone strategy within an overall portfolio. As higher Sharpe ratio.
we’ve shown, the strategy typically has steady,
positive returns in most market environments Volatility-Enhanced Equity (Beta = 1.0):
and may be a good diversifier to equity, fixed Another interesting, though less common,
income, and alternative allocations. While approach overlays a beta- neutral VRP strategy
having a strong Sharpe over the long haul, onto a beta-1 equity portfolio in order to
the strategy can experience meaningful outperform an equity benchmark. With this
drawdowns during sharp market swings. approach, the portfolio remains fully invested
Therefore allocations to it should be sized in equities and generates active risk through
appropriately to reflect this tail risk. the VRP. The strategy seeks to outperform
an equity benchmark over the long run with
Part of a Multi-Alternative Portfolio similar risk.
(Beta = 0.0): For some investors, a standalone
allocation to a VRP strategy (even if Both the buy-write and volatility-enhanced
judiciously sized) may be undesirable. For equity implementations can also incorporate
these investors, a diversified multi-strategy stock selection in an attempt to add alpha
portfolio that includes VRP as one of multiple by tilting away from a market-cap-weighted
alternative investment strategies may be the portfolio.
preferred way to access this strategy.
In seeking to add VRP to their portfolio from
Buy-Write Strategy (Beta = 0.5): This strategy among the above alternatives, investors should
type goes by various names: buy-write, put- consider their allocations in the context of
write, or covered call. While the specific their overall objectives and asset allocation
implementation details differ among these preferences.

10 See Israelov, Klein, and Tummala (2017) who provide global evidence on covered call strategies.
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10 Understanding the Volatility Risk Premium | May 2018

Conclusion
The VRP is the compensation that investors earn for providing protection against
market losses. As such, VRP is viewed as a type of insurance, and as with all insurance,
the underwriter seeks a risk premium. The VRP embedded in options further reflects
investors’ risk aversion and their tendency to overestimate the probability of significant
market downturns. A VRP strategy employs these ideas by systematically selling
options to underwrite financial insurance for profit. Option contracts are the financial
market’s version of insurance and offer a liquid instrument to harvest the VRP.

Historical analysis of a simple delta-hedged option-selling strategy on the S&P 500

shows positive returns and a respectable Sharpe ratio over time. Moreover, the strategy
has had low correlations to well-known return sources, suggesting that the strategy can
be diversifying when added to a portfolio.

The strategy can be accessed in multiple ways: An investor may consider it alongside
traditional long-only equities or use it in conjunction with other nontraditional return
sources. In all, we find compelling evidence in support of allocating to the VRP, which
may improve outcomes for investors.
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Understanding the Volatility Risk Premium | May 2018 11

References
Asness, C., and A. Frazzini. 2013. “The Devil in HML’s Details.” Journal of Portfolio Management 39 (4):
49–68.

Asness, C., A. Ilmanen, R. Israel, and T. Moskowitz. 2015. “Investing with Style.” Journal of Investment
Management 13 (1): 27–63.

Fallon, W., J. Park, and D. Yu. 2015. “Asset Allocation Implications of the Global Volatility Premium.”
Financial Analysts Journal 71 (5): 38–56.

Goetzmann, W., D. Kim, and R. Shiller. 2016. “Crash Beliefs from Investor Surveys.” NBER Working Paper
No. 22143.

Hull, J., and A. White. 2016. “Optimal Delta Hedging for Options.” Rotman School of Management
Working Paper No. 2658343.

Israelov, R. 2017. “Pathetic Protection: The Elusive Benefits of Protective Puts.” AQR Working Paper,
Greenwich, CT.

Israelov, R., and L. Nielsen. 2015. “Still Not Cheap: Portfolio Protection in Calm Markets.” Journal of
Portfolio Management 41 (4): 108–120.

Israelov, R., M. Klein, and H. Tummala. 2017. “Covering the World: Global Evidence on Covered Calls.”
AQR Working Paper, Greenwich, CT.
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12 Understanding the Volatility Risk Premium | May 2018

Disclosures
This document has been provided to you solely for information purposes and does not constitute an offer or solicitation of an offer or
any advice or recommendation to purchase any securities or other financial instruments and may not be construed as such. The factual
information set forth herein has been obtained or derived from sources believed by the author and AQR Capital Management, LLC (“AQR”)
to be reliable but it is not necessarily all-inclusive and is not guaranteed as to its accuracy and is not to be regarded as a representation or
warranty, express or implied, as to the information’s accuracy or completeness, nor should the attached information serve as the basis of
any investment decision. This document is intended exclusively for the use of the person to whom it has been delivered by AQR, and it is not
to be reproduced or redistributed to any other person. The information set forth herein has been provided to you as secondary information
and should not be the primary source for any investment or allocation decision.
Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.
This article is not research and should not be treated as research. This article does not represent valuation judgments with respect to any
financial instrument, issuer, security or sector that may be described or referenced herein and does not represent a formal or official view
of AQR.
The views expressed reflect the current views as of the date hereof and neither the author nor AQR undertakes to advise you of any
changes in the views expressed herein. It should not be assumed that the author or AQR will make investment recommendations in the
future that are consistent with the views expressed herein, or use any or all of the techniques or methods of analysis described herein
in managing client accounts. AQR and its affiliates may have positions (long or short) or engage in securities transactions that are not
consistent with the information and views expressed in this presentation.
The information contained herein is only as current as of the date indicated and may be superseded by subsequent market events or
for other reasons. Charts and graphs provided herein are for illustrative purposes only. The information in this presentation has been
developed internally and/or obtained from sources believed to be reliable; however, neither AQR nor the author guarantees the accuracy,
adequacy or completeness of such information. Nothing contained herein constitutes investment, legal, tax or other advice nor is it to be
relied on in making an investment or other decision.
There can be no assurance that an investment strategy will be successful. Historic market trends are not reliable indicators of actual
future market behavior or future performance of any particular investment which may differ materially and should not be relied upon
as such. Target allocations contained herein are subject to change. There is no assurance that the target allocations will be achieved,
and actual allocations may be significantly different than that shown here. This presentation should not be viewed as a current or past
recommendation or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy.
The information in this article may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events, targets, forecasts or
expectations regarding the strategies described herein and is only current as of the date indicated. There is no assurance that such events
or targets will be achieved, and they may be significantly different from that shown here. The information in this presentation, including
statements concerning financial market trends, is based on current market conditions, which will fluctuate and may be superseded
by subsequent market events or for other reasons. Performance of all cited indices is calculated on a total return basis with dividends
reinvested.
INVESTMENT IN ANY OF THE STRATEGIES DESCRIBED IN THIS PAPER CARRIES SUBSTANTIAL RISK, INCLUDING THE POSSIBLE
LOSS OF PRINCIPAL. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES OF THE STRATEGIES WILL BE ACHIEVED,
AND RETURNS MAY VARY SIGNIFICANTLY OVER TIME. INVESTMENT IN THE STRATEGIES DESCRIBED IN THIS PAPER IS NOT
SUITABLE FOR ALL INVESTORS.
HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS HAVE MANY INHERENT LIMITATIONS, SOME OF WHICH, BUT NOT ALL, ARE DESCRIBED
HEREIN. NO REPRESENTATION IS BEING MADE THAT ANY FUND OR ACCOUNT WILL OR IS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE PROFITS OR
LOSSES SIMILAR TO THOSE SHOWN HEREIN. IN FACT, THERE ARE FREQUENTLY SHARP DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HYPOTHETICAL
PERFORMANCE RESULTS AND THE ACTUAL RESULTS SUBSEQUENTLY REALIZED BY ANY PARTICULAR TRADING PROGRAM.
ONE OF THE LIMITATIONS OF HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS IS THAT THEY ARE GENERALLY PREPARED WITH THE
BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT. IN ADDITION, HYPOTHETICAL TRADING DOES NOT INVOLVE FINANCIAL RISK, AND NO HYPOTHETICAL
TRADING RECORD CAN COMPLETELY ACCOUNT FOR THE IMPACT OF FINANCIAL RISK IN ACTUAL TRADING. FOR EXAMPLE,
THE ABILITY TO WITHSTAND LOSSES OR TO ADHERE TO A PARTICULAR TRADING PROGRAM IN SPITE OF TRADING LOSSES
ARE MATERIAL POINTS THAT CAN ADVERSELY AFFECT ACTUAL TRADING RESULTS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER FACTORS
RELATED TO THE MARKETS IN GENERAL OR TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ANY SPECIFIC TRADING PROGRAM WHICH CANNOT
BE FULLY ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE PREPARATION OF HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS, ALL OF WHICH CAN ADVERSELY
AFFECT ACTUAL TRADING RESULTS.
The hypothetical performance results contained herein represent the application of the quantitative models as currently in effect on
the date first written above and there can be no assurance that the models will remain the same in the future or that an application of
the current models in the future will produce similar results because the relevant market and economic conditions that prevailed during
the hypothetical performance period will not necessarily recur. Discounting factors may be applied to reduce suspected anomalies. This
backtest’s return, for this period, may vary depending on the date it is run. Hypothetical performance results are presented for illustrative
purposes only. In addition, our transaction cost assumptions utilized in backtests, where noted, are based on AQR’s historical realized
transaction costs and market data. Certain of the assumptions have been made for modeling purposes and are unlikely to be realized.
No representation or warranty is made as to the reasonableness of the assumptions made or that all assumptions used in achieving
the returns have been stated or fully considered. Changes in the assumptions may have a material impact on the hypothetical returns
presented. Actual advisory fees for products offering this strategy may vary.
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Understanding the Volatility Risk Premium | May 2018 13

Diversification does not eliminate the risk of experiencing investment losses. Broad-based securities indices are unmanaged and are not
subject to fees and expenses typically associated with managed accounts or investment funds. Investments cannot be made directly in an
index.
The investment strategy and themes discussed herein may be unsuitable for investors depending on their specific investment objectives
and financial situation. Please note that changes in the rate of exchange of a currency may affect the value, price or income of an
investment adversely.
Neither AQR nor the author assumes any duty to, nor undertakes to, update forward looking statements. No representation or warranty,
express or implied, is made or given by or on behalf of AQR, the author or any other person as to the accuracy and completeness or fairness
of the information contained in this presentation, and no responsibility or liability is accepted for any such information. By accepting this
presentation in its entirety, the recipient acknowledges its understanding and acceptance of the foregoing statement.
There is a risk of substantial loss associated with trading commodities, futures, options, derivatives and other financial instruments.
Before trading, investors should carefully consider their financial position and risk tolerance to determine if the proposed trading style
is appropriate. Investors should realize that when trading futures, commodities, options, derivatives and other financial instruments
one could lose the full balance of their account. It is also possible to lose more than the initial deposit when trading derivatives or using
leverage. All funds committed to such a trading strategy should be purely risk capital.
The styles and indices used in this paper are described below.
The Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500) is based on the market capitalizations of 500 large companies having common stock listed on the
NYSE or NASDAQ exchanges.
The Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment-grade, US dollar-
denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market. The index includes Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, MBS (agency
fixed-rate and hybrid ARM pass-throughs), ABS and CMBS (agency and non-agency).
The Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM) is composed of futures contracts and reflects the returns on a fully collateralized investment in
the BCOM. This combines the returns of the BCOM with the returns on cash collateral invested in 13 week (3 Month) U.S. Treasury Bills.
Value refers to the tendency for relatively cheap assets to outperform relatively expensive ones.
Momentum is the tendency for investments that have recently performed well (or poorly) relative to other investments to continue
performing well (or poorly) over the near term.
Carry is the tendency for higher-yielding assets to provide higher returns than lower-yielding assets.
Defensive is the tendency for lower-risk and higher-quality assets to generate higher risk-adjusted returns.
Volatility risk premia arises because financial instruments that allow investors to protect against downside or hedge extreme market
events, primarily options, tend to trade at a premium — as with all insurance.
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14 Understanding the Volatility Risk Premium | May 2018

Notes
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Understanding the Volatility Risk Premium | May 2018 15

Notes
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