Quote from tradingjournals:
Cost basis rolled up is what I want to avoid. Why is it taking you so long to get it? Each day roll may be 1/20 to next future. When they do that, currently I would lose points. I call that a carry. Because I will pay it. You get it.
OMG. I will never get the time back I lost on this thread. The reason they roll the futures on the ETF is because they have to replicate the exact 30 day vol term. It's the EXACT same cost you would pay if you were long the futures every month and then at expiration paid "up" to roll to the next month. It has nothing to do with VXX. You have the same cost in the futures. The VIX forward curve is priced in contango when vol is cheap. It HAS to be priced that way. Who the fuck would sell the forward vol at 12!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nobody. The seller is getting the premium to compensate for the risk of being short the forward curve. Are you really not getting this?