This is why MFA is broke. They owe $9.6 billion dollars in futures settlement. Somebody here scoffed at me when I brought this up beforehand. The margin requirement you pay for index futures is insufficient in these volatile markets. Not to mention, that no matter what some people here may say, there are irregular spikes in volume if pay attention to expiries and contracts individually tick by tick. I noticed a handful of trades going long on the S&P for the last week or so. Only funds could afford hundreds of millions on single trades.
Somebody also mentioned delta neutrality. Well, with the rate it appears that the piper is coming due, these firms are acting like rogue traders of 2008. Delta neutrality has left the building and people think it can't go any lower and they'll make a killing. MFA cited March 20 futures as their breaking point. People are too short sighted to be buying June contracts when the March were available. More firms will break now and come June.
By my estimation, I am waiting for at least two more to wind up billions on the wrong side of things. Happy trading bag holders. I just love the fact that people think just because a firm has billions in assets they must know what they are doing.