Funds tap out-of-the-money payers on iTraxx Main

Hedge funds and real money investors are increasingly buying out-of-the-money payer options on the iTraxx Main across May, June and July expiries, with strikes up to 150% OTM. Payer spreads in the iTraxx Main are also being actively traded by investors, while some hedge funds are looking at taking similar exposures through bearish risk reversals.