Fear Gauge

The CBOE Volatility Index, also known as the “fear gauge,” has spiked over the last few days, raising investor concerns about the direction in which the stock market is headed. These analysts identify historical patterns of the VIX spike similar to the Global Financial Crisis and the...

The “Dumb Money Confidence” index rose to its third-highest reading in 25 years on Friday, just as the VIX volatility index, also known as Wall Street’s “fear gauge” traded at its lowest levels since 2019. Coincidence or correlation? It’s a well-known maxim of...

A classic sign of a turnaround in the markets is when the VIX — inverse index to the broad market S&P 500 Index — climbs over 40. For the uninitiated, short-term options on the S&P 500 are used to calculate the VIX. The higher the option prices on the index, which raises the...