You may have seen references to something called the VIX, an index that measures volatility, during times of extreme financial stress. Understanding it all can be complicated, so let’s take a closer look at what it means. Active traders who employ their own trading strategies and advanced algorithms use VIX values to price the derivatives, which are based on high beta stocks. Beta represents how much a particular stock price can move with respect to the move in a broader market index. For instance, a stock having a beta of +1.5 indicates that it is theoretically 50% more volatile than the market. Traders making bets through options of such high beta stocks utilize the VIX volatility values in appropriate proportion to correctly price their options trades.
Making Sense of the VIX Index:An Indicator of Expected Market Volatility
While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. It tends to rise during times of market stress, making it an effective hedging tool for active traders. Though it can’t be invested in directly, you can purchase ETFs that track the VIX.
CBOE Volatility Index (VIX): What Does It Measure in Investing?
The VIX is an index run by the Chicago Board Options Exchange, now known as Cboe, that measures the stock market’s expectation for volatility over the next 30 days based on option prices for the S&P 500 stock index. Volatility is a statistical measure based on how much an asset’s price moves in either direction and is often used to measure the riskiness of an asset or security. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories, except where prohibited by law for our mortgage, home equity and other home lending products. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range, can also impact how and where products appear on this site.
VIX® Index Charts & Data
When the VIX declines, investors are betting there will be smaller price moves up or down in the S&P 500, which implies calmer markets and less uncertainty. There are a range of different securities based on the CBOE Volatility Index that provide investors with exposure to the VIX. Expressing a long or short sentiment may involve buying or selling VIX futures. Alternatively, vintage fx VIX options may provide similar means to position a portfolio for potential increases or decreases in anticipated volatility. This key gauge of market volatility closed Friday at its lowest level this decade. This decline in the VIX reflects a period of relative calm in the stock market, with the S&P 500 having taken back its April losses and marching higher than ever.
BlackRock: VIX Your Portfolio
The VIX index tracks the tendency of the S&P 500 to move away from and then revert to the mean. When the stock markets appear relatively calm but the VIX index spikes higher, professionals are betting that prices on the S&P 500—and thereby the stock market as a whole—may be moving higher or lower in the near term. When the VIX moves lower, investors may view this as a sign the index is reverting to the mean, with the period of greater volatility soon to end. One of the most popular and accessible of these is the ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (VIXY), which is based on VIX futures contracts with a 30-day maturity. Some exchange-traded securities let you speculate on implied volatility up to six months in the future, such as the iPath S&P 500 VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN (VXZ), which invests in VIX futures with four- to seven-month maturities. The most significant words in that description are expected and the next 30 days.
VIX Volatility Index – Historical Chart
Options and futures based on VIX products are available for trading on CBOE and CFE platforms, respectively. Volatility value, investors’ fear, and VIX values all move up when the market is falling. The reverse is true when the market advances—the index values, fear, and volatility decline. VIX values are calculated using the CBOE-traded standard SPX options, which expire on the third Friday of each month, and the weekly SPX options, which expire on all other Fridays. Only SPX options are considered whose expiry period lies within more than 23 days and less than 37 days.
Market professionals refer to this as “implied volatility”—implied because the VIX tracks the options market, where traders make bets about the future performance of different securities and market indices, such as the S&P 500. As the derivatives markets matured, 10 years later, in 2003, the CBOE teamed up with Goldman Sachs and updated the methodology to calculate VIX differently. It then started using a wider set of options based on the broader S&P 500 Index, an expansion that allows for a more accurate view of investors’ expectations of future market volatility.
It essentially reflects investor sentiment – a high VIX indicates fear and anticipation of a bumpy ride, whereas a low VIX suggests calmness and a smoother path ahead. Still, it has earned its reputation as a predictor of volatility, so investors and traders have come to rely on it for different reasons. That much is understood by most investors, but what exactly is volatility and how is it measured for the overall stock market?
On the other hand, during times when the VIX is falling, indicating the possibility of more stability to come in the stock market, it might make more sense to focus on individual stocks or other riskier assets that might fare well during times of growth. A low VIX and the current strength of defensive sectors paint a picture of a cautiously optimistic market. Optimism often travels to more risky sectors and leads to broader gains overall. While the VIX isn’t a foolproof predictor, its current reading offers a possible long stretch of relief for investors and could be a sign of continued market growth in the coming months. Interestingly, the current market rally is being led by defensive sectors like consumer staples and utilities.
Unlike investors, many short-term traders prefer volatility as it equates to movement, which creates opportunity. But for investors slowly riding a market to higher highs, there is a lot to like about the low VIX. Any estimates based on past performance do not a guarantee future performance, and prior to making any investment you should discuss your specific investment needs or seek advice from a qualified professional. However, the VIX can be traded through futures contracts and exchange traded funds (ETFs) and exchange traded notes (ETNs) that own these futures contracts. During its origin in 1993, VIX was calculated as a weighted measure of the implied volatility of eight S&P 100 at-the-money put and call options, when the derivatives market had limited activity and was in its growing stages.
Astute investors tend to buy options when the VIX is relatively low and put premiums are cheap. Such protective puts will generally get expensive when the market is sliding; therefore, like insurance, it’s best to buy them when the need for such protection is not obvious (i.e., when investors perceive the risk of market downside to be low). Following the popularity of the VIX, the CBOE now offers several other variants for measuring broad market volatility.
Generally speaking, if the VIX index is at 12 or lower, the market is considered to be in a period of low volatility. On the other hand, abnormally high volatility is often seen as anything that is above 20. When you see the VIX above 30, that’s sometimes viewed as an indication that markets are very unsettled. This subdued volatility can be attributed to a much lower demand for investor hedges to protect against a market selloff. Typically, the VIX and the S&P 500 have an inverse relationship, and with U.S. stocks up 11% this year, there has been little interest in paying for protection to hedge against losses. Stock market investors are enjoying higher highs with reduced worry as the VIX volatility index sits near a five-year low.
Their strong performance, coupled with the low VIX, suggests broader market confidence and a potential for further gains across the board. Indeed, seven of the 11 sectors in the S&P Index are still trading below their 52-week highs, which suggests room for broader gains across other sectors. Sentiment plays a big role in decision making for the stock markets, and to that extent, it could be a good idea to glance at the VIX. However, the index is far from perfect, and investors should consider how much weight they want to peg on it. Although the VIX revealed high levels of investor anxiety, the Investopedia Anxiety Index (IAI) remained neutral. The IAI is constructed by analyzing which topics generate the most reader interest at a given time and comparing that with actual events in the financial markets.
The VIX volatility index offers insight into how financial professionals are feeling about near-term market conditions. Understanding how the VIX works and what it’s saying can help short-term traders tweak their portfolios and get a feel for where the market is headed. The VIX measures the expected volatility of the S&P 500 (SPX) over the next 30 days.
- In particular, manufacturers experienced a steep increase, facing the largest cost rise in a year and a half.
- Although the VIX revealed high levels of investor anxiety, the Investopedia Anxiety Index (IAI) remained neutral.
- Unlike investors, many short-term traders prefer volatility as it equates to movement, which creates opportunity.
- Volatility is a statistical measure based on how much an asset’s price moves in either direction and is often used to measure the riskiness of an asset or security.
- The VIX measures the expected volatility of the S&P 500 (SPX) over the next 30 days.
Instead, investors can take a position in VIX through futures or options contracts, or through VIX-based exchange traded products (ETPs). For example, the ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (VIXY) and the iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXXB) are two such offerings that track a certain VIX-variant index and take positions in linked futures contracts. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) is a real-time index that represents the market’s expectations for the relative strength of near-term price changes of the S&P 500 Index (SPX). Because it is derived from the prices of SPX index options with near-term expiration dates, it generates a 30-day forward projection of volatility. Volatility, or how fast prices change, is often seen as a way to gauge market sentiment, and in particular the degree of fear among market participants. Prices are weighted to gauge whether investors believe the S&P 500 index will be gaining ground or losing value over the near term.
But because of how they’re constructed, even the best volatility ETFs tend to decline in value over time, even if they do spike higher in times of intense volatility. The higher the VIX, the greater the https://www.broker-review.org/ level of fear and uncertainty in the market, with levels above 30 indicating tremendous uncertainty. The VIX attempts to measure the magnitude of price movements of the S&P 500 (i.e., its volatility).