45 min ago
Wall Street Fear Gauge Edges Up Ahead of Inflation Data
Investors were feeling zen on Wednesday, with no major news about Donald Trump's tariffs to worry about ahead of the monthly inflation print.
The Cboe Volatility Index, a widely followed fear gauge that tracks S&P 500 options and trades under the ticker VIX, ticked up 0.3% to just over 16 in early trading. Any reading of less than 20 is typically seen as a sign of relatively low uncertainty, so the level is a sign the market is in a calm mood.
That could all change if the consumer price index report comes in above economists' forecasts, though. An unexpected flare-up would likely slam the door on the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates at all in 2025, with inflation still running above the central bank's 2% target.
