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Near-term market uncertainty is rising as investors navigate an unclear Fed policy path, inflation risks and geopolitical risks. Volatility ETFs can help hedge downside risks.

Investors were feeling on edge Tuesday as an uptick in bond yields dragged down stock futures. The Cboe Volatility Index, or VIX, was up 0.9 points to just under 16 in early trading. That implies Wall Street expects daily swings of about 1% for the S&P 500.

Consider what is perhaps the most commonly cited rationale: The inflationary impact of federal government debt, which earlier this month eclipsed the $40 trillion mark. After all, as Wes Crill, a vice president at Dimensional Fund Advisors, points out, debt level concerns have been around for a while. The inflation threat that many bond investors face is from unexpected inflation—which, by definition, is unexpected.

Weak consumer sentiment and rising economic risks could strengthen the case for consumer staples ETFs. Here are the funds worth considering now.

Wall Street has gone quiet — the calendar says that's about to change.

U.S. stocks ended higher on Thursday, led by a tech rally after semiconductor giant NVIDIA issued a robust revenue forecast, reassuring investors about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI).

The market's go-to fear gauge was still signaling calm on Friday, although that may not tell the whole story. The Cboe Volatility Index, or VIX, was flat at 14.5 in early trading. It started the week at just over 15.

U.S. stocks ended slightly lower on Wednesday after the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index showed that inflation remains elevated, while some investors waited for semiconductor giant NVIDIA's earnings later in the day.

U.S. stocks ended higher on Tuesday as tech stocks rebounded following a sell-off earlier in the session, while a drop in bond yields brought some relief to investors.

The temperature of the market was rising ahead of the open Wedensday on what could be a key day on Wall Street. The Cboe Volatility Index, or Vix, also known as the market's fear gauge, was up 1.8% ahead of inflation data and Nvidia earnings.

Now is a good time to prepare for a burst of volatility because few investors are prepared for it. A broad measure of options implied volatility, the Cboe Volatility Index, or VIX, is around 15, below its long-term average of 19.

The stock market's so-called fear index jumped ahead of the market open with several key events coming this week. The Cboe Volatility Index, or VIX, was up 5.1% at 15.91 as ongoing yield pressure in long-term Treasuries alongside tensions in the Middle East hitting crude oil markets added extra macro uncertainty to equities.

The stock market bounced back on Friday amid light late-summer volume, but it wasn’t enough to salvage the S&P 500’s weekly winning streak. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite each gained 0.4%. All three indexes still closed lower during a turbulent week, which ended three-week winning streaks for the S&P and Nasdaq.

It's the second-to-last Friday of August, and that means volume is thin. Only 8.22 billion shares changed hands on U.S. exchanges through 1:30 p.m. ET, according to Dow Jones Market Data. On an average day this year through 1:30 p.

The market's go-to fear gauge was sliding on Friday, suggesting investors were feeling a little calmer at the end of a week of significant uncertainty. The Cboe Volatility Index, or VIX, slid to 15.7 in early trading.

Through the first seven months of 2026, the VIX index has traded in a narrower range than in 2025. However, markets are moving into a season when stock market volatility often rears its ugly head. The VIX index at the 18 level could be inexpensive in August 2026.

Some ETFs get crushed when panic hits the market, but one fund is structurally wired to profit from fear itself, and right now it pays investors every single month to wait for the next spike.

With volatility near a 12-month low, the premium that SPYI, JEPQ, and GPIQ convert into monthly cash has shrunk, and a $500,000 stake in the wrong fund now exposes a flaw most investors discover too late.

The market was in a slightly more volatile mood Wednesday despite a chip-stocks selloff in the previous session. Wall Street's "fear index," the Cboe Volatility Index, or VIX, was up 0.1% at 15.82. That's still relatively calm with any reading above 20 indicating increased volatility.

Wall Street’s ‘fear gauge’ is signaling the all-clear, despite myriad looming risks.

Rising oil prices and geopolitical risks are reigniting inflation fears. Explore ETFs that may help investors build a more resilient portfolio.

The most widely followed gauge of market fear and uncertainty was rising on Tuesday as investors fretted about a flare-up in oil prices that could drive inflation higher and strengthen the case for the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates.

Stock market selling accelerated after a spike in oil prices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 300 points, or 0.6%. The S&P 500 dropped 0.4%. The Nasdaq Composite, which was up earlier in the afternoon, was down 0.

U.S. stocks could be heading toward a tricky patch over the next two months, with midterm elections in focus, longer-dated Treasury bond yields trading at multiyear highs, and volatility readings suppressed. The equal weighted index of the is now up more than 17% for the year, volatility gauges are trading at the lowest levels since early January, and data suggest fading bets on an autumn Federal Reserve rate hike.

Stocks were on track to grind higher in thin trading on Monday, as investors piled into tech at the start of what is likely to be a quiet week for the market. S&P 500 futures climbed 0.2%. Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.

The S&P 500 on Friday pulled back from its record high after another soft economic data release, but the market’s fear gauge continued to snooze. The S&P 500 was down 0.2%. The Nasdaq Composite was down 0.3%.

Wall Street’s benchmark reading of investor concern, often referred to as the “fear index,” is trading near the lowest levels of the year this week as a surprising summer rally has stocks hitting all-time highs. The Cboe Volatility Index, or designed as a real-time estimate of the expected daily moves for the based on equity options trading, was trading around 14.56 on Friday. At current levels, the VIX is suggesting daily swings of just 67 points for the S&P 500, in either direction, over the next 30 days, a muted level of movement in a market beset with concerns over Federal Reserve rate hikes, government debt and deficit figures, AI spending and investments, and the U.S. war with Iran.

Volatility is desirable for many investors, but there’s still a lot to be said for picking up well-valued companies alongside growth stocks.

Investors weren't sweating the small stuff on Friday, even as the U.S.'s threat of an indefinite naval blockade against Iran pushed oil prices higher. The Cboe Volatility Index, or VIX, was flat at 14.

Market volatility is back well below 20 as measured by the CBOE Volatility (VIX) Index. Today, we’re going to look at a long call butterfly using VIX options as a way to profit if volatility starts to rise over the next few weeks.