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VIX sinks to 14.13 as seasonal volatility risks widen into fall
Yahoo Finance notes the VIX is at its lowest level of 2026, and historical patterns point to higher volatility expectations around mid-September and early October.
Wall Street volatility has cooled heading into September, with the CBOE Volatility Index, or VIX, falling to 14.13 on Friday, the lowest level of 2026, according to a Yahoo Finance market chart. The piece notes that this comes after spring volatility spiked briefly amid Iran war headlines, then gradually eased through the summer.
The VIX is described as a measure of 30-day volatility implied by S&P 500 options, essentially how much movement options traders are pricing in, without indicating whether stocks will rise or fall. The report says that even when volatility is elevated, markets can rally, and when volatility is subdued, markets can still drift lower.
Looking at history, Yahoo Finance highlights that the VIX typically begins climbing around this time of year, with a median level of about 16.5 in late August, rising toward 18 by mid-September, and reaching roughly 19 in early October. The article also points to seasonal stock performance, saying September has historically been the weakest month for the S&P 500 since 1950, with an average decline of 0.6%.
The chart further argues that the real shift is the range of possible outcomes, since seasonality can broaden into late summer and early fall, especially around midterm years. Yahoo Finance cautions that seasonality is not a trading system and notes that 2026 may follow its own pattern, with the VIX currently leaving room to rise meaningfully without necessarily signaling abnormal conditions.
Latest closeS&P 500 7,711.76 ▼0.2%|VIX 14.43 ▼0.6%