Stocks wrapped their worst week since June, with the S&P 500 down nearly 2% on Friday, yet the VIX closed at 19.4 after touching its highest intraday level since April. SpotGamma's Brent Kochuba called the 2.2-point VIX move relatively muted, estimating it should have risen closer to 2.6 points based on 126 selloffs since 2018. Nomura's Charlie McElligott noted that out-of-the-money S&P 500 puts are not being chased, while Nasdaq 100 puts 20% to 50% out-of-the-money grew pricier in volatility terms after the Oct. 16 selloff. One explanation is that asset managers are selling stocks rather than hedging with options, and Morgan Stanley data shows global gross equity exposure of long-short managers fell 8% from its peak, the biggest drawdown in at least ten years. Convexitas CIO Zed Francis called it a massive de-levering event and said it is the main reason implied volatility has stayed quiet.
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Related tickers and likely impact
QQQ
• NeutralInvesco QQQ Trust
Relevance: low
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | ETF |
| Close on 10/30/2026 | 690.49 |
| Change that session | -3.47% |
SPY
• NeutralSPDR S&P 500 ETF
Relevance: low
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | ETF |
| Close on 10/30/2026 | 755.71 |
| Change that session | -1.77% |
Impact is scored by AI from the headline and may be wrong. It is not investment advice.
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