Dow Plunging Again as 'Fear Index' Rises

Yesterday's 300-plus plunge of the Dow was no fluke: It was down that much again today around mid-day as the markets headed toward their worst week of 2015, reports TheStreet. Fears about China's slowing economy were driving the declines, and concerns about a looming rate hike by the Fed weren't helping. In fact, MarketWatch notes that something known as the "fear index" from the Chicago Board Options Exchange was up 87% to nearly 24 for the week and on track for its highest weekly surge ever. The Volatility Index, of VIX, is essentially a "gauge of investors' nerves," explains City AM, though some think its importance is overstated. Its all-time record was 89.53, which it hit on Oct. 24, 2008. (More stock market stories.)