What Non-Farm Payrolls Could Mean For The VIX

Hey Traders,

Heading into the long weekend, I have been writing about how I thought the VIX could head below 15.

But so far, that has not materialized.

For two days in a row the VIX has been up, and the S&P 500 (Ticker: SPX) has been up!

What does that mean for volatility for the rest of the week?

The S&P 500 closed up a measly one point on Tuesday.

The Nasdaq 100 Index (Ticker: NDX) was up nicely, and even the Dow Jones — which has been a laggard — managed a decent gain.

But the VIX was up too!

What gives?

In fact, the VIX has now finished higher two days in a row, as the SPX has rallied as well:

I have two ideas about what this could mean:

1. The market is overbought, and we are heading for a downturn shortly…

I’ll believe this one if we see another day or two of VIX rallies with the market up, or if we see a big pop in the VIX on a small sell off.

I don’t really think this is the case, but I could be wrong.

2. We have non-farm payrolls on Friday, and traders are nervous.

The last couple of non-farm payrolls have been misses, and markets have actually moved on the news …

It could be that the market is looking for a big move this Friday. If the move is higher, the VIX is likely going to take a dive …

Of course, if the SPX actually moves lower, I could be wrong in my prediction, and the VIX could pop …

My take is VIX gets smoked Friday, but again, I won’t know if I am right till Friday!

Your Only Option,

Mark Sebastian

Mark Sebastian

Mark Sebastian

Mark Sebastian is a former member of both the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) and the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), where he spent years mastering the art of options trading in the most competitive environment imaginable. As Chief Investment Officer at the hedge fund Karman Line Capital, Mark manages sophisticated options strategies for institutional clients. He is the author of two highly regarded books on options trading: ‘The Option Traders Hedge Fund’ and ‘Trading Options for Edge.’ Mark is a frequent guest on major financial networks including CNBC, Fox Business News, Bloomberg, and First Business News, where he provides expert commentary on market volatility and options strategies.

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About the Author

Mark Sebastian

Mark Sebastian

Former CBOE floor trader and CIO at Karman Line Capital. Author of ‘The Option Traders Hedge Fund’ with over 30 years of options trading experience.

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