Vanishing Volatility

While the VIX, which measures stock market volatility (also known as the Wall Street “fear gauge”), is at quarter-century lows, so what. Corporate profits are solid, inflation is miniscule, alternative investments aren’t very compelling and it appears central banks will keep the easy money spigots open longer. Moreover, increased index investing and quantitative/algorithmic investing, which is now 25% of all trading, are probably dampening volatility, until they don’t!