What Is the Relationship Between S&P 500 Index and the ^VIX Index?

The Relationship Between S&P 500 Index and the ^VIX Index can be summarized as:

• The ^VIX attempts to measure the magnitude of price movements of the S&P 500 over the coming 30 days.
• The more dramatic the price swings are in the index, the higher the ^VIX values.
• The less dramatic the price swings are in the index, the lower the ^VIX values.

Compare:
   S&P 500
   SNP: ^GSPC
   2026-05-14: 7501.24023438 USD
with:
   CBOE Volatility Index
   Cboe Indices: ^VIX
   2026-05-14: 17.19000053 USD

                S&P 500        CBOE Volatility Ind
               ^GSPC  Growth%        ^VIX  Growth%
           ---------- -------   ---------- -------
2026-05-14   7,501.24  100.00        17.19  100.00
2026-05-13   7,444.25   99.24        17.19  100.00
2026-05-12   7,400.96   98.66        17.19  100.00
2026-05-11   7,412.84   98.82        17.19  100.00
2026-05-08   7,398.93   98.64        17.19  100.00
2026-05-07   7,337.11   97.81        17.08   99.36
2026-05-06   7,365.12   98.19        17.39  101.16
2026-05-05   7,259.22   96.77        17.38  101.11
2026-05-04   7,200.75   95.99        18.29  106.40
2026-05-01   7,230.12   96.39        16.99   98.84
2026-04-30   7,209.01   96.10        16.89   98.25
2026-04-29   7,135.95   95.13        18.81  109.42
2026-04-28   7,138.80   95.17        17.83  103.72
2026-04-27   7,173.91   95.64        18.02  104.83
2026-04-24   7,165.08   95.52        18.71  108.84
2026-04-23   7,108.40   94.76        19.31  112.33
2026-04-22   7,137.90   95.16        18.92  110.06
2026-04-21   7,064.01   94.17        19.50  113.44
2026-04-20   7,109.14   94.77        18.87  109.77
2026-04-17   7,126.06   95.00        17.48  101.69
2026-04-16   7,041.28   93.87        17.94  104.36
2026-04-14   6,967.38   92.88        18.36  106.81
2026-03-14   6,632.19   88.41        27.19  158.17
2026-02-14   6,836.17   91.13        20.60  119.84
2026-01-14   6,926.60   92.34        16.75   97.44
2025-12-14   6,827.41   91.02        15.74   91.56
2025-11-14   6,734.11   89.77        19.83  115.36
2025-10-14   6,644.31   88.58        20.81  121.06
2025-09-14   6,584.29   87.78        14.76   85.86
2025-08-14   6,468.54   86.23        14.83   86.27
2025-07-14   6,268.56   83.57        17.20  100.06
2025-06-14   5,976.97   79.68        20.82  121.12
2025-05-14   5,892.58   78.55        18.62  108.32
2024-05-14   5,246.68   69.94        17.95  104.42
2023-05-14   4,124.08   54.98        17.95  104.42
2022-05-14   4,023.89   53.64        26.19  152.36
2021-05-14   4,173.85   55.64        16.76   97.50
2020-05-14   2,852.50   38.03        27.51  160.03
2019-05-14   2,834.41   37.79        18.71  108.84
2018-05-14   2,730.13   36.40        15.43   89.76
2017-05-14   2,390.90   31.87        10.41   60.56
2016-05-14   2,046.61   27.28        14.19   82.55
2015-05-14   2,121.10   28.28        13.84   80.51
2014-05-14   1,923.57   25.64        11.40   66.32
2013-05-14   1,630.74   21.74        16.30   94.82
2012-05-14   1,310.33   17.47        24.06  139.97
2011-05-14   1,345.20   17.93        15.45   89.88
2010-05-14   1,089.41   14.52        32.07  186.56
2009-05-14     919.14   12.25        28.92  168.24
2008-05-14   1,400.38   18.67        17.83  103.72
2007-05-14   1,530.62   20.40        13.05   75.92
2006-05-14   1,270.09   16.93        16.44   95.64
2005-05-14   1,191.50   15.88        13.29   77.31
2004-05-14   1,120.68   14.94        15.50   90.17
2003-05-14     963.59   12.85        19.47  113.26
2002-05-14   1,067.14   14.23        19.98  116.23
2001-05-14   1,255.82   16.74        22.64  131.70
2000-05-14   1,420.60   18.94        23.65  137.58
1999-05-14   1,301.84   17.35        25.39  147.70
1998-05-14   1,090.82   14.54        21.32  124.03
1997-05-14     848.28   11.31        19.19  111.63
1996-05-14     669.12    8.92        16.07   93.48
1995-05-14     533.40    7.11        12.85   74.75
1994-05-14     456.50    6.09        13.03   75.80
1993-05-14     450.19    6.00        13.47   78.36
1992-05-14     415.35    5.54        13.86   80.63
1991-05-14     389.83    5.20        15.93   92.67
1990-05-14     361.23    4.82        17.37  101.05
1989-05-14     320.52    4.27                     
1988-05-14     262.16    3.49                     
1987-05-14     290.10    3.87                     
1986-05-14     247.35    3.30                     
1985-05-14     189.55    2.53                     
1984-12-01     181.18    2.42                     

⇒ What Is Dow Jones Industrial Average

⇐ Cboe Indices: ^VIX - CBOE Volatility Index

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