While Stocks Rebound, Something Seems Really Off

 | Oct 14, 2021 12:14AM ET

The S&P 500 was up Wednesday, rising by around 30 bps. It was an uninspiring rebound in the market. One would have thought with the dollar index down 50 bps and the VIX dropping to roughly 18.5, the outcome would have been a much more significant gain.

The VIX falling does not have the same impact as it once did, and perhaps it is because the reflexive action of the implied volatility melt is much smaller. As a result, you get an S&P 500 that gains just 30 bps. I guess you have to wonder what it is going to take to get the market moving higher. It is an excellent question. Is the VIX falling to 16 going to get the index back to 4,550? When going from 20 to 18.6 over the past two days, got a big 30 bps rally? Good luck.

At this point, I would be more worried about the market falling and the VIX spiking to say 24 or 25, which would likely result in a considerable decline in the index. This market has become too mechanical and too tied to the options market. It is so apparent. Just look at the orange line (S&P 500) and compare its peaks and troughs with the blue (VIX).