Market Fear Index — October 2026: 48.3
3 days · StableIn October 2026, the Market Fear Index experienced a quiet month, hovering in a narrow range with a low of 48 on October 2 and a high of 49 on October 1, bringing the monthly average to 48.3. Early in the month, news that the U.S. was sending a third aircraft carrier and up to 10,000 more troops to the Middle East helped push the index down by 1 point on October 2. Meanwhile, headline news about media corporate deals, like David Ellison asking the CNN CEO to stay after the Paramount-Warner deal closes, provided some calming context to the market environment. Overall market concerns during this period were driven by reports of war, $100 oil, and bond sell-offs, alongside warnings from Gundlach about the stock market being a hollow tree. The month ended with S&P 500 futures edging higher despite sticky inflation and mixed economic hopes.
Peak 49 on 2026-10-01 · low 48 on 2026-10-02 · live month, refreshes daily · ← September · Market Fear Index timeline · · World Tension, same month
What moved this index
biggest daily changes and the news that dayKey headlines for Market Fear
- U.S. Sending Third Aircraft Carrier, Up to 10,000 More Troops, to Middle East WSJ · 2026-10-01
- Exclusive | David Ellison Asks CNN CEO to Stay After Paramount-Warner Deal Closes WSJ · 2026-10-01
- The stock market is a hollow tree that could be about to snap, warns bond king Gundlach MarketWatch · 2026-10-01
- US Stock Market Today: S&P 500 Futures Edge Higher On Sticky Inflation And China Hopes Yahoo Finance · 2026-10-01
- War, $100 oil and a bond sell-off reshaped markets in the third quarter CNBC · 2026-10-01
- Cramer's warning to investors: Making money in this stock market is a lot harder than before CNBC · 2026-10-02
- Hillsdale College Graduate Awarded Rago Fellowship at The Wall Street Journal Hillsdale College · 2026-10-02
- Exclusive | FlyDubai Attacker Had Been Banned From Flying by Oman for Radical Views WSJ · 2026-10-02
What eased the pressure
Day by day
| Date | Score | Zone | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | 49 | Stable | |
| 2026-10-02 | 48 | Stable | -1 |
| 2026-10-03 | 48 | Stable | 0 |
Headlines link to their original publishers. Story written from the engine's own numbers and these headlines only · download the year.