VIX Closes at 18.70 as Nvidia Shock Revives Volatility
Published on 11/12/2026 at 23:03 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSVIX rises as market risks return
- The VIX closed at 18.70 on November 12, up 6.92 percent from the previous session.
- Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's resignation unsettled the artificial-intelligence trade and contributed to renewed market caution.
- Higher oil prices, firm rate-hike expectations and weak existing-home-sales data added to the day's risk backdrop.
The VIX closed Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 18.70 points, up 1.21 points or 6.92 percent from Wednesday's close of 17.49. The close was reported by Yahoo Finance at 3:15:01 p.m. Central time, equivalent to 4:15 p.m. Eastern time. The index traded between 17.38 and 19.34 during the session.
Nvidia shock lifts volatility
The session's main equity-market catalyst was Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's resignation. Reuters, carried by Fidelity, reported that Nvidia shares fell 7.6 percent in early trading and that Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress would become interim chief executive. The report said the development unsettled the artificial-intelligence trade, while weaker guidance from cloud-computing company Nebius added pressure to related technology shares.
The VIX's rise was therefore accompanied by a more cautious technology-market tone, although the broader US equity market recovered part of its early weakness. The move did not return the index to last week's elevated levels: Cboe's own VIX overview records a close of 17.49 for November 11, after a 10.12 percent decline.
Rates and economic data add pressure
Interest-rate and geopolitical concerns also remained part of the trading environment. Reuters reported that higher oil prices and expectations for a December Federal Reserve rate increase encouraged investors to reduce risk. The same report said traders viewed a December hike as certain, with a smaller probability assigned to a larger 50-basis-point increase.
US data delivered a mixed signal. Initial jobless claims rose by 9,000 to 200,000 for the week ended November 7, according to a Reuters report published by the Miami Herald. Existing-home sales fell 5.5 percent in October to an annualized 3.75 million units, the lowest level since August 2010. The resilient labor-market reading leaves inflation and monetary policy as important market variables, while the housing weakness highlights the impact of higher borrowing costs.
What the VIX measures
Cboe describes the VIX as a measure of near-term volatility expectations derived from S&P 500 Index option prices. At 18.70, the gauge was above Wednesday's level but remained below the 20-point mark that it had reclaimed earlier in the week. For investors, the daily increase signals more expensive near-term index protection, but it does not by itself establish the direction of the next equity-market move.
Further developments in Nvidia, oil prices, Federal Reserve expectations and Friday's producer-price data may influence the next US volatility reading. More coverage is available on the VIX topic page.
