Market Fear Gauge

How to read this

Fear shows up in three places at once. Implied volatility is what the options market charges for protection — it spikes when investors scramble to hedge. Breadth is how broad the selling is: a real washout takes almost everything down together. And the gamma regime tells you whether dealer hedging is currently amplifying moves (fear feeds on itself) or dampening them. When all three light up, that's what people mean by capitulation — the point of maximum fear.

This is a gauge, not a signal. Extreme fear has historically clustered near market lows — which is why patient investors get interested when others panic — but a bottom can only be confirmed in hindsight, and fear can always get worse before it gets better. Nothing here is a recommendation or a forecast. Do your own work. See where price may find support on the levels page →