Wall Street Fear Gauge Hits 31 on Hormuz Supply Fears and Oil Price Shock

The CBOE Volatility Index closed at 31.05 on Friday, a 13.16% single-session gain that pushed Wall Street’s fear gauge to its highest close since late 2025. Meanwhile, gold held near $4,491 per ounce and silver recovered to $69.82, both propped up by geopolitical anxiety tied to the Middle East conflict.

Key takeaways

Quick scan — what you need to know:

• The CBOE Volatility Index closed at 31.05 on Friday, a 13.16% single-session gain that pushed Wall Street’s fear gauge to its highest close since late 2025.
• Meanwhile, gold held near $4,491 per ounce and silver recovered to $69.82, both propped up by geopolitical anxiety tied to the Middle East conflict.
• VIX Jumps to Highest Close […] The CBOE Volatility Index closed at 31.05 on Friday, a 13.16% single-session gain that pushed Wall Street’s fear gauge to its highest close since late 2025.
• VIX Jumps to Highest Close […]

Background

What led here, in plain terms:

• and silver recovered to $69.82, both propped up by geopolitical anxiety tied to the Middle East conflict. VIX Jumps to Highest Close […] The CBOE Volatility Index closed at 31.05 on Friday, a 13.16%…
• Full context often emerges as officials, markets, or courts add updates.

Why it matters

Why readers and decision-makers should care:

• Meanwhile, gold held near $4,491 per ounce and silver recovered to $69.82, both propped up by geopolitical anxiety tied to the Middle East conflict.
• VIX Jumps to Highest Close […] The CBOE Volatility Index closed at 31.05 on Friday, a 13.16% single-session gain that pushed Wall Street’s fear gauge to its highest close since late 2025.
• VIX Jumps to Highest Close […]