Should I buy CBOE Volatility Index stock in 2025?

What is the CBOE Volatility Index?

How much is CBOE Volatility Index stock?

The price of CBOE Volatility Index stock is falling this week. As of now, the VIX is at 19.41 points, down 5.64% over the last 24 hours, but up 7.24% for the week.

Since the VIX is an index and not a traditional stock, it does not have a market capitalization, P/E Ratio, dividend yield, or typical stock beta; its average three-month daily movement is around 17.3 points.

Investors in the Philippines can look to VIX-linked ETFs like UVXY, which currently shows a market cap of $312.2 million, with a 52-week price range between $17.27 and $65.87 USD.

Tracking the VIX can help you anticipate market swings, as higher levels often signal increased uncertainty or risk in US equities—key insights for anyone eyeing global investment opportunities.

Our full analysis on CBOE Volatility Index stock

We have conducted a thorough review of the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), closely analyzing its most recent performance, structural market backdrop, and comparative positioning within global volatility instruments. Leveraging our proprietary analytics framework, which synthesizes technical momentum, fundamental drivers, market liquidity, and competitive benchmarks, we identify compelling signals for tactical entry. So, why might the CBOE Volatility Index—and the ecosystem of VIX-derived securities—once again become a strategic entry point into the volatility segment of the global financial markets in 2025?

Recent Performance and Market Context

Over the past year, the VIX has exhibited pronounced dynamism, reflecting heightened sensitivity to macroeconomic shocks. As of 27 May 2025, the VIX stands at 19.41 points, representing a modest decrease of 5.64% intraday but marking a robust rebound of 57.36% over the prior twelve months (from 12.77 to 22.29 points). Volatility was propelled to a dramatic peak during the so-called “Tariff Tantrum” of April 2025, when geopolitical tensions stemming from renewed trade policies prompted the VIX to surge to an intraday high of 60.13 points—a level unseen in recent years. Following this spike, a calibrated market recovery drove the S&P 500 to gain over 20% in just six weeks, and the VIX stabilized back into its historic range.

The current level positions the VIX in the upper section of its standard “normal volatility” regime (12–20), bordering on “elevated” status. With the normalization after a systemic market event, the volatility landscape offers fresh opportunities, especially for investors seeking tactical hedging or directional positioning. This is particularly salient for PH-based market participants, as global interconnectedness means U.S. volatility often transmits to Asia-Pacific risk assets and can serve as an effective indicator for regional portfolio management.

The macroeconomic environment—defined by persistent discussions on tariff escalations, resilient U.S. economic indicators, and evolving central bank posture—supports the case for maintaining volatility exposure at current levels. Notably, seasonality has historically favored lower volatility during the northern hemisphere summer, yet the present context suggests potential for renewed bursts, reinforcing the notion of a favorable entry window.

Technical Analysis

• Relative Strength Index (RSI): While not directly quoted for the VIX, supporting ETFs such as UVXY have shown RSI readings hovering around neutral (45–55), indicating potential for renewed momentum without signaling overbought conditions.
• Moving Averages: The VIX currently fluctuates just above its 50-day moving average, suggesting stabilization after the post-crisis retracement. This signals strong support, typically a precursor to renewed bullish momentum.
• MACD: Recent histogram patterns on VIX futures indicate convergence, a classic precursor to a trend reversal and supportive of building positions.
• Support Levels: The VIX’s two nearest technical supports—17.30 and 18.00—have been tested repeatedly in May, holding firm, which indicates robust market confidence in this volatility baseline.
• Resistance Levels: On the upside, immediate resistance sits at 25.24, with major ceilings at 26.75 and the recent high at 29.20. A test or breakthrough of these thresholds could precipitate a significant move higher, particularly if a new macro event materializes.

These signals collectively suggest that the VIX and its derivatives are transitioning from a post-event consolidation to a phase where a new bullish structure could emerge—an occurrence historically associated with outsized returns for volatility-centric trading vehicles.

Fundamental Analysis

• Revenue Growth and Profitability: Demand for volatility products typically surges in risk-on/risk-off transitions, benefiting ETF providers and derivatives exchanges via increased trading activity and higher spreads.
• Valuation: While traditional P/E or P/S do not apply, the cost of carry in VIX futures and roll yields offer proxies for intrinsic value. Current contango remains manageable, while capital inflows into volatility ETFs (UVXY with over $312 million AUM) reflect strong investor engagement.
• Structural Strengths: VIX-linked products possess an unrivaled role in risk management and portfolio hedging. Their historical performance during shocks underpins strong brand equity and market share, especially given the “Fear Index” status of the VIX.
• Innovation and Expansion: CBOE and associated ETF sponsors have continued to innovate around volatility products, offering precise instruments for tactical short-term speculation and strategic portfolio protection.

These fundamental factors reinforce the case for considering volatility exposure as both a standalone trade and a key portfolio diversifier, with increasing relevance in macro-uncertain regimes.

Volume and Liquidity

• Trading Volume: VIX futures and ETFs have consistently demonstrated robust volume, even in quieter market periods. The post-April 2025 normalization saw a brief dip but volumes rebounded as investors recalibrated positions.
• Market Confidence: Sustained heavy trading highlights persistent interest and credibility of volatility products, essential for tactical traders and strategic allocators alike.
• Favorable Float: Leading instruments such as UVXY exhibit streamlined floats, facilitating dynamic pricing while minimizing illiquidity premiums. This underscores tight bid-ask spreads, critical for effective execution.

Overall, persistent liquidity and active market participation point to a marketplace both sophisticated and welcoming to new capital, which can be especially attractive for PH-based investors seeking international diversification.

Catalysts and Positive Outlook

• Geopolitical Flashpoints: Continued trade negotiations, rate policy uncertainty, and the U.S. political cycle all have the propensity to reawaken market volatility.
• Economic Indicators: Surprises in inflation data, labor reports, or global GDP readings could rapidly shift risk sentiment.
• Product Innovation: New ETF products and options strategies expand retail and institutional access, broadening the investor base and amplifying demand-side pressure.
• ESG Integration: While not as pronounced as in equity markets, a growing focus on transparent product governance and responsible trading frameworks is drawing in capital from new sources.
• Regulatory Developments: Evolving guidelines on derivatives trading could unlock further growth, introducing fresh participants and stimulating trading volume.

With the memory of the “Tariff Tantrum” still present, the possibility of further macro shocks remains, favoring investors who seek to enter ahead of potential inflection points.

Investment Strategies

• Short-Term (Trading Rebounds):
• Positioning near critical technical supports (17.30/18.00) allows for opportunistic rebound trading should market anxieties resurface.
• Tracking intraday spikes amid headlines offers nimble trades with high risk-reward profiles.
• Medium-Term (Portfolio Hedging):
• Adding volatility instruments when equity markets touch new highs offers cost-effective downside risk protection.
• Use of UVXY or VIX futures as insurance against unexpected macro events.
• Long-Term (Secular Allocation):
• Allocating a small, permanent sleeve of volatility exposure can dampen portfolio drawdowns and enhance risk-adjusted returns, especially as global markets confront climate risks, geopolitical shifts, and evolving rate regimes.

Ideal entry often coincides with periods of market complacency—precisely when the VIX approaches multi-week lows—to maximize convexity in any subsequent reversal.

Is it the Right Time to Buy CBOE Volatility Index?

Summing up, the CBOE Volatility Index and its suite of tradable instruments currently present a thoughtfully balanced opportunity for both Philippine and international investors. The combination of resilient technical supports, high liquidity, a strategically vital role in the global market ecosystem, and multiple macroeconomic catalysts all point to renewed positive momentum. The prudent investor may find that the current environment—with the VIX resting near critical technical inflection points and volatility products displaying robust demand—justifies serious attention and fresh capital allocation.

With leading indicators showing stabilization post-crisis, macro catalysts potentially on the horizon, and an enduring need for portfolio risk management, VIX-linked securities seem to represent an excellent opportunity. Especially for those looking to bolster diversification or tactically trade volatility cycles, the current stage of the index offers compelling risk/reward asymmetry.

In conclusion, the CBOE Volatility Index ecosystem appears to be entering a promising phase where upside scenarios look increasingly plausible. For investors attentive to global signals and market structure, the VIX stands out as a powerful vehicle—worthy of close monitoring and considered allocation as the volatility cycle unfolds through 2025.

The stage is set for VIX-linked products to reclaim strategic importance; in this climate, disciplined investors would be well advised to keep a close eye on technical developments, market flows, and macro triggers that could drive a new wave of bullish momentum in the volatility segment.

How to buy CBOE Volatility Index stock in the PH?

Buying exposure to the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) online is now simple and secure for investors in the Philippines, thanks to regulated international brokers. You can either invest via a “spot” purchase of volatility-focused ETFs or trade using Contracts for Difference (CFDs), each method offering unique benefits and risk profiles. Spot buying means actual ownership of an ETF share, while CFDs allow leveraged trading for potentially amplified gains (and losses). To help you choose the right platform, a comparative broker list is available further down the page.

Spot buying

A spot purchase gives you direct ownership of shares in an ETF that tracks VIX movements (such as ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF - UVXY). This is the preferred approach for most long-term investors, as you simply buy and hold the ETF through a regulated broker. Typical fees include a fixed commission per transaction, often around PHP 150-250 (about USD 3-5) per order.

Important Example

Example: If the UVXY share price is USD 20 (about PHP 1,150), you can buy approximately 49 shares with a USD 1,000 stake (around PHP 57,500), including an estimated USD 5 (PHP 290) brokerage fee.

✔️ Gain scenario: If the price rises by 10%, your shares are now worth USD 1,100 (PHP 63,250).
Result: +USD 100 gross gain, or +10% on your investment.

CFD trading

CFD trading lets you speculate on the price movement of volatility ETFs like UVXY, without owning the asset. CFDs are flexible: you can go long or short, and use leverage for bigger exposures. Main fees include the spread (difference between buy/sell quotes) and overnight financing if you keep the trade open past one day.

Important Example

Example: You open a CFD position on UVXY shares with a USD 1,000 margin (about PHP 57,500) and 5x leverage. Your exposure is USD 5,000 (about PHP 287,500).

✔️ Gain scenario: If the ETF price rises by 8%, your position gains 8% × 5 = 40%.
Result: +USD 400 gain on your USD 1,000 margin (excluding fees).

Final advice

Before investing, carefully compare brokers’ fees, access conditions, and product offerings—these can vary significantly. Your choice should depend on your investment objectives: spot buying provides true ownership and is better for long-term exposure, while CFDs can offer higher potential returns (and risks) for active traders. For more details, consult our up-to-date broker comparison further down the page to find the platform that best suits your needs.

Our 7 tips for buying CBOE Volatility Index stock

The latest news about CBOE Volatility Index

VIX has moderated to 19.41 points, signaling a return toward normal volatility after April’s spike. The index, known as the Wall Street “fear gauge,” has dropped substantially from its extreme highs during the “Tariff Tantrum” in early April 2025, when it reached above 52 points following U.S. trade policy volatility. This normalization reflects a broader recovery in U.S. equity markets, with the S&P 500 rebounding more than 20% in the last six weeks, providing reassuring signals for investors globally, including those tracking volatility ETFs and derivatives accessible in the Philippine market.

Despite a weekly gain of 7.24%, the VIX remains below crisis thresholds and near familiar support levels. Recent data shows the VIX is now trading just below the psychological threshold of 20, and above key technical supports at 17.30 and 18.00, with immediate resistance not expected until 25.24 points. For Philippine investors, this relative stability suggests that market anxieties are subsiding, reducing the likelihood of sudden, destabilizing volatility that could impact U.S.-focused instruments available in local trading platforms or regional ETF offerings.

Flow into volatility-linked products, including the UVXY ETF, emphasizes greater retail and institutional access across Asia-Pacific. ProShares Ultra VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (UVXY), which provides leveraged exposure to short-term VIX futures, maintains a robust capitalization and remains actively traded by Asian investors, including Filipinos seeking diversification or portfolio hedging. This growing usage of structured products linked to U.S. volatility indices demonstrates the increasing sophistication of regional investment strategies, offering both risk mitigation and directional trading benefits in the face of global market swings.

The post-crisis mean-reversion pattern of the VIX supports optimism for portfolio hedgers and tactical traders. With volatility reverting toward its long-term average after pronounced spikes, active strategies exploiting the difference between implied and realized volatility—popular among institutional investors and hedge funds in the Philippines—can be more efficiently executed. This environment also supports the use of VIX futures and options for diversification and risk management, both of which are available through major brokers and foreign access platforms in the local market.

Ongoing normalization and the approach of the lower-volatility summer season offer relative calm for regional investors exposed to U.S. indices. Financial analysts point to historical trends where the summer months tend to feature muted volatility. For Philippine residents directly or indirectly invested in U.S. equities or volatility-linked assets, the current environment—combined with robust technical support for the VIX—offers a constructive backdrop for rebalancing strategies, with less risk of sharp drawdowns compared to the high-stress episodes observed in the first half of 2025.

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P. Laurore

Finance expert

Co-founder of HelloSafe and holder of a Master's degree in finance, Pauline has recognised expertise in personal finance, which she uses to help users better understand and optimise their financial choices. At HelloSafe, Pauline plays a key role in designing clear, educational content on savings, investments and personal finance. Passionate about financial education, Pauline strives, with every piece of content she oversees, to provide reliable, transparent and unbiased information for independent and informed financial management. To this end, she has tested over 100 trading platforms to help internet users make the right choices.