VIX heads into Thursday as Alphabet fears lift volatility 16.91

The VIX closed at 16.91 points on October 28, down 0.61 points or 3.5 percent from the previous close, Bloomberg reports. The Federal Reserve held its policy rate at 3.75 percent to 4.00 percent in a 10-2 vote, Admiral Markets says.

Alphabet fell 10.4 percent in premarket trading after disappointing results, while Microsoft rose 2.1 percent, Reuters reports. S&P 500 futures were down 0.3 percent at 7:39 a.m. ET, according to Bloomberg.

Why is the VIX facing fresh tech risk?

The Fed decision reduced one immediate volatility catalyst, but Alphabet's earnings renewed concern about artificial intelligence spending and search-advertising growth. That split leaves investors focused on whether strong cloud results can offset weaker evidence from other technology businesses.

VIX cues before the US open

The VIX ended October 28 at 16.91 points after trading between 16.21 and 17.77 points. It opened at 17.47 points, while the previous close was 17.52 points. The index's 0.61-point decline followed a 0.28 percent gain in the S&P 500.

What comes next for the VIX

• October 29, 2026, 8:30 a.m. ET: US third-quarter GDP, September PCE inflation and jobless claims are due; GDP consensus is 3.2 percent and core PCE consensus is 0.3 percent month over month, Trading Economics reports.
• October 29, 2026, 9:15 a.m. ET: The European Central Bank is scheduled to announce its rate decision, with a 2.50 percent deposit rate expected, ATFX says.
• October 29, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ET: Amazon and Intel are scheduled to report earnings after the US close, Admiral Markets reports.

VIX price data for October 28, 2026

The VIX closed at 16.91 points at 4:15 p.m. EDT on October 28, according to Bloomberg. It fell 0.61 points, or 3.5 percent, from 17.52 points. The index opened at 17.47 points and traded between 17.77 and 16.21 points.

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