Volatility Is Back

VIX climbs back above 20, JPM beats but fades, and speculative favorites like OKLO, IREN, and APLD keep leading the tape…

Volatility is Back

The VIX  moved above 20 for the second time since May, signaling that intraday swings are officially back. Monday saw a clean move higher, but Tuesday reversed course… SPY opened down 1.4% and QQQ  was down 1.88%, both attempting an recovery before fading later in the day.

JPMorgan Earnings: Strong results, Weak Reaction

JPM kicked off earnings season with a headline beat: EPS $5.07 vs. $4.84 est. and revenue $46.4B vs. $45.6B est. Trading and investment banking were solid, and credit provisions came in lighter than expected.

Still, the stock fell roughly 2% on the day, a "sell-the-news" reaction that reflects just how defensive sentiment has become. CEO Jamie Dimon warned that inflation and geopolitical risks remain elevated… and in this environment, even strong results can't dodge volatility.

Meme Stock 2.0: The Speculative Wave

The speculative wave is back in full force. OKLO, IREN, and APLD continue to surge, driven by AI, energy, and datacenter hype. Multiples are expanding fast, with liquidity, not fundamentals, doing the heavy lifting.

It's exciting for momentum traders but risky territory for long-term investors. As always, it's better to watch the heat than get burned chasing it.

Thanks for reading! 

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Benzinga Disclaimer: This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga’s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.