Low VIX Isn't A Mystery

The drop in the VIX to ultra-low levels in 2017 has been a point of consternation for market participants and largely misunderstood. Some market participants view the low level of the VIX as an indication of excessively positive sentiment among investors and thus a contrary indicator for the general direction of stock prices. But, the level of the VIX has to be framed in the context of other variables that affect it...