In this week's posts, we'll be looking back at the key developments and characteristics that defined the past year in financial markets. And undoubtedly the most notable phenomenon of 2017 was the extremely smooth ride enjoyed by U.S. stocks — unprecedented, in fact. One way to measure just how smooth (or volatile) the market was is by looking at the readings of stock volatility expectations, in this case the S&P 500 Volatility Index, aka, the VIX. And based on VIX readings, 2017 was the least volatile year ever in the stock market.
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