Stocks were sliding on Thursday as the trade-relief rally fizzled out, but investors were still feeling zen. The Cboe Volatility Index, a widely-followed fear gauge that tracks S&P 500 options and trades under the ticker VIX,

Stocks drifted to a mixed close on Wall Street, holding on to most of the gains they made earlier in the week after the U.S. and China declared a temporary cease-fire in their trade war.

Stocks are edging higher in early trading on Wall Street, adding to their gains for the week. The S&P 500 was up 0.3% in the first few minutes of trading Wednesday. The index erased the remainder of its losses for 2025 a day earlier.