The VIX Is Going Crazy

Stocks are tumbling and oil is getting crushed on Wednesday.

So you know what that means: the VIX is soaring!

The VIX, or volatility index, is up almost 50% since last Friday, rising from around 11 to almost 19 in less than four trading days.

Headlines crossing Reuters on Wednesday said the VIX, which is up more than 21% just today, is on track for its biggest percentage gain since October 9.

The VIX measures expected volatility in upcoming trading sessions.

Back in the summer, a big story was how low the VIX was and how volatility had completely disappeared. And while markets were shook up in the fall, the VIX has still remained historically low.

But in the last few days, the VIX has come alive.

In a big way.