How Trade Confusion Is Spiking the VIX to 35 in Mid-2026

In this episode of Trade and Tariffs with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dive into why the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) has surged past 35 in June 2026, even as the S&P 500 sits near all-time highs. They unpack the disconnect between calm headline indices and the chaos beneath the surface—driven by trade policy whiplash, the looming Iran deal uncertainty, and a strong dollar squeezing emerging market exports. Using the latest data on the trade-weighted dollar index hitting 120.1 and the yen sliding past 160 per dollar, they explain why currency hedging and tariff flip-flops are creating a volatility regime that feels more like 2020 than 2025. Lucas points to the jump in the VIX term structure and the spike in currency-hedged ETF inflows as telltale signs that institutional investors are betting on continued turbulence. Luna connects it to the recent surge in the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) and other EM funds, asking whether this is a dead-cat bounce or a genuine repricing. If you want to understand why the VIX is screaming while stocks are smiling, this episode is for you. #TradeAndTariffs #BusinessPodcast #FexingoBusiness #VIX #VolatilityIndex #S&P500 #StrongDollar #EmergingMarkets #EWY #SouthKorea #IranDeal #TradeWar #CurrencyHedging #InstitutionalInvestors #June2026 #MarketVolatility #MacroEconomics #GlobalTrade Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo