Darius McDermott: Make volatility work for you

Short-term noise or something sinister?

clock • 4 min read

Volatility is healthy and a sign that markets are normalising, argues Darius McDermott, before considering how advisers and their clients can make the return of volatility work for them

Up until a couple of months ago, an eerie sense of calm had settled across markets. The VIX  index - one of the most commonly-used gauges of market fear - continued to fall to new all-time lows during the second half of last year. In January, it came within touching point of reaching yet another record low. Of course, nothing lasts forever - especially not when it comes to markets - and, in February, volatility suddenly spiked as equities sold off across the globe. According to FE Analytics, over the first three months of the year, the VIX was up by a substantial two-thirds. This is p...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Investment

FCA proposes 'targeted and proportionate' changes to listing rules for closed-ended funds

FCA proposes 'targeted and proportionate' changes to listing rules for closed-ended funds

Consultation runs into August

Michael Nelson
clock 26 June 2026 • 5 min read
Big games, big names… and smaller companies

Big games, big names… and smaller companies

'Brazil should be looking to the future rather than to the past'

Gabriel Sacks
clock 22 June 2026 • 4 min read
Why should investors back China in the worldwide robotics race?

Why should investors back China in the worldwide robotics race?

The race to identify Asia's hidden gems

Xin-Yao Ng
clock 19 June 2026 • 5 min read