VIX nears 30 level as stocks sell off

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The Chicago Board Options Exchange's volatility index /quotes/zigman/2766221 VIX +5.31% rose 14% to 26.65 on Thursday, as stocks sold off amid panic about the U.S. economic recovery and European debt crisis. The VIX, a measure of fear in the markets, had climbed as high as 28.69 in morning trades, the highest level since March. The S&P 500 Index /quotes/zigman/3870025 SPX -1.01% fell 2.4% or 31 points to 1,229.45. The Dow Jones Industrial Average /quotes/zigman/627449 DJIA -0.93% fell 275 points or 2.3% to 11,617.5. Gold futures turned negative, as gold for December delivery fell 0.8% to $1,653 an ounce.

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CBOE Volatility Index

US : MDX CBOE IND

16.27

+0.82 +5.31%

Volume: 0.00

July 20, 2012 3:14p

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S&P 500 Index

US : S&P Base CME

1,362.66

-13.85 -1.01%

Volume: 851.77M

July 20, 2012 4:31p

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Dow Jones Industrial Average

US : DJ-Index

12,822.57

-120.79 -0.93%

Volume: 210.77M

July 20, 2012 4:30p