S&P 500: Elevated Dispersion Highlights Market Vulnerability

Published 30/09/2025, 05:25
Updated 30/09/2025, 07:54

It was a relatively quiet day of trading on Monday. The early morning strength faded by midday, leaving the S&P 500 up just 26 bps. Today will be more important, with the JOLTS report in the morning and about $100 billion in Treasury settlements, which could put downward pressure on markets if liquidity needs to be raised.

Dispersion remained the theme, with the Dispersion Index still elevated. While it could rise further, it’s something to watch—high dispersion typically coincides with low correlations.SPX Dispersion Index-Daily Chart

At 10.5, the 1-month implied correlation index is very low.1-Month Correlation Index-Daily Chart

Individual stock implied volatility has also risen sharply in recent weeks, reflecting the broader market’s elevated dispersion, which remains intact.VIXEQ-Daily Chart

In the meantime, realized volatility has remained relatively unchanged over the past couple of days and remains very low. Taken together, this leaves the market in a fairly vulnerable position.SPX-Realized Volatility-Chart

I wish there were more to say, but end-of-quarter rebalancing may be influencing moves in rates and FX, and I don’t think that’s worth reviewing at this time. Based on the levels for the TGA and reverse repo, I estimate reserves are around $2.9 trillion. While they should rebound somewhat on Wednesday, liquidity is clearly not as ample as it has been, and over time, reserves are likely to keep contracting until the Fed ends QT.Reserve Balance Estimates

If overall market breadth is any indication of these lower liquidity levels, then the Summation Index, which was likely to decline again, is a prime example.NYSI-Daily Chart

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