According to PANews, the VIX index, a key measure of stock market volatility, experienced a significant increase of 79%, marking its largest rise since February 2018. This surge brought the index to its highest intraday level in four years, driven by escalating concerns over a potential U.S. economic recession and intensified global stock market declines. Earlier on Monday, the VIX index surpassed the 40 mark and is currently reported at 37, the highest level since October 2020. Meanwhile, S&P 500 futures saw a sharp decline of 3.3% at one point, though the drop has since narrowed to 2.3%, indicating the index is likely to fall for the third consecutive day.