VIX Jumps 20% As Stocks Slump, Gold Tops Record Highs: What's Moving Markets Tuesday?

Author: Piero Cingari | September 02, 2025 01:00pm

Wall Street stumbled on Tuesday, with broad losses by midday in New York as investors turned risk-off amid mounting concerns over lofty valuations, seasonal headwinds and fiscal strains.

• VIXY ETF is spiking. Check live prices here.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) — Wall Street's "fear gauge" — surged nearly 20% to 19.2, marking its third consecutive advance.

Major equity benchmarks retreated, led by the Nasdaq 100, which slid 1.7%. The S&P 500 fell 1.4% in its first session of September — historically its weakest month of the year. The Dow lost more than 500 points or 1.1%.

Chipmakers bore the brunt of the sell-off. NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) dropped 3.6%, heading for a fourth straight day of losses, the longest skid since March. Arm Holdings plc (NASDAQ:ARM) sank 5%, while ASML Holding NV (NASDAQ:ASML) and Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) each lost about 3%.

Fresh economic data added to the gloom. The ISM Manufacturing PMI showed a sixth consecutive month of contraction, highlighting how tariffs, intended to shield the domestic industry, are instead driving up costs and delaying investment.

Safe-haven demand remained strong. Gold hit fresh record highs above $3,500 an ounce, while silver extended its surge past $40. In energy markets, crude oil jumped 2.6% to $65.65 after reports of renewed Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities.

Bond markets also came under pressure. Long-dated yields climbed across advanced economies, with 30-year U.S. Treasuries up five basis points to 4.97% — hovering just below the closely watched 5% mark.

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) managed to escape the broader sell-off and rose 1.6% to above $110,000.

Tuesday’s Performance In Major U.S. Indices ETFs

Major Indices	Price	Chg %
Dow Jones	45,038.89	-1.1%
Russell 2000	2,334.30	-1.3%
S&P 500	6,370.68	-1.4%
Nasdaq 100	23,025.76	-1.7%

According to Benzinga Pro data:

• The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSE:VOO) slipped 1.5% to $584.49.
• The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE:DIA) fell 1.1% to $451.04.
• The tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust Series (NASDAQ:QQQ) sunk 1.7% to $560.
• The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:IWM) fell 1.3% to $232.05.
• The Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLP) outperformed, down 0.3%; the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLB) lagged, down 2%.

Stocks On The Move Tuesday

S&P 500’s Top 5 Gainers

Stock Name	% Chg
Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA)	+6.45%
Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB)	+3.84%
Ralph Lauren Corp (NYSE:RL)	+3.36%
Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM)	+3.05%
Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM)	+2.59%

S&P 500’s Worst 5 Losers

Stock Name	% Chg
TransDigm Group Inc. (NYSE:TDG)	-7.50%
Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE:STZ)	-6.97%
Kraft Heinz Co. (NASDAQ:KHC)	-6.96%
Albemarle Corp. (NYSE:ALB)	-6.45%
GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV)	-6.30%

Read Now:

• Why Traders Fear September: 10 S&P 500 Stocks To Watch As Weak Seasonality Kicks In

Photo: Shutterstock

Posted In: $BTC ALB ARM ASML BIIB DIA GEV HUM IWM KHC NEM NVDA QCOM QQQ RL STZ TDG ULTA VOO XLB