U.S. Stocks Open Lower as VIX Fear Index Rises, Crypto-Linked Shares Decline

U.S. stocks later closed mixed on May 12 while crypto-related shares broadly declined; according to msx.com data, Bit Digital and Circle posted some of the steepest losses despite a lower VIX.

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Summary

U.S. equities opened lower on May 12 and later closed mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.11%, the S&P 500 falling 0.16%, and the Nasdaq dropping 0.71%. The VIX, which had risen 6.17% at the open, later declined 2.12% by the close. Crypto-related stocks broadly fell throughout the session, extending the weakness seen earlier in the day. Earlier intraday data from msx.com showed declines in FRMM, American Bitcoin, Bullish, Hut 8, Tron Inc., Coinbase, and Robinhood, while closing figures cited by the report showed Bit Digital down 8.84% and Circle down 6.16%. The report also noted that msx.com lists tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs.

Terms & Concepts
  • VIX fear index: A market volatility indicator based on S&P 500 options, often used to gauge investor anxiety and expected near-term market swings.
  • Crypto-related stocks: Publicly traded companies whose operations are linked to digital assets, including trading platforms, issuers, miners, or blockchain-focused businesses.
  • Tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs: Blockchain-based representations of traditional equities and exchange-traded funds designed to track the value of the underlying assets.