Whipsaw market actions leaves traders looking for direction. The 'fear gauge' might offer a clue

A trader works during the Hawkeye 360 Inc. initial public offering (IPO) on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Thursday, May 7, 2026. Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Stock bulls proved resilient in the face of what could have been the worst sell-off in the Nasdaq 100 since March, as the index staged a 1.5% intraday rally into the close and the S&P 500 ended less than 12 points lower on Tuesday. …