ThisTracks

The Economic Watch Desk

ThisTracks the Market

Should I Be Worried?

Week of September 22, 2026 · updated September 22, 2026

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↓ This week's reading is falling compared to last week.

This is a gauge, not a crystal ball. It reflects where economic stress indicators sit today — it does not predict what markets will do next.

What moved this week

S&P 500 drawdown

Currently: -0.4% from 1y high

S&P 500 drawdown eased this week (risk score -25), now at a risk reading of 30/100. How far stocks have pulled back from their recent highs — a rough gauge of how nervous investors are right now.

VIX (volatility)

Currently: 14.81

VIX (volatility) eased this week (risk score -25), now at a risk reading of 39/100. How confident (or scared) people say they feel about their own finances — sentiment tends to move before spending does.

10y–2y yield curve

Currently: 0.20

10y–2y yield curve got worse this week (risk score +6), now at a risk reading of 76/100. The bond market's read on where the economy is headed; when short-term rates rise above long-term ones, recessions have historically followed.

What to do about it