Part 4/14:
Despite the declines, global markets tell a similar story. While the US has underperformed slightly, other markets have fared better, with overall gains in certain indices suggesting that fears of a broad bubble are unfounded when considering actual performance metrics. The fear and greed index has plunged to levels seen during previous significant market lows, and volatility measures like the VIX have spiked—indicating increased investor caution but not necessarily impending disaster.