The CBOE Volatility Index was higher for most of yesterday's session but fell into negative territory in the final minutes.
The VIX finished down 0.26 percent, or 0.04 points, to 15.28 as the S&P 500 eked out a gain of 0.04 percent to settle at 1402.80. The two indexes are inversely correlated.
The VIX futures also fell into the close. The August futures were down 1.5 percent, or 0.25 points, to 16.55. The September contracts lost 0.30 points to end the day at 18.60.
More than 358,000 VIX options traded, 231,000 of which were calls. The iPath S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) saw 174,000 contracts change hands, with puts slightly outpacing calls.
The VVIX Index, which measures the implied volatility of the VIX options, was down to a new low, below 84.
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