Closing Bell 2026-10-13: SPY Nearly Flat, VIX Rises 2.9%
Stocks finished lower on October 13, 2026, with SPY nearly unchanged and IWM posting the largest decline among the four equity ETFs tracked here. QQQ and DIA each fell 0.33%, while VIX rose 2.9% to 15.27. The largest options order was an $11.6 million SPX call expiring November 20.
Market snapshot
SPY: $778.01, down 0.01%.
QQQ: $743.57, down 0.33%.
DIA: $516.21, down 0.33%.
IWM: $276.70, down 0.43%—the largest decline among these four equity ETFs.
VIX: 15.27, up 2.9%, as the equity ETFs edged lower.
Biggest options orders
SPX 7,800 call, November 20, 2026: $11.6M premium, the largest order.
SPX 7,855 put, December 18, 2026: $9.6M premium.
SPX 7,855 call, December 18, 2026: $9.6M premium.
SPX 7,500 put, November 20, 2026: $3.5M premium.
SPX 7,800 call, November 20, 2026: a separate $2.9M order.
SPXW 7,750 put, October 23, 2026: $2.5M premium.
SPX 7,855 put, December 18, 2026: a separate $2.4M order.
SPX 7,855 call, December 18, 2026: a separate $2.4M order.
Calls and puts both drew large premiums. Premium size alone does not establish whether a trade is a directional bet or part of a broader position.
Headlines to watch
Roots Corporation: Business Wire reported shareholder and Competition Act approval for its previously announced plan of arrangement.
Gulf oil shipping: According to Tradex, US CENTCOM said US forces helped Gulf partners ship more than 19 million barrels of crude oil through the strait the previous day.
Regional coordination: Tradex carried an N12 News report that Israel, the United States and Gulf states were coordinating and preparing for multiple scenarios. A separate N12 headline said there was no intelligence change justifying an Israeli-American move in the coming weeks.
OpenAI: Tradex carried DOJ statements reporting an employee's arrest and charges involving alleged interception of oral communications, alongside a headline reporting a Saudi national's arrest over an alleged hidden audio recording device at OpenAI.
Aviation: PR NewsWire reported that AVCON received FAA supplemental type certification for a Honeywell Aerospace replacement ground-proximity warning system on Bombardier and Learjet aircraft.
What to watch next
October 23: The SPXW 7,750 put is the nearest expiration among these options orders.
November 20: SPX activity included 7,800 calls and a 7,500 put. Those strikes are contract terms, not price forecasts.
December 18: Both SPX calls and puts drew orders at the 7,855 strike; the matching strike and expiration do not by themselves establish a linked strategy.
Market follow-through: Watch whether IWM continues to lag SPY, QQQ and DIA, and whether VIX extends its rise.
Educational only; not financial advice.
Questions about today
How did SPY, QQQ, DIA and IWM finish on October 13, 2026?
SPY finished at $778.01, down 0.01%; QQQ at $743.57, down 0.33%; DIA at $516.21, down 0.33%; and IWM at $276.70, down 0.43%.
What was the biggest options order in today's session?
The largest order was an SPX 7,800 call expiring November 20, 2026, with an $11.6M premium. Premium size alone does not establish the trader's intent.
What happened to VIX today?
VIX rose 2.9% to 15.27, while SPY, QQQ, DIA and IWM all finished lower.