Tools › Indicators › Financial conditions

St. Louis Fed Financial Stress Index

−0.52Below-average stress Data for Oct 30, 2026 · Updated Nov 5, 2026

The St. Louis Fed Financial Stress Index is −0.52 as of Oct 30, 2026, up 0.28 from a month earlier.

Over the past year it has fallen by 0.02. The latest reading is higher than 25% of all readings since December 1993. It was last this low in September 2026. Current status: below-average stress.

US recessions (NBER)
Latest
−0.52
1 month ago
−0.81
1 year ago
−0.50
Change over 1 year
−0.02
History percentile
26th
History since
December 1993

What it is

A weekly measure of stress in US financial markets, combining interest rates, yield spreads and volatility measures into one index.

Why it matters for investors

Spikes in financial stress have accompanied market crises and recessions. Tracking it helps separate ordinary volatility from something more serious.

How to read it

Zero represents normal market conditions. Readings above zero show above-average stress, and below zero below-average stress.

Method and sources

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (series STLFSI4). Figures are published with a lag and can be revised.

This product uses the FRED® API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Download CSV

Related indicators

Related news

The Open · free

The market, read before the bell.

What moved overnight, why it moved and what's next, in five minutes. Written by our desk, checked by a trader.

Plus our 25-minute training, free on sign-up

Questions

Still have a question? Get in touch.

What counts as a high reading?

Readings well above zero have occurred during episodes such as the 2008 financial crisis and March 2020. Small positive readings are common.

How often is it updated?

Weekly, for the week ending Friday.

Why are there different versions of the index?

The St. Louis Fed has revised the methodology over time. This page uses the current version, STLFSI4.

Educational and informational only. Not investment advice.