Investors were feeling a little bit calmer on Thursday after President Donald Trump said trade talks between the U.S. and Japan were off to a good start.
The Cboe Volatility Index, a widely-followed Wall Street fear gauge that tracks S&P 500 options contracts and trades under the ticker VIX, slipped 3.5% to just over 31 in early trading.
Any reading of above 20 is typically seen as a sign of heightened volatility.