Wall Street Fear Index Ticks Up

Investors were feeling a little more on edge on Tuesday amid fears that the world's two largest economies won't be able to broker a longer-term deal to scale back tariffs.

The Cboe Volatility Index, a widely-followed fear gauge that tracks S&P 500 options contracts and trades under the ticker VIX, was up about half a point to just under 19 in early trading. Any reading of above 20 tends to indicate relatively high uncertainty.

The VIX was rising with investors worried about a flare-up in trade tensions between the U.S. and China, with Washington and Beijing accusing each other of violating the agreement they struck in Geneva last month.