OFR Financial Stress Index - Regions

The OFR Financial Stress Index (OFR FSI) is a daily market-based snapshot of stress in global financial markets. It is constructed from 33 financial market variables, such as yield spreads, valuation measures, and interest rates. The OFR FSI is positive when stress levels are above average, and negative when stress levels are below average.

The OFR FSI incorporates five categories of indicators: credit , equity valuation , funding , safe assets and volatility . The FSI shows stress contributions by three regions: United States , other advanced economies , and emerging markets .


Shaded areas indicate U.S. recessions

NOTE

The FSI publishes with data that is current from two business days prior.


How to Interpret the Index

The OFR FSI measures systemic financial stress — disruptions in the normal functioning of financial markets. Each variable in the index measures a feature of financial stress. Financial stress can be captured by how the variables move together through time. A statistical algorithm captures this co-movement and produces a set of weights for the variables.

The value of the OFR FSI on a given day is the weighted average level of each variable observed in the market on that day, relative to its history. The index is zero when this average is zero, suggesting that stress is at normal levels. The index is calculated after each U.S. trading day.

Monitoring financial stability requires tracking both vulnerabilities and stress. The OFR has developed the Financial System Vulnerabilities Monitor to identify potential financial system vulnerabilities — underlying weaknesses in the system that can originate, amplify, or transmit stress.

More Information

For additional information about the OFR FSI, see the working paper, "The OFR Financial Stress Index." For additional information about the current version of the FSI, see the working paper “The Transition to Alternative Reference Rates in the OFR Financial Stress Index.”

For a list of the indicators used to construct the OFR FSI, see OFR FSI Indicators table.

For information on revisions to the OFR FSI, see FSI Revision History.

General Disclaimer

This OFR monitor is presented solely for informative purposes and should not be relied upon for financial decisions; it is not intended to provide any investment or financial advice. If you have any specific questions about any financial or other matter please consult an appropriately qualified professional. The OFR makes no warranty, express or implied, nor assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, reliability, and usefulness of any information that is available through this website, nor represents that its use would not infringe on any privately owned rights.

Disclaimer Regarding Non-OFR Data and Information

For convenience and informational purposes only, the OFR may provide links and references to nongovernment sites. These sites may contain information that is copyrighted with restrictions on reuse. Permission to use copyrighted materials must be obtained from the original source and cannot be obtained from the OFR or from the U.S. Treasury Department. The OFR is not responsible for the content of external websites linked to or referenced from this site or from the OFR web server. The U.S. government, the U.S. Treasury Department, the Financial Stability Oversight Council, and the OFR neither endorse the data, information, content, materials, opinions, advice, statements, offers, products, services, presentation, or accuracy, nor make any warranty, express or implied, regarding these external websites. Please note that neither the U.S. Treasury Department nor the OFR controls, and cannot guarantee, the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of third-party content or other materials. Users should be aware that when they select a link on this OFR website to an external website, they are leaving the OFR site.

Suggested Citation

Office of Financial Research, "OFR Financial Stress Index," refreshed daily, https://www.financialresearch.gov/financial-stress-index/regions/ (accessed ).

Credit

Contains measures of credit spreads, which represent the difference in borrowing costs for firms of different creditworthiness. In times of stress, credit spreads may widen when default risk increases or credit market functioning is disrupted. Wider spreads may indicate that investors are less willing to hold debt, increasing costs for borrowers to get funding.

Equity valuation

Contains stock valuations from several stock market indexes, which reflect investor confidence and risk appetite. In times of stress, stock values may fall if investors become less willing to hold risky assets.

Funding

Contains measures related to how easily financial institutions can fund their activities. In times of stress, funding markets can freeze if participants perceive greater counterparty credit risk or liquidity risk.

Safe assets

Contains valuation measures of assets that are considered stores of value or have stable and predictable cash flows. In times of stress, higher valuations of safe assets may indicate that investors are migrating from risky or illiquid assets into safer holdings.

Volatility

Contains measures of implied and realized volatility from equity, credit, currency, and commodity markets. In times of stress, rising uncertainty about asset values or investor behavior can lead to higher volatility.

United States

U.S.-centric variables.

Other advanced economies

Variables measuring stress from advanced economies other than the United States, including primarily the eurozone and Japan.

Emerging markets

Variables measuring stress from emerging markets.