U.S. stocks are slipping again, this time after the country’s largest retailer reported profits that came up short of Wall Street’s expectations.

Stock futures are pointing to a lower open for major indexes on Thursday as investors prepare for tomorrow's highly anticipated speech from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

Historically, a dropping VIX indicates less fear in the market, and rising VIX accompanies stock market downturns. However, the lower the VIX, the higher the probability of the market’s downward ...