CBOE Volatility Index (.VIX) dips below 20. VIX is down .60 to 19.89 and hit session lows shortly after a report on existing home sales showed improvement to an annual rate of 6.54 million, up from 6.10 million and better than the 6.25 million economists were expecting. S&P 500 Index (SPX) hit a new 52-week high and VIX fell to within striking distance of its Nov 20 intra-day low of 19.77 and falling well below its 1-year closing low of 20.47 set on Nov 24.