
Gainers: iPath S&P 500 VIX ST Futures ETN (NYSE: VXX) gained 5.3 percent to 33.7. Volatility on the S&P 500 ramped on Wednesday, gaining close to 9 percent. The VIX index stood at 19.4 mid-day, just shy of the important 20-handle, the line in the sand in terms of investor fear, say some. The VIX index has risen steadily as the clock ticks down to automatic, mostly disjointed and ill planned spending cuts, also known as the fiscal cliff. Decliners: SPDR S&P Retail (NYSE: XRT) declined 1.8 percent to 61. MasterCard data showed a smaller than expected increase