The first three months of 2025 have been marked by higher-than-expected market volatility, with investors navigating a surge in uncertainty. As of March 17, the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) – often called Wall Street’s “fear index” – hovered around 22, after hitting a 2025 peak of 27.9 a week earlier.
Despite the uncertainty, there’s no need to panic-sell. Market timing rarely works well, and instead of going to cash, investors can stay invested while reducing risk by using various defensive-minded exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Here’s a look at nine defensive ETFs that can help weather a volatile market.
This post originally appeared at U.S. News & World Report.