St. Louis Fed Financial Stress Index
Returns the St. Louis Fed Financial Stress Index (STLFSI) from FRED. This measures financial market stress.
Interpretation
- Zero = normal stress
- Positive values = above-average stress
- Negative values = below-average stress
Data Source
Data is sourced from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, updated weekly.
Notes
- Combines 18 financial indicators
- Useful for crisis detection
- Leading indicator of economic stress
Syntax
=FinancialStressIndex()Returns
number
Financial stress index value
Examples
Financial stress level
When to Use
- Financial market stress assessment
- Crisis monitoring
- Risk management
- Economic forecasting
When NOT to Use
| Scenario | Use Instead |
|---|---|
| Volatility index | Last("^VIX") |
| Credit spreads | FRED direct access |
| Economic policy uncertainty | Other indices |
Common Issues & FAQ
What does a negative value mean?
Below-average financial stress (normal/calm market conditions).
How is this calculated?
Combines 18 indicators including interest rates, yield spreads, and other variables.
Related Formulas
More MarketXLS Economic Data formulas you can use in the same worksheet:
- Total Separations - Nonfarm
- Treasury Rate - 1 Year
- Treasury Rate - 3 Months
- Treasury Rate - 5 Year
- U.S - Euro Foreign Exchange Rate
- U.S - UK Foreign Exchange Rate
- U.S Dollar Index
- Unemployment Rate
See FinancialStressIndex used in a complete workbook: Risk-On Risk-Off Dashboard Excel: Track Market Regime with 8 Intermarket Ratios (June 2026)
Get Access to 1 Billion Usable Market data points IN YOUR EXCEL SHEETS WITH EASY TO USE EXCEL FUNCTIONS
Get started today
▶
How does MarketXLS work?