About This Dashboard
What It Does
Scans live financial commentary RSS feeds for anthropomorphic language (e.g. 'skittish', 'panicking', 'exhausted') and cross-references with quantitative market data: VIX level and term structure, sector dispersion, average sector correlation, and SKEW. Classifies whether commentary describes rotation, panic, or something else entirely. Based on Morris et al. (2007): agent metaphors cause investors to expect trend continuance.
For educational and informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Quantitative Reality
What the data actually shows -- no emotion, no metaphorsVIX
17.48
NORMAL (VIX near 20d avg)
VIX 5d Change
-8.6%
VIX3M
N/A
SKEW
146.23
Tail risk pricing
SPY RSI(14)
96.8
SPY ADX(14)
63.5
Trend strength
SPY ATR(14)
9.48 (1.34%)
SPY 20d Vol (ann.)
19.4%
Breadth
10/11 sectors above 20d SMA
Sector Dispersion
1.07%
Avg Sector Corr
0.333
ROTATION -- capital moving between sectors, not leaving
Best Sector (20d)
XLK (+11.5%)
Worst Sector (20d)
XLE (-7.3%)
Reality Verdict
VIX at 17.48: Low implied vol. Hedging demand minimal -- complacency zone.
SPY RSI(14) 96.8: overbought territory
SPY ADX 63.5: strong directional trend
Breadth: 10/11 sectors above 20d SMA -- broad participation
Sector dispersion 1.07%, avg correlation 0.333: ROTATION -- capital moving between sectors, not leaving
Rotation evidence: strongest XLK (+11.5%), weakest XLE (-7.3%)
Commentary Scanner
Click headlines to read the original articleScanned 327 articles | 6 flagged | 6 total detections (T1 anthropomorphism: 1, T2 magnitude: 4, T3 unfalsifiable: 1)
Anthropomorphism: 1Magnitude Hyperbole: 4Unfalsifiable Narrative: 1
Top phrases: surging (3), soaring (1), recovering (1), profit taking (1)
Yahoo Finance | 2026-04-16
T2surging
Verdict: Headline says "surging" about nasdaq. Actual: QQQ +1.3% (1d), +5.1% (5d), +9.4% (20d). Daily move is within normal range (90th pctl = 1.48%)
Google News (Wall St) | 2026-04-16
T2soaring
Verdict: Headline says "soaring" about energy. Actual: XLE -2.8% (1d), -3.7% (5d), -7.3% (20d). Daily move is extreme (>95th percentile)
Reuters Business | 2026-04-17
T2surging
Verdict: Headline says "surging" about market. Actual: SPY +1.2% (1d), +3.5% (5d), +7.6% (20d). Daily move is within normal range (90th pctl = 1.48%)
Reuters Business | 2026-04-15
T1recovering
Verdict: Claims: "recovering". RSI 96.8, breadth: 10/11 sectors above 20d SMA
Reuters Business | 2026-04-16
T2surging
Verdict: Headline says "surging" about bond. Actual: TLT +0.9% (1d), +0.4% (5d), -0.5% (20d). Daily move is within normal range (90th pctl = 1.48%)
Reuters Business | 2026-04-16
T3profit taking
Verdict: "profit taking" -- sounds explanatory but no data can confirm or deny this. Treat as noise.
Methodology
Morris et al., Columbia/UCLA, 2007Based on Morris et al. (2007): agent metaphors ("the market climbed," "the market is nervous") cause investors to expect trend continuance, while object metaphors ("the market was pushed down") do not. This dashboard detects three distinct types of misleading financial language:
TIER 1 -- Anthropomorphism (agent metaphors):
Words that treat the market as a person with emotions, will, or intentions
("skittish," "exhausted," "confused," "fighting"). These are the Morris et al. finding --
they create a cognitive bias toward expecting the trend to continue. Reality check:
what do VIX, RSI, ADX, and breadth actually show?
TIER 2 -- Magnitude Hyperbole (object metaphors):
Dramatic words that exaggerate the size of a move ("soaring," "plunging,"
"freefall," "bloodbath"). These are physics/disaster metaphors, not emotions --
they describe trajectory, not intention. Reality check: what was the actual %
move, and how does it compare to the historical distribution?
TIER 3 -- Unfalsifiable Narrative:
Post-hoc explanations that sound meaningful but cannot be tested
("profit-taking," "bargain hunting," "pricing in"). No data can confirm
or deny these claims. Flagged as noise -- treat with skepticism.
Context filtering ensures only financial usage is flagged ("oil soaring" in a market headline, not "rent soaring" in a housing story). Subject extraction maps magnitude words to the asset being described, so verdicts compare the claimed drama to that specific asset's actual move.