”‘December, on average, has been the calmest month of the year in terms of implied volatility,’ says Garrett DeSimone, an economist and head quant at OptionMetrics. ‘However, inflation levels and the FOMC’s response to higher prices are in the spotlight for the first time in decades. These scheduled events could exacerbate volatility in the middle of the month as market participants may have heightened sensitivity to inflation numbers and the pace of rate hikes.’”