U.K.’s Fear Index Jumps as Scotland Vote Awakens Traders

Scotland’s independence referendum is igniting bets on U.K. stock swings.

A measure of volatility expectations for British equities jumped to its highest level since November 2008 relative to European stocks, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The FTSE 100 Volatility Index has climbed 19 percent in the past four days, compared with a 7.4 percent increase for its euro-area equivalent, the VStoxx Index.