S&P 500 up 0.42% — Market Pulse · Jul 10, 2026

U.S. stocks finished mixed but constructive on July 10. The S&P 500 rose 31.61 points, or 0.42%, to 7,575.25, the Dow added 149.68 points to 52,637.09, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 74.72 points to 26,281.61. The Russell 2000 was the outlier, slipping 12.47 points, or 0.42%, to 2,980.07.

Key Takeaways

• S&P 500 closed up 0.42% at 7,575.25.
• Market breadth finished with 343 advancers, 160 decliners, and a 2.144 advance/decline ratio.
• Materials led sectors at +1.27%, while Health Care lagged at -0.80%.
• VIX ended at 15.08 in the latest five-session lookback.
• SPY’s first resistance is 753.81 and first support is 747.44.

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Market Breadth: Broad market strength lifts the S&P 500 to a fresh high, but small caps and health care lag

Metric	Jul 6	Jul 7	Jul 8	Jul 9	Jul 10
Advance/Decline Ratio	0.789	1.309	0.287	1.498	2.144
Advances	220	284	112	301	343
Declines	279	217	390	201	160
Advancing Volume	48.5%	55.0%	33.6%	61.4%	60.4%
Stocks Near 52-Week Highs	30	19	5	13	13
Stocks Near 52-Week Lows	0	0	1	1	2
% Above 20-Day MA	67.9%	66.9%	57.8%	59.2%	62.2%
% Above 50-Day MA	68.7%	67.7%	64.1%	64.8%	68.4%
% Above 200-Day MA	67.5%	67.7%	64.5%	64.8%	67.0%

Under the surface, participation improved. Advancers beat decliners by 343 to 160, for an advance-decline ratio of 2.144, and advancing volume ran at 60.7%. About 62.43% of stocks closed above their 20-day moving average, 67% stayed above their 50-day line, and 64.41% held above the 200-day. Stocks near 52-week highs outnumbered those near lows, 15 to 3.

Explore the full dashboard: Market breadth.

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Market Performance: Major Indexes

Index	Close	Change	% Change
S&P 500	7,575.25	31.61	+0.42%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	52,637.09	149.68	+0.29%
Nasdaq Composite	26,281.61	74.72	+0.29%
Russell 2000	2,980.07	-12.47	-0.42%

Five-session context:

Index	Jul 6	Jul 7	Jul 8	Jul 9	Jul 10
S&P 500	+0.72%	-0.45%	-0.28%	+0.81%	+0.42%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	+0.29%	-0.25%	-1.09%	+0.27%	+0.29%
Nasdaq Composite	+1.12%	-1.16%	+0.20%	+1.30%	+0.29%
Russell 2000	+0.45%	-0.90%	-0.88%	+1.22%	-0.42%

Over the past five sessions, the S&P 500 rose from 7,537.43 to 7,575.25, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed from 26,121.16 to 26,281.61. The Dow moved from 53,055.91 to 52,637.09, and the Russell 2000 fell from 3,009.54 to 2,980.07. That leaves large caps in firmer shape than small caps, with the latest session extending the S&P 500 advance after July 9’s rebound.

Explore the full dashboard: Market snapshot.

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Sector View: Leaders and Laggards

• Leaders: Materials (XLB +1.27%), Consumer Staples (XLP +1.11%), Communication Services (XLC +1.03%), Utilities (XLU +0.60%), Industrials (XLI +0.47%)
• Laggards: Health Care (XLV -0.80%), Technology (XLK +0.24%), Financials (XLF +0.29%), Consumer Discretionary (XLY +0.31%), Real Estate (XLRE +0.47%)

Leadership leaned defensive. Materials led with XLB up 1.27%, followed by Consumer Staples at 1.11% and Communication Services at 1.03%. Utilities also gained 0.60%, and Industrials added 0.47%. Health Care lagged, with XLV down 0.80%. Technology still rose, but only 0.24%, which was a slower pace than the broader market.

Explore the full dashboard: Sector performance.

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Volatility: VIX and ETF Implied Volatility

Metric	Jul 6	Jul 7	Jul 8	Jul 9	Jul 10
VIX Level	15.57	16.13	16.90	15.84	15.08

• SPY IV: 9.33% (Low)
• QQQ IV: 17.79% (Normal)
• IWM IV: 14.84% (Low)
• DIA IV: 10.07% (Low)

Volatility cooled further. The VIX closed at 15.06, down from 15.84 on July 9 and well below the 16.90 reading from July 8. Options pricing stayed contained across major ETFs, with SPY average implied volatility at 9.33%, IWM at 14.84%, and DIA at 10.07%, all labeled Low, while QQQ sat at 17.79%, labeled Normal.

Explore the full dashboard: Volatility.

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Headlines Moving Markets

The day unfolded against a busy headline backdrop. Reuters items focused on Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and oil shipping, alongside a report that oil prices settled lower on hopes for smoother shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters also highlighted Delta’s view that fare gains may hold as fuel volatility pressures airlines. On the official side, the Federal Reserve announced the leadership and objectives of its task forces to advance the conduct of monetary policy.

• Iran oil stuck at sea surges as China’s teapots turn to rival Middle East supplies, traders say - Reuters
• US-Iran escalation could threaten 2027 oil market surplus, IEA says - Reuters
• Delta expects fare gains to hold as fuel volatility pressures airlines - Reuters
• Trump says US agreed to Iran’s request to continue talks, but ceasefire is over - Reuters
• US insists Iran commit to stopping attacks in Hormuz strait, say US officials - Reuters
• Nasdaq ends sharply higher; chip surge offsets Iran worries - Reuters
• Morning Bid: Chip euphoria vies with war weariness - Reuters
• Oil prices settle lower on hopes for smoother shipping in Strait of Hormuz - Reuters
• Activities of U.S. Affiliates of Foreign Multinational Enterprises, 2024
• Federal Reserve announces the leadership and objectives of its task forces to advance the conduct of monetary policy
• Personal Income and Outlays, May 2026
• GDP, (Third Estimate), Industries, Corporate Profits, State GDP, and State Personal Income, 1st Quarter 2026

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Technical Snapshot (SPY)

Level	Jul 6	Jul 7	Jul 8	Jul 9	Jul 10
20-day SMA	740.08	739.89	740.50	740.90	741.72
50-day SMA	735.87	736.71	737.53	738.19	738.96
200-day SMA	688.69	689.18	689.66	690.11	690.58

Near-term pivot structure, based on 2026-07-09:

• Resistance: 753.81 (R1), then 756.08 (R2)
• Pivot: 749.71
• Support: 747.44 (S1), then 743.34 (S2)

SPY technical levels remain close at hand. Using the July 9 reference, the traditional pivot sits at 749.71, with resistance at 753.81 and 756.08, and support at 747.44 and 743.34. The 20-day, 50-day, and 200-day simple moving averages rose to 741.72, 738.96, and 690.58 on July 10, extending an upward slope seen all week.

Explore the full dashboard: Support & Resistance levels.

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What to Watch Next

• Whether the Russell 2000 can stabilize after closing at 2,980.07 while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both finished higher.
• Breadth follow-through, especially if advancing volume can stay near 60.7% and the share of stocks above 20-day averages can build on 62.43%.
• Health Care versus defensive leaders. XLV fell 0.80%, while XLB rose 1.27% and XLP gained 1.11%.
• VIX behavior near 15 after the slide from 16.90 on July 8 to 15.06 on July 10.
• SPY levels around 753.81 and 756.08 on the upside, with 747.44 as nearby support.

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Bottom Line

The tape stayed constructive into the close, with strong breadth, a lower VIX, and another gain for the S&P 500. Still, the Russell 2000 decline and the weak showing from health care suggest the advance was not equally shared across the market.

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Market Pulse provides daily analysis of S&P 500 market breadth, sector rotation, and volatility signals to help investors understand what’s happening beneath the surface. Data sourced from our real-time market breadth collectors. For personalized planning, explore our retirement calculators, investment tools, and FIRE planning resources.

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