S&P 500 down 0.79% — Market Pulse · Jul 13, 2026

U.S. stocks pulled back on July 13, with the Nasdaq Composite falling 408.43 points, or 1.55%, to 25,873.18. The S&P 500 lost 60.05 points, or 0.79%, to 7,515.34, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 138.37 points, or 0.26%, to 52,498.64.

Key Takeaways

• S&P 500 closed down 0.79% at 7,515.34.
• Market breadth finished with 273 advancers, 230 decliners, and a 1.187 advance/decline ratio.
• Energy led sectors at +3.03%, while Technology lagged at -2.42%.
• VIX ended at 17.15 in the latest five-session lookback.
• SPY’s first resistance is 757.53 and first support is 750.25.

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Market Breadth: Tech-led pullback meets firmer breadth as volatility wakes up

Metric	Jul 7	Jul 8	Jul 9	Jul 10	Jul 13
Advance/Decline Ratio	1.313	0.286	1.490	2.112	1.187
Advances	285	112	301	340	273
Declines	217	391	202	161	230
Advancing Volume	55.2%	33.5%	61.4%	63.1%	48.8%
Stocks Near 52-Week Highs	19	5	13	13	23
Stocks Near 52-Week Lows	0	1	1	2	2
% Above 20-Day MA	66.8%	57.7%	59.2%	62.4%	62.8%
% Above 50-Day MA	67.6%	64.0%	64.8%	68.2%	65.8%
% Above 200-Day MA	67.6%	64.4%	64.8%	67.2%	67.6%

Under the surface, breadth held up better than the index tape implied. Advancers led decliners by 273 to 230, for an advance-decline ratio of 1.187, though advancing volume was just 48.78%. Participation stayed fairly healthy, with 62.82% of stocks above their 20-day moving average, 63.82% above the 50-day, and 66% above the 200-day. Stocks near 52-week highs outnumbered lows by 23 to 2.

Explore the full dashboard: Market breadth.

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Market Performance: Major Indexes

Index	Close	Change	% Change
S&P 500	7,515.34	-60.05	-0.79%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	52,498.64	-138.37	-0.26%
Nasdaq Composite	25,873.18	-408.43	-1.55%
Russell 2000	2,953.17	-24.64	-0.83%

Five-session context:

Index	Jul 7	Jul 8	Jul 9	Jul 10	Jul 13
S&P 500	-0.45%	-0.28%	+0.81%	+0.42%	-0.79%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	-0.25%	-1.09%	+0.27%	+0.29%	-0.26%
Nasdaq Composite	-1.16%	+0.20%	+1.30%	+0.29%	-1.55%
Russell 2000	-0.90%	-0.88%	+1.22%	-0.49%	-0.83%

The session showed clear pressure in growth-heavy areas. The Nasdaq Composite posted the biggest loss at 1.55%, compared with declines of 0.83% for the Russell 2000, 0.79% for the S&P 500, and 0.26% for the Dow. Over the last five sessions, the S&P 500 rose from 7,503.85 to 7,515.34, while the Nasdaq moved from 25,818.69 to 25,873.18 after a sharp 1.55% drop on Monday.

Explore the full dashboard: Market snapshot.

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Sector View: Leaders and Laggards

• Leaders: Energy (XLE +3.03%), Utilities (XLU +0.68%), Financials (XLF +0.65%), Consumer Staples (XLP +0.56%), Real Estate (XLRE +0.56%)
• Laggards: Technology (XLK -2.42%), Consumer Discretionary (XLY -1.02%), Industrials (XLI -0.85%), Materials (XLB -0.61%), Communication Services (XLC -0.04%)

Sector leadership turned defensive and commodity-sensitive. Energy was the clear leader, with XLE up 3.03%, followed by Utilities at 0.68%, Financials at 0.65%, Consumer Staples at 0.56%, and Real Estate at 0.56%. Technology lagged by a wide margin, with XLK down 2.42%, while Consumer Discretionary fell 1.02% and Industrials lost 0.85%.

Explore the full dashboard: Sector performance.

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Volatility: VIX and ETF Implied Volatility

Metric	Jul 7	Jul 8	Jul 9	Jul 10	Jul 13
VIX Level	16.13	16.90	15.84	15.03	17.15

• SPY IV: 11.39% (Low)
• QQQ IV: 21.45% (Normal)
• IWM IV: 18.02% (Normal)
• DIA IV: 12.65% (Low)

Volatility picked up quickly. The VIX closed at 17.14 after ending the prior session at 15.03, and the five-session series shows a 14.11% daily jump on July 13. Even so, implied volatility on major ETFs was not uniformly elevated: SPY average IV was 11.39% and labeled Low, QQQ was 21.45% and Normal, IWM was 18.02% and Normal, and DIA was 12.65% and Low.

Explore the full dashboard: Volatility.

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Headlines Moving Markets

The day’s top catalysts centered on renewed U.S.-Iran tension and shipping risk around the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters reported that Wall Street ended lower as Iran tensions dampened risk appetite and chipmakers dropped. CNBC and Reuters items also focused on statements about guarding or blocking the Strait of Hormuz, while Reuters reported U.S. forces striking an Iranian submarine and ship maintenance facility. That backdrop fit the day’s sector split, with Energy higher and Technology weaker.

• Wall Street ends lower as Iran tensions dampen risk appetite; chipmakers drop - Reuters
• Trump: U.S. should be reimbursed for guarding Strait of Hormuz
• Trump says US reinstates blockade of Iranian shipping in Strait of Hormuz, orders new US strikes - Reuters
• Trump says the US will take out Pickaxe Mountain in Iran - Reuters
• Iranian-born engineer convicted in US of exporting technology to Iran - Reuters
• US forces strike Iranian submarine, ship maintenance facility - Reuters
• A toxic stew drags stocks lower as we look at what can get the AI trade back on track
• UN maritime agency opposes Hormuz transit fees after Trump demands protection money
• UN shipping agency opposes fees for any strait, after Trump plans Hormuz charge - Reuters
• European shares edge lower amid renewed US-Iran tensions - Reuters
• Oil prices settle lower on hopes for smoother shipping in Strait of Hormuz - Reuters
• Houthis fire missiles at Saudi Arabia, breaking years of calm - Reuters

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Technical Snapshot (SPY)

Level	Jul 7	Jul 8	Jul 9	Jul 10	Jul 13
20-day SMA	739.89	740.50	740.90	741.72	743.28
50-day SMA	736.71	737.53	738.19	738.96	739.86
200-day SMA	689.18	689.66	690.11	690.58	691.05

Near-term pivot structure, based on 2026-07-10:

• Resistance: 757.53 (R1), then 760.11 (R2)
• Pivot: 752.83
• Support: 750.25 (S1), then 745.55 (S2)

From a technical standpoint, SPY reference levels sit near a traditional pivot of 752.83, with resistance at 757.53 and 760.11 and support at 750.25 and 745.55. Fibonacci levels show a similar map, with support at 750.05 and 748.33. Longer trend gauges still point up: SPY’s 20-day SMA is 743.28, the 50-day is 739.86, and the 200-day is 691.05, all below the current zone implied by the S&P 500 close of 7,515.34.

Explore the full dashboard: Support & Resistance levels.

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What to Watch Next

• Whether Technology can stabilize after XLK fell 2.42% and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.55%.
• Breadth versus price. Advancers led 273 to 230, but advancing volume was only 48.78%.
• VIX behavior after the move from 15.03 to 17.14 in one session.
• SPY support around 750.25 and 745.55, with resistance near 757.53 and 760.11.
• Energy leadership, especially after XLE climbed 3.03% while geopolitical headlines stayed in focus.
• Institutional positioning: options whale activity was bullish overall with a 2.22 call-put premium ratio, while stock whale sentiment was bearish overall with a 0.85 buy-sell ratio.

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Bottom Line

Monday looked more like a rotation and volatility reset than a broad internal breakdown. Indexes fell, led by Technology, but breadth and moving-average participation stayed fairly constructive. The next read likely comes from whether volatility cools and whether price action catches back up with still-decent participation.

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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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