S&P 500 up 1.79% — Market Pulse · Aug 4, 2026

U.S. stocks pushed higher again on August 4, with leadership strongest in technology and gains spreading across the tape. The Nasdaq Composite jumped 671.09 points, or 2.59%, to 26,584.99. The S&P 500 rose 136.02 points, or 1.79%, to 7,736.52, the Dow added 907.47 points, or 1.71%, to 54,085.88, and the Russell 2000 gained 55.52 points, or 1.86%, to 3,037.43.

Key Takeaways

• S&P 500 closed up 1.79% at 7,736.52.
• Market breadth finished with 361 advancers, 141 decliners, and a 2.560 advance/decline ratio.
• Technology led sectors at +4.99%, while Utilities lagged at -0.59%.
• VIX ended at 16.47 in the latest five-session lookback.
• SPY’s first resistance is 761.13 and first support is 751.76.

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Market Breadth: Tech-led surge lifts indexes to fresh highs as breadth strengthens

Metric	Jul 29	Jul 30	Jul 31	Aug 3	Aug 4
Advance/Decline Ratio	0.567	0.648	0.799	2.105	2.560
Advances	182	197	223	341	361
Declines	321	304	279	162	141
Advancing Volume	32.4%	42.1%	52.6%	72.7%	75.7%
Stocks Near 52-Week Highs	8	7	3	17	30
Stocks Near 52-Week Lows	4	0	1	0	0
% Above 20-Day MA	63.2%	56.2%	53.6%	59.4%	67.9%
% Above 50-Day MA	66.1%	64.3%	62.4%	65.1%	68.3%
% Above 200-Day MA	69.9%	69.1%	67.9%	69.9%	71.9%

Participation backed the move. Advancers beat decliners 361 to 141, for an advance-decline ratio of 2.56, while 75.74% of volume traded in rising stocks. Stocks near 52-week highs increased to 30 and none sat near 52-week lows. Trend participation also improved over the five-session lookback, with 67.93% above the 20-day average, 68.33% above the 50-day, and 71.91% above the 200-day in the lookback data.

Explore the full dashboard: Market breadth.

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Market Performance: Major Indexes

Index	Close	Change	% Change
S&P 500	7,736.52	136.02	+1.79%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	54,085.88	907.47	+1.71%
Nasdaq Composite	26,584.99	671.09	+2.59%
Russell 2000	3,037.43	55.52	+1.86%

Five-session context:

Index	Jul 29	Jul 30	Jul 31	Aug 3	Aug 4
S&P 500	-1.52%	+1.66%	+0.70%	+1.48%	+1.79%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	-2.19%	+1.19%	+0.53%	+1.32%	+1.71%
Nasdaq Composite	-1.74%	+2.78%	+1.00%	+2.13%	+2.59%
Russell 2000	-1.61%	+1.37%	-0.50%	+1.73%	+1.86%

The latest gain capped a strong rebound from July 29. Over the past five sessions, the S&P 500 climbed from 7,316.15 to 7,736.52, the Dow from 51,594.14 to 54,085.88, the Nasdaq from 24,442.94 to 26,584.99, and the Russell 2000 from 2,906.31 to 3,037.43. The Nasdaq led again on the day, extending the growth-heavy tone seen since the late-July pullback.

Explore the full dashboard: Market snapshot.

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Sector View: Leaders and Laggards

• Leaders: Technology (XLK +4.99%), Materials (XLB +1.96%), Industrials (XLI +1.76%), Financials (XLF +0.85%), Communication Services (XLC +0.62%)
• Laggards: Utilities (XLU -0.59%), Energy (XLE -0.46%), Health Care (XLV -0.09%), Real Estate (XLRE -0.02%), Consumer Discretionary (XLY +0.08%)

Technology stood out, with XLK up 4.99%. Materials rose 1.96% and Industrials gained 1.76%, while Financials added 0.85% and Communication Services rose 0.62%. On the softer side, Utilities fell 0.59%, Energy slipped 0.46%, and Health Care edged down 0.09%. That mix points to a clear risk-on bias, but not a uniform one.

Explore the full dashboard: Sector performance.

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Volatility: VIX and ETF Implied Volatility

Metric	Jul 29	Jul 30	Jul 31	Aug 3	Aug 4
VIX Level	20.66	17.09	15.99	15.86	16.47

• SPY IV: 11.82% (Low)
• QQQ IV: 20.66% (Normal)
• IWM IV: 16.07% (Normal)
• DIA IV: 12.82% (Low)

Volatility stayed fairly contained even with a small uptick. The VIX closed at 16.44, versus 15.86 on August 3, and well below 20.66 on July 29. Options pricing also remained calm in key ETFs: SPY implied volatility averaged 11.82%, labeled Low, while DIA sat at 12.82%, also Low. QQQ at 20.66% and IWM at 16.07% were both in the Normal range.

Explore the full dashboard: Volatility.

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Headlines Moving Markets

News flow leaned supportive for risk assets. Reuters reported oil prices settled 5% lower after claims of progress in U.S.-Iran talks, and CNBC highlighted hopes for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters also pointed to stocks jumping to records after upbeat company forecasts. In the macro backdrop, the U.S. trade deficit narrowed to $73.3 billion in June from a revised $77.6 billion in May, while second-quarter real GDP increased at an annual rate of 1.5%.

• Oil prices tumble after Bessent says Strait of Hormuz deal may come this week
• Jim Cramer’s top 10 things to watch in the stock market Tuesday
• Jim Cramer says one hedge fund’s collapse cleared the way for tech’s rally
• Iran demands inbound control of Hormuz and outbound oversight, source says - Reuters
• Oil prices settle 5% lower after claims of progress in US-Iran talks - Reuters
• Palantir jumps 16% on ‘otherworldly’ commercial revenue — here’s what’s driving the demand
• Someone on Wall Street thinks SpaceX could triple this week
• Stocks jump to records after upbeat company forecasts; oil, yen weaken - Reuters
• U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, June 2026
• Personal Income and Outlays, June 2026
• GDP (Advance Estimate), 2nd Quarter 2026
• Federal Reserve Board announces approval of the application by Banco Santander, S.A. and Santander Holdings USA, Inc.

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Technical Snapshot (SPY)

Level	Jul 29	Jul 30	Jul 31	Aug 3	Aug 4
20-day SMA	746.62	745.76	745.56	745.66	745.98
50-day SMA	743.94	743.79	743.89	744.19	744.55
200-day SMA	696.13	696.45	696.92	697.36	697.87

Near-term pivot structure, based on 2026-08-03:

• Resistance: 761.13 (R1), then 764.54 (R2)
• Pivot: 755.17
• Support: 751.76 (S1), then 745.80 (S2)

Trend support remains well below current SPY averages. The 20-day, 50-day, and 200-day SMAs were 745.98, 744.55, and 697.87 on August 4, all up from five sessions ago. For near-term reference, traditional SPY pivot levels from the August 3 setup were 755.17 at the pivot, with resistance at 761.13 and 764.54, and support at 751.76 and 745.80.

Explore the full dashboard: Support & Resistance levels.

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What to Watch Next

• Breadth follow-through after the advance-decline ratio improved from 2.105 on August 3 to 2.56 on August 4.
• Whether XLK can keep leading after a 4.99% jump, especially with the Nasdaq already up 2.59% on the day.
• VIX behavior near 16.44 after falling from 20.66 on July 29, then ticking up from 15.86 the prior session.
• Oil and Hormuz headlines, after Reuters reported a 5% drop in oil prices tied to talk of progress in U.S.-Iran negotiations.
• Institutional flow backdrop: stock whale sentiment was bullish overall, with a 1.46 buy-sell ratio, while options whale sentiment was also bullish with a 1.28 call-put ratio.

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Bottom Line

The market showed real strength on August 4: higher highs in the major indexes, firmer breadth, and strong technology leadership. At the same time, a modest rise in the VIX and uneven sector performance suggest traders may still be testing how durable this push will be.

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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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