S&P 500 little changed 0.02% — Market Pulse · Aug 5, 2026

U.S. stocks split on August 5. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 371.68 points, or 0.69%, to a record 54,457.56, while the S&P 500 edged up 1.88 points, or 0.02%, to 7,738.40. The Nasdaq Composite fell 155.34 points, or 0.58%, to 26,429.65, and the Russell 2000 slipped 15.26 points, or 0.50%, to 3,021.72.

Key Takeaways

• S&P 500 closed little changed 0.02% at 7,738.40.
• Market breadth finished with 258 advancers, 244 decliners, and a 1.057 advance/decline ratio.
• Materials led sectors at +1.42%, while Energy lagged at -2.12%.
• VIX ended at 15.50 in the latest five-session lookback.
• SPY’s first resistance is 776.17 and first support is 763.29.

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Market Breadth: Dow records another high while tech cools and breadth stays mixed

Metric	Jul 30	Jul 31	Aug 3	Aug 4	Aug 5
Advance/Decline Ratio	0.648	0.799	2.105	2.571	1.057
Advances	197	223	341	360	258
Declines	304	279	162	140	244
Advancing Volume	42.1%	52.6%	72.7%	74.9%	49.0%
Stocks Near 52-Week Highs	7	3	17	29	20
Stocks Near 52-Week Lows	0	1	0	0	0
% Above 20-Day MA	56.3%	53.7%	59.4%	68.2%	67.3%
% Above 50-Day MA	64.4%	62.4%	65.2%	68.6%	67.1%
% Above 200-Day MA	69.2%	68.0%	70.0%	72.0%	71.3%

Breadth was close to even after the prior session’s strong surge. Advancers totaled 256 versus 245 decliners, with 1 unchanged, for an advance-decline ratio of 1.045. Advancing volume was 47.53%, a step down from 74.89% on August 4. Even so, participation measures stayed firm, with 66.73% of stocks above their 20-day moving average, 66.33% above their 50-day, and 69.32% above their 200-day. There were 24 stocks near 52-week highs and none near 52-week lows.

Explore the full dashboard: Market breadth.

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Market Performance: Major Indexes

Index	Close	Change	% Change
S&P 500	7,738.40	1.88	+0.02%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	54,457.56	371.68	+0.69%
Nasdaq Composite	26,429.65	-155.34	-0.58%
Russell 2000	3,021.72	-15.26	-0.50%

Five-session context:

Index	Jul 30	Jul 31	Aug 3	Aug 4	Aug 5
S&P 500	+1.66%	+0.70%	+1.48%	+1.79%	+0.02%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	+1.19%	+0.53%	+1.32%	+1.71%	+0.69%
Nasdaq Composite	+2.78%	+1.00%	+2.13%	+2.59%	-0.58%
Russell 2000	+1.37%	-0.50%	+1.73%	+1.85%	-0.50%

The one-day index mix looked more rotational than broadly risk-off. The Dow extended higher, the S&P 500 was essentially flat, and the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 gave back modest ground. Over the past five sessions, though, the move remains strong: the S&P 500 climbed from 7,437.63 to 7,738.35, the Dow from 52,208.06 to 54,457.56, the Nasdaq from 25,122.18 to 26,429.65, and the Russell 2000 from 2,946.10 to 3,021.75.

Explore the full dashboard: Market snapshot.

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Sector View: Leaders and Laggards

• Leaders: Materials (XLB +1.42%), Health Care (XLV +1.23%), Financials (XLF +0.38%), Consumer Discretionary (XLY +0.30%), Industrials (XLI +0.23%)
• Laggards: Energy (XLE -2.12%), Communication Services (XLC -1.21%), Utilities (XLU -1.20%), Real Estate (XLRE -0.04%), Technology (XLK -0.01%)

Leadership shifted away from technology. Materials led with XLB up 1.42%, followed by Health Care at 1.23% and Financials at 0.38%. Industrials also added 0.23%. On the weak side, Energy fell 2.12%, Communication Services dropped 1.21%, and Utilities lost 1.20%. XLK was nearly flat at -0.01%, which fits the softer Nasdaq close after the prior session’s sharp tech-led gain.

Explore the full dashboard: Sector performance.

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Volatility: VIX and ETF Implied Volatility

Metric	Jul 30	Jul 31	Aug 3	Aug 4	Aug 5
VIX Level	17.09	15.99	15.86	16.50	15.50

• SPY IV: 11.47% (Low)
• QQQ IV: 18.90% (Normal)
• IWM IV: 15.17% (Normal)
• DIA IV: 12.70% (Low)

Volatility stayed contained. The VIX closed at 15.5, down from 16.5 on August 4 and well below 17.09 on July 30. Implied volatility also stayed subdued in several major ETFs: SPY averaged 11.47% and DIA 12.70%, both labeled Low, while QQQ at 18.90% and IWM at 15.17% were Normal.

Explore the full dashboard: Volatility.

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Headlines Moving Markets

Recent macro releases still frame the backdrop. Second-quarter real GDP increased at an annual rate of 1.5%, down from 2.1% in the first quarter. June personal income rose $54.9 billion, or 0.2%, while personal consumption expenditures increased $65.2 billion, or 0.3%. The June trade deficit narrowed to $73.3 billion from a revised $77.6 billion in May. In market news, Reuters reported Dow strength tied to Mideast optimism, while separate Reuters coverage highlighted attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

• 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.
• Federal Reserve Board announces approval of the application by FS Bancorp, Inc.
• Federal Reserve Board announces approval of the application by Coastal Bend Bancshares, Inc.
• Dow closes at record on Mideast optimism; SpaceX, AMD drag Nasdaq - Reuters
• Yemen’s Houthis say they attacked Saudi oil tankers in Red Sea, Gulf of Aden - Reuters
• Flutter shares plummet on earnings miss and another key leadership change
• Jim Cramer’s top 10 things to watch in the stock market Wednesday
• Stock bears obliterated as Nasdaq 100 logs top 10 bullish stat of past decade
• Alphabet slumps on more AI brain drain. We’re not too worried

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Technical Snapshot (SPY)

Level	Jul 30	Jul 31	Aug 3	Aug 4	Aug 5
20-day SMA	745.76	745.56	745.66	745.98	747.15
50-day SMA	743.79	743.89	744.19	744.55	745.16
200-day SMA	696.45	696.92	697.36	697.87	698.43

Near-term pivot structure, based on 2026-08-04:

• Resistance: 776.17 (R1), then 781.23 (R2)
• Pivot: 768.35
• Support: 763.29 (S1), then 755.47 (S2)

SPY trend levels continue to slope upward. As of August 5, the SPY 20-day, 50-day, and 200-day simple moving averages were 747.15, 745.16, and 698.43, each above their readings five sessions earlier. For the August 4 reference setup, the traditional pivot was 768.35, with resistance at 776.17 and 781.23 and support at 763.29 and 755.47. Fibonacci resistance sat at 773.27 and 776.31, with support at 763.43 and 760.39.

Explore the full dashboard: Support & Resistance levels.

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What to Watch Next

• Whether advancing volume can recover from 47.53% after running near 75% in the prior session.
• Tech follow-through after the Nasdaq fell 0.58% and XLK finished at -0.01%.
• VIX behavior around 15.5, especially with SPY implied volatility at 11.47% and DIA at 12.70%.
• Energy and shipping headlines after Reuters reported attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
• Institutional positioning split. Stock whale flow was bullish with a 18.61 buy-sell ratio, while options whale flow stayed bearish with put premium of 171,532,741 versus call premium of 143,800,955.

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Bottom Line

The tape cooled after a powerful four-session rally, but it did not crack. Record Dow strength, steady participation, and a low VIX point to a market that is still constructive underneath the surface, even as leadership narrows and tech takes a breather.

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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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