S&P 500 up 0.62% — Market Pulse · Aug 7, 2026

Stocks ended the week on a firmer note, led by growth-heavy indexes and supported by solid breadth. The Nasdaq Composite rose 342.27 points, or 1.3%, to 26690.62, while the S&P 500 added 47.68 points, or 0.62%, to 7757.64.

Key Takeaways

• S&P 500 closed up 0.62% at 7,757.64.
• Market breadth finished with 321 advancers, 180 decliners, and a 1.783 advance/decline ratio.
• Consumer Discretionary led sectors at +1.49%, while Energy lagged at -1.17%.
• VIX ended at 14.93 in the latest five-session lookback.
• SPY’s first resistance is 771.13 and first support is 766.83.

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Market Breadth: Tech led a broad rebound as volatility eased

Metric	Aug 3	Aug 4	Aug 5	Aug 6	Aug 7
Advance/Decline Ratio	2.105	2.597	0.950	0.676	1.783
Advances	341	361	245	202	321
Declines	162	139	258	299	180
Advancing Volume	72.8%	76.2%	45.7%	36.5%	68.5%
Stocks Near 52-Week Highs	16	28	17	10	15
Stocks Near 52-Week Lows	0	0	0	1	0
% Above 20-Day MA	59.4%	68.2%	65.4%	63.4%	65.4%
% Above 50-Day MA	65.2%	68.6%	67.6%	64.6%	66.2%
% Above 200-Day MA	70.0%	72.0%	71.6%	71.2%	73.4%

Participation improved after Thursday’s softer tape. Advancers beat decliners 321 to 180, for an advance-decline ratio of 1.783, and 68.45% of volume flowed into rising stocks. Internal trend measures also stayed constructive, with 65.01% of stocks above their 20-day moving average, 64.61% above the 50-day, and 70.58% above the 200-day. Over the five-session lookback, breadth wobbled midweek but finished stronger, with above-200-day participation rising to 73.36% on August 7 from 71.17% on August 6.

Explore the full dashboard: Market breadth.

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Market Performance: Major Indexes

Index	Close	Change	% Change
S&P 500	7,757.64	47.68	+0.62%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	54,036.93	151.83	+0.28%
Nasdaq Composite	26,690.62	342.27	+1.30%
Russell 2000	3,034.49	32.94	+1.10%

Five-session context:

Index	Aug 3	Aug 4	Aug 5	Aug 6	Aug 7
S&P 500	+1.48%	+1.79%	-0.17%	-0.18%	+0.62%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	+1.32%	+1.71%	+0.49%	-0.85%	+0.28%
Nasdaq Composite	+2.13%	+2.59%	-0.83%	-0.06%	+1.30%
Russell 2000	+1.73%	+1.85%	-0.59%	-0.58%	+1.10%

All four major indexes finished higher. The Russell 2000 gained 1.1% to 3034.49, a sign that smaller companies participated in the move, while the Dow added a milder 0.28% to 54036.93. Over the past five sessions, the Nasdaq showed the strongest trend, rising from 25913.9 on August 3 to 26690.62 on August 7, with big gains of 2.13% and 2.59% early in the week before a fresh 1.3% advance Friday.

Explore the full dashboard: Market snapshot.

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Sector View: Leaders and Laggards

• Leaders: Consumer Discretionary (XLY +1.49%), Technology (XLK +1.42%), Materials (XLB +1.32%), Health Care (XLV +0.75%), Utilities (XLU +0.53%)
• Laggards: Energy (XLE -1.17%), Financials (XLF -0.36%), Consumer Staples (XLP +0.01%), Communication Services (XLC +0.06%), Industrials (XLI +0.23%)

Leadership leaned toward cyclical and growth groups. Consumer Discretionary rose 1.49%, Technology gained 1.42%, and Materials added 1.32%. On the weaker side, Energy fell 1.17% and Financials slipped 0.36%, while Consumer Staples was nearly flat at 0.01%. That mix points to a market that favored offense, but not uniformly across every economically sensitive group.

Explore the full dashboard: Sector performance.

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Volatility: VIX and ETF Implied Volatility

Metric	Aug 3	Aug 4	Aug 5	Aug 6	Aug 7
VIX Level	15.86	16.50	15.81	15.15	14.93

• SPY IV: 10.13% (Low)
• QQQ IV: 16.98% (Normal)
• IWM IV: 13.51% (Low)
• DIA IV: 10.27% (Low)

Volatility stayed contained. The VIX closed at 14.92, extending a five-session slide from 16.5 on August 4 and down from 15.15 on August 6. Options pricing told a similar story, with SPY implied volatility at 10.13%, IWM at 13.51%, and DIA at 10.27%, all labeled Low, while QQQ sat at 16.98% in the Normal range.

Explore the full dashboard: Volatility.

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Headlines Moving Markets

Macro data remained in focus. The advance estimate showed second-quarter 2026 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. The catalyst feed also flagged an official release today tied to NFP, and Reuters noted the dollar fell as weak US jobs data pushed out Fed hike expectations.

• GDP (Advance Estimate), 2nd Quarter 2026
• Personal Income and Outlays, June 2026
• Personal Income and Outlays, May 2026
• U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, June 2026
• Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement
• Dollar drops as weak US jobs data pushes out Fed hike expectations - Reuters
• What we know about North Korean forces joining Russia’s war against Ukraine - Reuters
• Everybody wants energy security post the Iran war, but how? - Reuters
• US is set to import most Middle East crude since Iran war began - Reuters
• A huge day and week for Corning as the S&P 500 approaches another record high
• Jim Cramer’s top 10 things to watch in the stock market Friday
• ‘SaaSpocalypse’ debate intensifies as software stocks swing wildly

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Technical Snapshot (SPY)

Level	Aug 3	Aug 4	Aug 5	Aug 6	Aug 7
20-day SMA	745.66	745.98	747.15	748.37	749.23
50-day SMA	744.19	744.55	745.16	745.68	746.08
200-day SMA	697.36	697.87	698.43	699.00	699.55

Near-term pivot structure, based on 2026-08-06:

• Resistance: 771.13 (R1), then 773.61 (R2)
• Pivot: 769.31
• Support: 766.83 (S1), then 765.01 (S2)

Trend structure still looks favorable. SPY’s August 7 moving averages stood at 749.23 for the 20-day, 746.08 for the 50-day, and 699.55 for the 200-day, all rising versus earlier in the week. From the August 6 pivot map, the central pivot was 769.31, with resistance at 771.13 and 773.61, and support at 766.83 and 765.01. With the S&P 500 closing at 7757.64, the broader market remains above those nearby reference levels.

Explore the full dashboard: Support & Resistance levels.

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What to Watch Next

• Whether the Nasdaq Composite can build on its 1.3% gain and keep outperforming after this week’s strong early surge.
• Breadth follow-through, especially if advancing volume can stay near Friday’s 68.45% and above-200-day participation holds above 70%.
• Energy and Financials. XLE fell 1.17% and XLF slipped 0.36%, making sector rotation worth tracking.
• Volatility regime. The VIX at 14.92 and SPY implied volatility at 10.13% leave little room for complacency if macro data keep surprising.
• Labor and Fed expectations after the weak jobs signal referenced in the catalyst feed.

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Bottom Line

Friday’s session looked constructive: index gains were broad enough to matter, volatility stayed calm, and long-term participation remained healthy. Even so, mixed sector leadership and a softer growth and labor backdrop suggest the next move may depend on whether breadth and risk appetite keep confirming the headline index strength.

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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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