S&P 500 down 0.17% — Market Pulse · Aug 14, 2026

U.S. stocks closed mixed on August 14. The S&P 500 fell 13.23 points to 7785.76, the Dow lost 107.58 to 53732.41, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 73.87 to 26729.16. The Russell 2000 stood out, rising 15.57 points, or 0.51%, to 3068.42.

Key Takeaways

• S&P 500 closed down 0.17% at 7,785.76.
• Market breadth finished with 250 advancers, 245 decliners, and a 1.020 advance/decline ratio.
• Energy led sectors at +1.39%, while Health Care lagged at -0.60%.
• VIX ended at 14.25 in the latest five-session lookback.
• SPY’s first resistance is 780.08 and first support is 774.90.

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Market Breadth: Small caps lead as large caps pause, with volatility still subdued

Metric	Aug 10	Aug 11	Aug 12	Aug 13	Aug 14
Advance/Decline Ratio	0.855	1.232	1.092	1.743	1.020
Advances	230	276	262	319	250
Declines	269	224	240	183	245
Advancing Volume	51.5%	56.6%	57.3%	75.3%	49.4%
Stocks Near 52-Week Highs	18	20	27	26	16
Stocks Near 52-Week Lows	2	3	3	1	1
% Above 20-Day MA	55.8%	56.3%	57.3%	61.4%	59.6%
% Above 50-Day MA	57.6%	56.1%	57.3%	60.4%	61.6%
% Above 200-Day MA	63.9%	63.2%	63.2%	65.8%	65.4%

Breadth was close to flat, with 250 advancers and 245 decliners, for an advance decline ratio of 1.02. Advancing volume was 49.36%, well below the 75.27% reading from August 13, so the session looked more like rotation than broad risk taking. Even so, participation measures stayed constructive, with 61.83% of stocks above their 20 day moving average, 64.21% above the 50 day, and 66.6% above the 200 day. Stocks near 52 week highs still outnumbered lows by 14 to 1.

Explore the full dashboard: Market breadth.

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Market Performance: Major Indexes

Index	Close	Change	% Change
S&P 500	7,785.76	-13.23	-0.17%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	53,732.41	-107.58	-0.20%
Nasdaq Composite	26,729.16	-73.87	-0.28%
Russell 2000	3,068.42	15.57	+0.51%

Five-session context:

Index	Aug 10	Aug 11	Aug 12	Aug 13	Aug 14
S&P 500	-0.06%	-0.32%	+0.26%	+0.65%	-0.17%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	-0.11%	-0.34%	-0.04%	+0.13%	-0.20%
Nasdaq Composite	-0.32%	-0.60%	+0.54%	+0.81%	-0.28%
Russell 2000	-0.56%	+0.32%	+0.61%	+0.24%	+0.51%

Large cap benchmarks took a breather after Thursday’s gains. The S&P 500 slipped 0.17%, the Dow gave up 0.20%, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.28%. Small caps moved the other way, with the Russell 2000 up 0.51%. Over the past five sessions, that small cap trend has been steady, with the Russell advancing in four straight sessions from August 11 through August 14.

Explore the full dashboard: Market snapshot.

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Sector View: Leaders and Laggards

• Leaders: Energy (XLE +1.39%), Utilities (XLU +0.61%), Materials (XLB +0.44%), Industrials (XLI +0.39%), Communication Services (XLC +0.36%)
• Laggards: Health Care (XLV -0.60%), Technology (XLK -0.40%), Consumer Discretionary (XLY -0.21%), Financials (XLF -0.17%), Consumer Staples (XLP +0.10%)

Sector action showed a defensive and commodity tilt. Energy led with XLE up 1.39%, followed by Utilities at 0.61%, Materials at 0.44%, Industrials at 0.39%, and Communication Services at 0.36%. On the weak side, Health Care fell 0.60%, Technology dropped 0.40%, Consumer Discretionary lost 0.21%, and Financials edged down 0.17%.

Explore the full dashboard: Sector performance.

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Volatility: VIX and ETF Implied Volatility

Metric	Aug 10	Aug 11	Aug 12	Aug 13	Aug 14
VIX Level	15.46	15.28	14.55	14.63	14.25

• SPY IV: 8.13% (Low)
• QQQ IV: 13.30% (Low)
• IWM IV: 11.74% (Low)
• DIA IV: 8.49% (Low)

Volatility stayed muted. The VIX closed at 14.25, down from 14.63 on August 13 and below 15.46 at the start of the five session window. Options pricing also remained calm, with average implied volatility at 8.13% for SPY, 13.30% for QQQ, 11.74% for IWM, and 8.49% for DIA, all labeled Low.

Explore the full dashboard: Volatility.

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Headlines Moving Markets

The main cross currents came from rates and energy. CNBC reported the 10 year U.S. Treasury note yield rose 2 basis points to 4.661% as the U.S. threatened more economic sanctions on Iran. Reuters coverage also pointed to higher oil prices tied to tanker attacks, slower Hormuz traffic, and wider Iran tensions. In the background, official growth data still show second quarter real GDP increased at an annual rate of 1.5%, while June personal income rose 0.2% and personal consumption expenditures increased 0.3%.

• European shares flat, but set for weekly loss as Iran tensions lift oil - Reuters
• Housing investors say this is their worst market in at least 3 years
• Treasury yields rise as U.S. threatens Iran with more economic sanctions
• Oil prices rally, US data dents chances of Fed rate hike - Reuters
• Fuel oil from Malaysia PRefChem refinery heads to US for first time since 2023 - Reuters
• Trump urges Americans to accept higher gas prices as he escalates Iran rhetoric - Reuters
• Oil climbs over $1 on tanker attacks, no progrees on peace - Reuters
• Hormuz traffic slows further after US threatens more economic pressure on Iran - Reuters
• GDP (Advance Estimate), 2nd Quarter 2026
• Personal Income and Outlays, June 2026
• Personal Income and Outlays, May 2026
• Federal Reserve Board issues enforcement action with former employee of Regions Bank

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Technical Snapshot (SPY)

Level	Aug 10	Aug 11	Aug 12	Aug 13	Aug 14
20-day SMA	750.14	751.33	752.26	753.15	754.50
50-day SMA	746.57	746.98	747.30	747.62	748.03
200-day SMA	700.08	700.62	701.16	701.69	702.23

Near-term pivot structure, based on 2026-08-13:

• Resistance: 780.08 (R1), then 782.31 (R2)
• Pivot: 777.13
• Support: 774.90 (S1), then 771.95 (S2)

SPY pivot levels from August 13 frame the near term map around 777.13, with resistance at 780.08 and 782.31, and support at 774.90 and 771.95. The moving average trend still slopes higher. SPY’s 20 day SMA rose from 750.14 on August 10 to 754.50 on August 14, while the 50 day SMA increased to 748.03 and the 200 day SMA to 702.23.

Explore the full dashboard: Support & Resistance levels.

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What to Watch Next

• Whether the Russell 2000 can keep extending after a 0.51% gain and four straight daily advances from August 11 through August 14.
• Breadth follow through after the advance decline ratio cooled to 1.02 and advancing volume fell to 49.36% from 75.27% a day earlier.
• Energy and rates. XLE gained 1.39%, oil headlines stayed active, and the 10 year Treasury yield was cited at 4.661%.
• SPY around pivot resistance at 780.08 and 782.31, versus support at 774.90 and 771.95.
• Volatility tone, with the VIX at 14.25 and SPY implied volatility at 8.13%.
• Institutional positioning is worth monitoring, since options whale sentiment was bullish with a 1.62 call put premium ratio and stock whale sentiment was bullish with a 2.14 buy sell ratio.

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Bottom Line

The August 14 session looked more like a pause in large caps than a broad breakdown. Small caps led, participation stayed generally healthy, and volatility remained low. The next question is whether breadth re-accelerates, or whether firmer yields and energy pressure keep leadership narrow.

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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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