S&P 500 down 0.28% — Market Pulse · Aug 24, 2026

U.S. stocks finished mixed on Aug. 24. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 140.15 points, or 0.26%, to 53,417.16, while the S&P 500 slipped 21.51 points, or 0.28%, to 7,652.86. The Nasdaq Composite and Russell 2000 each fell 0.76%, underscoring pressure in growth and smaller-cap shares.

Key Takeaways

• S&P 500 closed down 0.28% at 7,652.86.
• Market breadth finished with 304 advancers, 196 decliners, and a 1.551 advance/decline ratio.
• Consumer Staples led sectors at +1.70%, while Technology lagged at -1.78%.
• VIX ended at 15.85 in the latest five-session lookback.
• SPY’s first resistance is 767.59 and first support is 763.94.

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Market Breadth: Mixed tape as Dow rises, tech and small caps lag

Metric	Aug 18	Aug 19	Aug 20	Aug 21	Aug 24
Advance/Decline Ratio	0.832	1.346	0.463	2.000	1.551
Advances	227	288	158	334	304
Declines	273	214	341	167	196
Advancing Volume	43.0%	61.8%	28.5%	64.5%	49.6%
Stocks Near 52-Week Highs	9	14	5	19	17
Stocks Near 52-Week Lows	4	1	4	4	5
% Above 20-Day MA	53.3%	54.3%	45.7%	50.1%	53.3%
% Above 50-Day MA	60.4%	61.2%	54.5%	57.9%	60.4%
% Above 200-Day MA	71.2%	74.6%	73.0%	72.2%	74.0%

Under the surface, breadth was firmer than the headline index mix. Advancers led decliners by 304 to 196, for an advance-decline ratio of 1.551. Still, advancing volume was about half the tape at 49.01%, which points to a session where gains were broad enough but not especially forceful. Participation also remained decent by trend measures, with 53.08% of stocks above their 20-day moving average, 59.24% above the 50-day, and 70.38% above the 200-day.

Explore the full dashboard: Market breadth.

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Market Performance: Major Indexes

Index	Close	Change	% Change
S&P 500	7,652.86	-21.51	-0.28%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	53,417.16	140.15	+0.26%
Nasdaq Composite	25,980.19	-200.27	-0.76%
Russell 2000	2,995.08	-22.79	-0.76%

Five-session context:

Index	Aug 18	Aug 19	Aug 20	Aug 21	Aug 24
S&P 500	-0.69%	+0.21%	-0.87%	+0.43%	-0.28%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	-0.22%	+0.22%	-1.32%	+0.98%	+0.26%
Nasdaq Composite	-1.33%	+0.16%	-1.00%	+0.43%	-0.76%
Russell 2000	-1.30%	+0.50%	-1.34%	+0.85%	-0.76%

The one-day spread across major indexes was notable. The Dow was the lone gainer, adding 0.26%, while the S&P 500 lost 0.28%, the Nasdaq dropped 0.76%, and the Russell 2000 fell 0.76%. Over the past five sessions, trading has been choppy rather than directional. The S&P 500 posted three down days in the last five, and the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 also logged three declines in that stretch.

Explore the full dashboard: Market snapshot.

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Sector View: Leaders and Laggards

• Leaders: Consumer Staples (XLP +1.70%), Financials (XLF +1.29%), Utilities (XLU +1.05%), Communication Services (XLC +0.83%), Real Estate (XLRE +0.55%)
• Laggards: Technology (XLK -1.78%), Energy (XLE -0.83%), Industrials (XLI -0.69%), Health Care (XLV +0.05%), Materials (XLB +0.07%)

Sector leadership leaned defensive and rate-sensitive. Consumer Staples led with XLP up 1.70%, followed by Financials at 1.29%, Utilities at 1.05%, Communication Services at 0.83%, and Real Estate at 0.55%. Technology was the clear weak spot, with XLK down 1.78%. Energy fell 0.83%, and Industrials slipped 0.69%. That mix fits the broader split between the stronger Dow and the weaker Nasdaq.

Explore the full dashboard: Sector performance.

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Volatility: VIX and ETF Implied Volatility

Metric	Aug 18	Aug 19	Aug 20	Aug 21	Aug 24
VIX Level	15.84	14.89	16.01	15.13	15.85

• SPY IV: 11.01% (Low)
• QQQ IV: 17.26% (Normal)
• IWM IV: 14.46% (Low)
• DIA IV: 11.91% (Low)

Volatility stayed contained, even with pressure in technology. The VIX closed at 15.85, up from 15.13 on Aug. 21 and near 15.84 from Aug. 18. ETF implied volatility also stayed muted in several major products: SPY at 11.01%, IWM at 14.46%, and DIA at 11.91% were all labeled Low, while QQQ at 17.26% was Normal.

Explore the full dashboard: Volatility.

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Headlines Moving Markets

The backdrop still includes a slower but positive growth picture and a market that remains sensitive to policy and earnings. The Federal Reserve issued its FOMC statement on July 29. The advance estimate for second quarter 2026 GDP showed real GDP growth of 1.5%, down from 2.1% in the first quarter. BEA also reported that June personal income rose 0.2%, disposable personal income rose 0.2%, and personal consumption expenditures increased 0.3%. In company-specific focus, Nvidia earnings were flagged as a key event this week in the supplied catalyst set.

• Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement
• GDP (Advance Estimate), 2nd Quarter 2026
• Personal Income and Outlays, June 2026
• TotalEnergies profitably moving heavily discounted oil through Strait of Hormuz, says CEO - Reuters
• US threatens countries doing business with Iran, but holds off on penalties for now - Reuters
• Personal Income and Outlays, May 2026
• Personal Income and Outlays, April 2026
• Here’s what the charts say about Nvidia’s stock heading into earnings
• Jim Cramer’s top 10 things to watch in the stock market Monday
• Shares dip with pressure from technology, yields and oil fall - Reuters
• Personal Income and Outlays, January 2026
• Personal Income and Outlays, December 2025

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Technical Snapshot (SPY)

Level	Aug 18	Aug 19	Aug 20	Aug 21	Aug 24
20-day SMA	757.67	758.64	759.72	760.94	762.28
50-day SMA	748.86	749.50	750.13	750.68	751.52
200-day SMA	703.17	703.59	704.07	704.50	704.94

Near-term pivot structure, based on 2026-08-21:

• Resistance: 767.59 (R1), then 769.54 (R2)
• Pivot: 765.89
• Support: 763.94 (S1), then 762.23 (S2)

SPY trend levels still lean constructive. As of Aug. 24, SPY’s 20-day, 50-day, and 200-day simple moving averages stood at 762.28, 751.52, and 704.94, respectively, all rising from Aug. 21. For near-term reference, traditional pivot levels based on the Aug. 21 setup sit at 765.89, with resistance at 767.59 and 769.54, and support at 763.94 and 762.23. That places price action near an area where short-term follow-through matters.

Explore the full dashboard: Support & Resistance levels.

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What to Watch Next

• Whether the S&P 500 can reclaim the 765.89 SPY pivot after Monday’s 0.28% decline.
• Breadth quality, especially if advancing volume moves back above 50% while advancers continue to outnumber decliners.
• Technology leadership after XLK fell 1.78% and pulled the Nasdaq Composite down 200.27 points.
• VIX behavior around 15.85, with QQQ implied volatility at 17.26% versus SPY at 11.01%.
• Keep an eye on the split between defensive sector strength and weaker small caps, after the Russell 2000 closed at 2,995.08.
• Nvidia earnings as a potential test for the growth trade this week.

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Bottom Line

Monday’s session was mixed, not broadly weak. Positive breadth and muted volatility suggest the pullback was concentrated more in technology and smaller caps than across the whole market. The next read is whether breadth can stay healthy while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq stabilize near current levels.

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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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