CRITICAL INFLECTION POINT

# DAILY MARKET BULLETIN — Monday, August 24, 2026

• SPY: closed near $765.72 yesterday; watch yesterday's session high and low as the immediate technical reference for today's trading. NASDAQ (QQQ): $713.44 (+0.35%) VIX: 15.93 10-Yr Yield: 4.71% Gold (GLD): $423.36 Fear & Greed Index: 55.2 (Greed)

• VIX: closed near $15.93 yesterday; watch yesterday's session high and low as the immediate technical reference for today's trading.

- The signal engine identifies 27 strong buy signals and 11 moderate signals, providing 38 actionable opportunities despite the neutral overall market stance. - SPY is trading at $765.72, and continued acceptance above the nearby $758 support zone would preserve a path toward initial resistance around $773. - The yield curve remains healthy with a positive 1.01% spread, which supports the 50% bullish probability by reducing immediate recession risk. - SPY has gained 0.41% both today and over the current weekly period, showing that buyers have retained control at the start of the new trading week.

- QQQ is trading at $713.44 with a bearish gauge reading of 46.9, and a break below approximately $706 would indicate that technology leadership is deteriorating. - The VIX is currently 15.93, but a sustained move above the nearby 16.70 ceiling would warn that volatility demand is accelerating from a low base. - The proprietary breadth framework places 42% of assets in bearish territory, while 29 assets carry explicit bearish classifications, creating a significant divergence from the positive index-level performance. - A rise in the 10-year Treasury yield from 4.71% through 4.80% could pressure long-duration equities and trigger profit-taking in the strongest growth and technology positions.

Balanced portfolios should maintain a neutral allocation rather than chase the current advance. A representative allocation would place approximately 50% in diversified equities, 25% in Treasury bills or short-duration fixed income, 10% in gold, 10% in a high-conviction tactical sleeve, and 5% in cash. Within equities, investors should favor assets with strong signals while limiting exposure to lower-momentum small-cap and technology positions until the QQQ and IWM gauges recover above neutral.

• VIX: closed near $15.93 yesterday; watch yesterday's session high and low as the immediate technical reference for today's trading.

- S&P 500: The $758 support level and $773 resistance level are pivotal, with a break below support favoring defensive positioning and a close above resistance supporting measured equity additions. - VIX: The 15.25 floor and 16.70 ceiling define the immediate volatility range, with a move below the floor confirming complacent risk appetite and a move above the ceiling signaling rising demand for protection. - 10-year Treasury yield: A decline below 4.60% would ease pressure on growth valuations, while a move above 4.80% would increase the risk of equity multiple compression. - NASDAQ: The $706 support level and $721 resistance level should determine near-term technology momentum, with a downside break validating the bearish QQQ Gauge and an upside breakout improving trend confirmation.

• VIX: closed near $15.93 yesterday; watch yesterday's session high and low as the immediate technical reference for today's trading.