Markets
Market Pulse
Midday Edition · Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Russell 2000 leads stocks higher as falling yields signal rate relief Gold, oil, and crypto all drop hard — the dollar is doing the damage.
The Daily Digest
- 01Russell 2000 leads equities up 1.41% as small-caps outperform on broad risk-on tone
- 02S&P 500 up 0.69% and Dow up 1.0% midday, with gains broad but not deep
- 03Nasdaq 100 lags the rally, up just 0.46% as tech underperforms the wider market
- 04Long-dated Treasuries rally 1.46% (TLT) as yields pull back — bonds and stocks moving up together signals rate relief driving the bid
- 05Silver down 4.65% and gold off 2.44% — precious metals hit hard as the dollar firms
- 06Crude oil drops 3.56% as energy sector falls 2.09%, the session's clear laggard
- 07Dollar Index up 0.40% to 101.68, pressuring commodities and non-dollar assets
- 08Bitcoin slides 3.35% to $60,425 with the entire crypto complex in the red — Cardano off 4.72%, XRP down 3.11%
- 09CNN Fear & Greed Index sits at 28 — Fear — equity gains are happening against a backdrop of still-cautious sentiment
Top Movers
What If?
If you had put $1,000 into Natural Gas yesterday, you'd have $1,014.80 today.
The Big Picture
Stocks are grinding higher midday, but the story isn't tech — it's rate relief. Long-dated Treasuries are up 1.46%, signaling that bond investors expect less pressure from the Fed. When yields fall, borrowing gets cheaper, and that's rocket fuel for smaller companies. The Russell 2000 — an index of small U.S. companies — is up 1.41%, leading the whole market. The S&P 500 is up 0.69%, the Dow up 1.0%. Nasdaq is the laggard at just 0.46%. The flip side: the dollar is firming up (DXY +0.40% to 101.68), and that's crushing everything priced in dollars. Gold is off 2.44%, silver down 4.65%, crude oil sliding 3.56%. Energy is the worst sector, down 2.09%. Bitcoin dropped to $60,425, off 3.35%. The tension worth watching: the CNN Fear & Greed Index sits at 28 — deep in Fear territory. Stocks are rising, but the crowd isn't buying it yet. That disconnect between price action and sentiment rarely stays quiet for long. *This is not financial advice. Acid Capitalist is a financial news and commentary site — not a registered financial adviser. Always do your own research.*Fear & Greed Index
28Fear
0255075100
Market Overview
| Indices | ||
| Dow Jones | 521.78 | +1.00% |
| S&P 500 | 738.66 | +0.69% |
| Nasdaq 100 | 716.95 | +0.46% |
| Russell 2000 | 299.47 | +1.41% |
| Crypto | ||
| Bitcoin | 60,425.00 | -3.35% |
| Cardano | 0.14 | -4.72% |
| Ethereum | 1,629.06 | -1.90% |
| XRP | 1.06 | -3.11% |
| Solana | 67.62 | -2.05% |
| Commodities | ||
| Gold | 368.11 | -2.44% |
| Natural Gas | 11.67 | +1.48% |
| Silver | 53.14 | -4.65% |
| Crude Oil | 107.30 | -3.56% |
| Bonds & Rates | ||
| 20Y Treasury | 87.46% | +1.46% |
| 1-3Y Treasury | 82.05% | +0.10% |
| Short 20Y | 34.05% | -3.10% |
| Forex | ||
| EUR/USD | 1.13 | -0.46% |
| USD/JPY | 161.68 | +0.09% |
| GBP/USD | 1.32 | -0.42% |
| Dollar Index | 101.68 | +0.40% |
| Sectors | ||
| Technology | 184.92 | +0.40% |
| Energy | 53.32 | -2.09% |
| Healthcare | 153.38 | +0.79% |
| Utilities | 45.29 | +0.49% |
| Financials | 53.89 | +0.02% |
| Volatility | ||
| VIX | 22.51 | -2.05% |