Markets

Market Pulse

Post-Close Edition · Monday, August 3, 2026

S&P 500 up 1.42% as dollar slide sparks broad risk-on rally Crude oil craters 5.46% and crypto sits out — two quiet flags beneath the surface.


The Daily Digest

  1. 01S&P 500 up 1.42% as broad risk-on rally sweeps all four major indices
  2. 02Nasdaq 100 leads with +1.76% gain, tech sector up 1.53% driving the move
  3. 03Russell 2000 up 1.72% — small caps keeping pace with large caps, a healthy breadth signal
  4. 04Crude oil down 5.46% (USO ETF), the session's sharpest move and a drag on energy stocks
  5. 05Energy sector drops 1.28% — only major sector in the red as oil sells off hard
  6. 06USD/JPY falls 2.22% to 156.68 — yen strengthening sharply, dollar broadly weaker
  7. 07Dollar Index (DXY) slides 0.63% to 99.72, supporting the risk rally
  8. 08Bitcoin holds near $63,679, up just 0.32% — crypto sitting out today's equity surge
  9. 09Ethereum slips 1.07% to $1,864 as altcoins lag the broader market
  10. 10Fear & Greed Index at 46 (Neutral) — sentiment not yet chasing this rally

Top Movers

Gainers

ADACardano+2.75%
NDXNasdaq 100+1.76%
RUTRussell 2000+1.72%
XLKTechnology+1.53%
SPXS&P 500+1.42%

Losers

OILCrude Oil-5.46%
USD/JPYUSD/JPY-2.22%
XLEEnergy-1.28%
ETHEthereum-1.07%
TBTShort 20Y-0.73%

What If?

If you had put $1,000 into Cardano yesterday, you'd have $1,027.50 today.


The Big Picture

A broad risk-on rally lifted all four major indices, with the Nasdaq 100 up 1.76% and the S&P 500 gaining 1.42%. The catalyst: a weaker dollar. The DXY — a basket measuring the dollar against major currencies — slid 0.63% to 99.72, and USD/JPY dropped 2.22% to 156.68 as the yen surged. A softer dollar loosens financial conditions globally and tends to send money into equities fast. The breadth was clean. Small caps (Russell 2000, +1.72%) matched large caps stride for stride, tech led sectors at +1.53%, and financials added 0.77%. The one outlier: crude oil cratered 5.46%, dragging energy stocks down 1.28% — the only sector that closed red. Oil's drop reads as a demand concern, but the rest of the market shrugged it off. The tension worth watching: the Fear & Greed Index sits at 46 — neutral, not euphoric. Crypto largely sat out the move, with Bitcoin barely budging at +0.32%. When risk appetite is genuine, crypto usually joins the party. That it didn't is a quiet flag. 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

46Neutral
0255075100

Market Overview

Indices
S&P 500757.67+1.42%
Nasdaq 100700.07+1.76%
Dow Jones531.22+1.32%
Russell 2000296.22+1.72%
Crypto
Bitcoin63,679.00+0.32%
Ethereum1,864.82-1.07%
Solana73.71-0.01%
XRP1.08-0.29%
Cardano0.19+2.75%
Commodities
Natural Gas10.11+0.50%
Silver52.46+0.19%
Gold371.71+0.05%
Crude Oil122.12-5.46%
Bonds & Rates
20Y Treasury82.19%-0.07%
1-3Y Treasury81.77%-0.28%
Short 20Y38.17%-0.73%
Forex
EUR/USD1.15+0.43%
USD/JPY156.68-2.22%
GBP/USD1.35+0.36%
Dollar Index99.72-0.63%
Sectors
Energy58.79-1.28%
Healthcare162.24-0.19%
Technology178.04+1.53%
Utilities44.36+0.02%
Financials57.38+0.77%
Volatility
VIX20.35-0.78%