Today's Recap · Saturday, August 29, 2026
Stocks fade as small caps lag and volatility eases
Major indexes finish lower, but the VIX drops while commodities and crypto split sharply.
The big picture. U.S. stocks end mixed-to-lower, with the S&P 500 down 0.3%, the Nasdaq Comp. down 0.5%, the Dow Jones down 0.0%, and the Russell 2000 down 1.4%. The S&P 500 stays above its 200-day moving average at 7,118.72, while the index closes at 7,711.76 after spending the session mostly in a narrow band around that level.
Sector action is scattered. Comm Svcs rises 1.4% and Discretionary gains 1.2%, while Tech drops 1.6% and Utilities falls 1.0%. Energy also edges higher, while Industrials, Real Estate, Health, and Materials finish lower.
Volatility keeps cooling. The VIX falls 0.6% to 14.43, and the VIX 9-day plunges 33.4% to 11.22. The VIX 3-month and 6-month gauges also drop, pointing to a calmer options backdrop than earlier in the month.
Global stocks are mixed. The Shanghai Comp. rises 1.1% and the Kospi adds 1.5%, while the DAX gains 0.3%. The CAC 40 falls 1.7%, the FTSE 100 slips 0.8%, and the Stoxx 600 closes down 0.7%.
Crypto sells off after a strong month. Bitcoin falls 3.2%, Ethereum drops 2.8%, Solana loses 4.8%, and XRP slips 4.8%. The total crypto market cap falls 4.8% to $2.6T, while Bitcoin dominance holds at 59.0%.