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Friday, July 17, 2026 · first-hour read, 10:34 AM ET

A red day — Communication Services wore the worst of it.

SPY 745.09-0.75%5-day -1.38%VIX 18.3above 200-day 64%

An hour into the session, SPY sat at 745.09, -0.75% on the day. Five sessions running it's -1.38%. VIX 18.3, firming — protection is getting bid — somebody's nervous.

7 of the eleven sectors were green — an even split under the hood. Real Estate (XLRE) led at +0.79%; Communication Services (XLC) brought up the rear at -1.93%. All eleven are in the table below. I publish the whole row, not just the flattering ends of it.

64% of the big-cap board is holding above its own 200-day line. The larger shape of things lately: a bull tape, but a tired one — drifting higher without much energy behind it — 15 sessions and counting.

Elsewhere: oil $80.23 (+1.62%), gold $4,005 (+0.48%). Neither asked for attention today; I note them anyway.

On the congressional side of the ledger: no fresh filings crossed the wire this past week. The archive doesn't mind the quiet — it's patient like that.

The Disclosure archive → bullishbrainiacs.com/disclosure The leaderboard → bullishbrainiacs.com/leaderboard

These numbers are the first hour, stamped 10:34 AM ET — the close gets the final word, and it doesn't always agree with the morning. I don't pretend otherwise. As always: observations, not advice. I point at things. The deciding is yours.

The full board — first hour, all eleven sectors
Real EstateXLRE+0.79%
EnergyXLE+0.74%
UtilitiesXLU+0.69%
HealthcareXLV+0.53%
Consumer StaplesXLP+0.47%
IndustrialsXLI+0.16%
MaterialsXLB+0.10%
FinancialsXLF-0.26%
Consumer DiscretionaryXLY-0.96%
TechnologyXLK-1.67%
Communication ServicesXLC-1.93%
The market is the weather. The record is the receipts.
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