← The Tape · all issues
Wednesday, August 26, 2026 · first-hour read, 10:30 AM ET

A flat tape with a busy corner: Industrials.

SPY 765.11-0.11%5-day -0.50%VIX 15.5above 200-day 76%

An hour into the session, SPY sat at 765.11, -0.11% on the day. Five sessions running it's -0.50%. VIX 15.5, firming — nobody's paying up for protection.

5 of the eleven sectors were green — an even split under the hood. Industrials (XLI) led at +1.12%; Consumer Discretionary (XLY) brought up the rear at -0.55%. All eleven are in the table below. I publish the whole row, not just the flattering ends of it.

76% 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.

Elsewhere: oil $81.65 (-0.86%), gold $4,678 (+0.87%). Worth a line each, no more.

On the congressional side of the ledger: 16 buys and 20 sales disclosed in the last seven days. Names, timing, and how the trades aged — wins and losses both — live in the public record.

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

These numbers are the first hour, stamped 10:30 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
IndustrialsXLI+1.12%
EnergyXLE+1.10%
UtilitiesXLU+0.68%
MaterialsXLB+0.63%
Consumer StaplesXLP+0.06%
TechnologyXLK-0.10%
Real EstateXLRE-0.13%
FinancialsXLF-0.20%
Communication ServicesXLC-0.27%
HealthcareXLV-0.41%
Consumer DiscretionaryXLY-0.55%
Congressional ledger — last 7 daysbuys 16sells 20every filing, named →
The market is the weather. The record is the receipts.
The Disclosure →The Leaderboard →