← The Tape · all issues
Friday, September 18, 2026 · first-hour read, 10:30 AM ET

An in-between tape: Energy up front, Materials at the back.

SPY 759.40-0.18%5-day -0.65%VIX 15.4above 200-day 58%

An hour into the session, SPY sat at 759.40, -0.18% on the day. Five sessions running it's -0.65%. VIX 15.4, firming — nobody's paying up for protection.

0 of the eleven sectors were green — more red than green under the hood. Energy (XLE) led at -0.01%; Materials (XLB) brought up the rear at -1.40%. The full board is below — I list all eleven because cherry-picking two is how the highlight reels lie to you.

58% 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 — 17 sessions and counting.

Elsewhere: oil $97.94 (-3.90%), gold $4,386 (-0.32%). Neither asked for attention today; I note them anyway.

On the congressional side of the ledger: 30 buys and 24 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
EnergyXLE-0.01%
IndustrialsXLI-0.06%
TechnologyXLK-0.07%
FinancialsXLF-0.15%
Consumer DiscretionaryXLY-0.29%
HealthcareXLV-0.32%
Consumer StaplesXLP-0.52%
Real EstateXLRE-0.63%
Communication ServicesXLC-0.96%
UtilitiesXLU-1.20%
MaterialsXLB-1.40%
Congressional ledger — last 7 daysbuys 30sells 24every filing, named →
The market is the weather. The record is the receipts.
The Disclosure →The Leaderboard →