Daily Market Scan — 2026-08-01
One-time research run covering trading day 2026-07-31. Machine-readable record in metadata/market/daily-snapshot-2026-08-01.yaml.
One-time research run covering trading day 2026-07-31. All data collected via live public websearch and machine-parseable endpoints. Machine-readable record: metadata/market/daily-snapshot-2026-08-01.yaml (follows metadata/market/schemas/).
Executive Summary
S&P 500 +0.70% to 7,489.72 (+9.2% YTD) on an Amazon-led tech rally to close July. The FOMC left rates at 3.50–3.75% by a 9–3 vote on Jul 29 — three officials (Hammack, Kashkari, Logan) dissented for a hike — citing Middle East conflict and energy supply shocks as inflation sources. June CPI cooled to 3.46% YoY, supporting the hold. Volatility compressed (VIX 15.99, −6.4% on day), while the 10Y–2Y curve steepened to 0.47%. Watch the July jobs report and a heavy earnings week ahead.
Indices (2026-07-31 close)
| Index | Level | Day (%) | 5D (%) | 1M (%) | YTD (%) | vs 200-DMA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | 7,489.72 | +0.70 | +1.05 | +0.09 | +9.20 | +6.63 |
| Nasdaq 100 | 25,373.85 | +1.00 | +1.59 | −2.56 | +9.20 | +5.73 |
| Dow Jones | 52,485.03 | +0.53 | +1.04 | +0.34 | +8.48 | +7.00 |
| Russell 2000 | 2,931.34 | −0.50 | +0.05 | −2.70 | +16.87 | +9.52 |
Source: Yahoo Finance v8 chart API (daily closes).
Macro
| Indicator | Value | Date | Reaction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fed Funds Target Range (FOMC) | 3.50–3.75% | 2026-07-29 | Held 9–3; 3 dissents for +25bp hike (Hammack, Kashkari, Logan) |
| CPI YoY | 3.46% | June | MoM −0.42%; cooling print kept hikes on hold |
| Core CPI YoY | 2.57% | June | Flat MoM; disinflation intact |
| Initial Jobless Claims | 197k | w/e 07-25 | +9k vs prior week; low level, modest softening |
| ISM Services PMI | 54.0 | June | Expansion steady; factories softer |
Sources: federalreserve.gov, FRED CSVs (CPIAUCSL, CPILFESL, ICSA), ISM via PR Newswire.
Catalysts
| Event | Type | Date | Status | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Q2 beat; AI capex raised to $220B | earnings | 07-30 | hit | high |
| Apple falls on earnings (tech split) | earnings | 07-30 | hit | medium |
| Macro risk premium builds; Middle East conflict in FOMC statement | macro_risk | 07-31 | hit | medium |
| July jobs report + heavy earnings week (SpaceX 1st report, MCD, AMD) | earnings | 08-03+ | upcoming | high |
Metrics
| Metric | Value | Prior | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIX | 15.99 | 17.09 | −6.4% day; complacency back after FOMC-week spike to 20.7 |
| 10Y–2Y spread | 0.47% | 0.45% | Curve steeper; mildly reflationary |
| SPX vs 200-DMA | +6.63% | — | Uptrend intact, moderately stretched |
| Fear & Greed | n/a | n/a | CNN dataviz bot-blocked (418); news tone suggests greed |
| P/E (trailing) | n/a | n/a | Yahoo v10 needs crumb flow; skipped this run |
Sources: CBOE VIX_History.csv, FRED T10Y2Y, Yahoo v8.
News Headlines
- Fed Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged, Despite Three Votes for an Increase — NYT, 07-29
- Amazon revenue soars as AI investments pay off — Axios, 07-30
- Amazon hikes 2026 capex to $220 billion due to higher memory costs — CNBC, 07-30
- Traders Gird for More S&P 500 Volatility as Macro Risks Rise — Bloomberg, 07-31
- Stocks Rise on Big Amazon Earnings Beat — Kiplinger, 07-31
Methodology & Sources
- Indices: Yahoo Finance v8 chart API (
range=1y&interval=1d), computed day/5D/1M/YTD/200-DMA. - Yields & CPI: FRED
fredgraph.csv(DGS10, DGS2, DGS30, T10Y2Y, CPIAUCSL, CPILFESL, ICSA). - VIX: CBOE
VIX_History.csv(cross-checked against Yahoo v8). - News & catalysts: Google News RSS (
when:3d) across market/fed/jobs/CPI/earnings queries; FOMC statement from federalreserve.gov. - Blocked this run: Reuters (401), CNN Fear & Greed dataviz (418 bot-block), Yahoo v10 quoteSummary (crumb auth).
- Data as-of: 2026-07-31 (report date 2026-08-01).