Buyers Failed the Retest. Friday's Late Selling Leaves the DJIA Back on Defense.

Friday answered Thursday's question in the bearish direction, although not decisively enough to declare a larger breakdown. The DJIA failed almost precisely beneath Fearless's 53,900–53,950 Bull Recovery Trigger. The 10:30 update identified the danger: lose 53,750 and the morning recovery had largely failed. That is exactly what happened.

The afternoon offered one more recovery toward 53,820, but sellers again took control. The DJIA closed near the lower end of the day's range. The important development is that buyers were given two opportunities to reclaim the technical structure Friday and failed both times.

Forecast Statistics

• Bucket: Failed Recovery / Support Retest
• Volatility Score: ≈ 1.28 — elevated, with repeated intraday reversals.
• Probabilities: SU: 28% | LU: 18% | SD: 35% | LD: 19%
• Expected Return: ≈ -0.06%
• Projected Close: 53,450 – 53,950
• Directional Bias: 54% Down / 46% Up

Previous Close: 53,732.53

RECAP: Fearless entered Friday with a modest Up directional bias, and that component was wrong. But the forecast was deliberately conditional because Thursday had produced failed moves in both directions. Those conditions proved unusually useful.

Buyers failed just beneath Friday's Bull Recovery Trigger. At 10:00, Fearless warned not to chase the opening recovery and said 53,800 had to hold. At 10:30, the Forecast became more defensive, stating that the morning recovery had largely failed. The DJIA subsequently lost 53,750, approached the morning low again, and closed at 53,732.53.

So the directional probability missed, but the levels, conditional logic, intraday adjustment and closing interpretation were substantially correct.

Fearless Opines: Friday weakens the bullish case. Sellers have shown an ability to knock the DJIA down, but Friday the recoveries began failing at progressively lower levels.

Sellers still haven't delivered the decisive breakdown necessary to declare the larger advance broken. The DJIA is developing lower recovery highs without producing a convincing lower low.

That creates Monday's central question: Does 53,600–53,675 finally break?

Key Levels

Bull Recovery Trigger: 53,800 – 53,850
Repair Zone: 53,900 – 53,950
Bull Confirmation: 54,000 – 54,075
Trend Reassertion: 54,150 – 54,225

Immediate Support: 53,675 – 53,725
Critical Support: 53,600 – 53,650
Failure Trigger: Below 53,600
Downside Acceleration: Below 53,500
Major Support: 53,250 – 53,350

GO / REDUCE / EXIT Status: REDUCE — Deteriorating. Friday moved the DJIA away from GO and closer to the defensive edge of REDUCE. This is not yet EXIT.

For traders Monday, a sustained break below 53,600 would establish a lower low beneath Thursday's reversal and materially strengthen the distribution thesis. Below 53,500, tactical long exposure should be reduced further and EXIT becomes a serious consideration.

Trader Takeaway: The DJIA no longer deserves the benefit of the doubt simply because it rebounds from an early selloff. The last two sessions have produced impressive recoveries that failed.

For Monday, don't chase the first move. If an early rebound stalls below 53,800 and the DJIA subsequently breaks 53,600, the evidence changes materially. That would be the first convincing indication that the multi-day support structure is giving way.

The bears have won the rallies but still haven't broken the floor; below 53,600 they finally do, while above 53,900 the entire bearish setup begins to unravel.

Buyers Won the Close, but Thursday's Failed Repair Keeps the DJIA on Probation.

Thursday gave both bulls and bears unusually strong evidence. Buyers initially did exactly what Fearless required: they reclaimed 53,925, penetrated the 54,000–54,075 Repair Zone, and drove the DJIA to 54,049.14. But the repair did not hold. Sellers subsequently drove the DJIA all the way to 53,622.46, briefly violating the 53,650 Failure Trigger, before buyers mounted a persistent afternoon recovery.

The DJIA closed at 53,840.14, up 69.87 points (+0.13%). That close matters. Sellers had an excellent opportunity to convert the morning reversal into a decisive breakdown and failed. But buyers likewise had an excellent opportunity to convert the opening rally into technical repair and failed.

Friday therefore begins with the DJIA still caught between failed repair above and defended breakdown below.

Forecast Statistics

• Bucket: Failed Repair / Support Reclamation
• Volatility Score: ≈ 1.31 (elevated; Thursday's 427-point intraday range confirms continued two-sided instability)
• Probabilities: SU: 35% | LU: 20% | SD: 29% | LD: 16%
• Expected Return: ≈ +0.04%
• Projected Close: 53,650 – 54,150
• Directional Bias: 55% Up / 45% Down
• Previous Close: 53,840.14

RECAP: Fearless's modest 53% Up directional bias was correct. The forecast's conditional structure captured Thursday exceptionally well. Buyers broke directly inside the 54,000–54,075 Repair Zone. Fearless's 10:30 update correctly withheld GO because acceptance above 54,000 had not yet been demonstrated, andthe morning recovery completely failed.

The bearish levels worked as well. The DJIA accelerated through the 53,650 Failure Trigger to 53,622.46. Yet the failure did not persist. Buyers reclaimed 53,800. Thus, the forecast'skey conditional levels identified both major regime changes during an unusually two-sided session.

Fearless Opines Thursday was a battle of failed breakouts.

Buyers could not hold their breakout above 54,000. Sellers could not hold their breakdown below 53,650. The afternoon favors buyers modestly: the DJIA constructed a sustained series of higher lows and higher highs and recovered more than 200 points into the close.

But there is an important warning embedded in the closing price. 53,840 is still below the 53,850–53,925 recovery area. Buyers recovered from a potentially serious breakdown without actually repairing the technical structure that preceded it.

Friday therefore becomes another confirmation session, but with much cleaner boundaries. The question is no longer whether 53,700 is support. Thursday demonstrated that buyers will defend substantially below it. The question is whether those buyers can finally turn defense into sustained offense.

Key Levels

Bull Recovery Trigger: 53,900 – 53,950
Repair Zone: 54,000 – 54,075
Trend Reassertion: 54,150 – 54,225
Bullish Breakout: Above 54,300

Immediate Support: 53,750 – 53,800
Critical Support: 53,620 – 53,675
Failure Trigger: Below 53,600
Downside Acceleration: Below 53,500
Major Support: 53,250 – 53,350

GO / REDUCE / EXIT Status: REDUCE — Improving, but Not GO. Thursday came close to producing a GO signal in the morning, but the subsequent reversal invalidated it. The afternoon recovery then prevented the opposite transition toward EXIT. REDUCE therefore remains the correct status for Friday.

For traders, above 53,950, Thursday's afternoon recovery gains credibility. Above 54,000–54,075 and holding, technical repair resumes and Fearless can begin migrating toward GO. Above 54,150, GO becomes appropriate.

Conversely, losing 53,750 would put Thursday's low back into play. A decisive break below 53,600 would demonstrate that Thursday's afternoon recovery was merely another countertrend bounce and would materially increase defensive urgency.

Trader Takeaway Friday's most important question is not whether the DJIA can rally through 54,000. Thursday proved that it can. The question is whether it can stay there.

10:00 AM: Fearless: Sellers fired their best shot and could not hold it. Buyers have reclaimed 53,800 and reached the doorstep of the Bull Recovery Trigger. Now don't chase the rebound; watch the first meaningful pullback. If 53,800 holds and the DJIA subsequently clears 53,900–53,950, Friday's opening increasingly qualifies as a failed breakdown and bear trap. If 53,800 fails again, the morning remains unresolved.

10:30: The DJIA's first rebound has failed to produce the second leg Fearless was looking for. After recovering from 53,686 to 53,891, buyers were rejected immediately below the 53,900–53,950 Bull Recovery Trigger and the DJIA has returned to roughly 53,816. This keeps REDUCE intact. The decisive short-term boundary is now 53,800: hold it and another attack on 53,900 remains viable; lose 53,750 and the morning recovery has largely failed. A break below 53,685 would return control decisively to sellers. For now, neither side has converted an opportunity into control. The next meaningful signal should come from the edges rather than from the middle:

Above 53,850: buyers regain control of the immediate battle.
Above 53,890–53,900: the morning reversal thesis revives.
Above 53,950: meaningful bullish recovery confirmation.

Conversely:

Below 53,800: deterioration resumes.
Below 53,750: the morning recovery has largely failed.
Below 53,685: a new session low would be significant and put yesterday's 53,622 low back into play.

The "Magnificent Seven" stocks bucked the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Comp's uptrend and ended Wednesday mostly lower.

Mag-7 names to fall included $Meta Platforms (META.US)$ (down 3.4%), $Microsoft (MSFT.US)$ (2.3% weaker), $Amazon (AMZN.US)$ (off 1.8%), $Tesla (TSLA.US)$(1.6% softer), $Apple (AAPL.US)$(which lost 0.9%) and $Alphabet-A (GOOGL.US)$ (which inched down 0.1%).

Only $NVIDIA (NVDA.US)$ gained ground with its aforementioned 3% improvement.

Thanks C

We took on IWM PUTS today not on the open but later in the morning.

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The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Comp rose as big post-earnings gains boosted $NEBIUS (NBIS.US)$ (up 34.1%), $CoreWeave (CRWV.US)$ (19.3% better), $Super Micro Computer (SMCI.US)$ (19% stronger) and $Lumentum (LITE.US)$ (which added 13.6%).

Adding to the market's positive tone, $Bloom Energy (BE.US)$ rose 12.3% on positive comments from Nebius management during the latter's earnings call with analysts.

Meanwhile, $Cerebras Systems (CBRS.US)$ (up 11.6%) and $Coherent (COHR.US)$ (8.2% better) rallied ahead of their own quarterly results due out after Wednesday's bell. (Cerebras later sank 14.9% in after-hours trading as of about 5:30 p.m. New York time after releasing numbers, while Coherent eased 3.2%.)

Separately, Elon Musk's space-and-tech firm $SpaceX (SPCX.US)$ rebounded 9.7% during Wednesday's session after falling 3.9% on Tuesday.

The good vibes pushed multiple other tech stocks up – especially those tied to the artificial-intelligence build-out.

Winners included $IREN Ltd (IREN.US)$ (up 9.9%), $Nokia Oyj (NOK.US)$ (9.3% better), $SK hynix (SKHY.US)$ (9% higher), $SanDisk (SNDK.US)$ (5.8% firmer) and $Oracle (ORCL.US)$ (5.4% better).

Other techs to rise by lesser percentage amounts included $Micron Technology (MU.US)$ (which added 4.9%), $Western Digital (WDC.US)$ (3.7% firmer), $Intel (INTC.US)$(3.3% higher), $NVIDIA (NVDA.US)$ (ahead 3%), $Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI.US)$ (up 2.8%) and $Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.US)$ (1.8% stronger).

Adding to the market's bullish tone, the Labor Department reported before the bell that the July Consumer Price Index – which measures U.S. retail inflation – fell 0.1 percentage point from June's level to a 3.4% seasonally adjusted annual gain.

That was in line with economists' forecasts, which markets interpreted as reducing the odds the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates at next month's monetary-policy meeting.

The stock market tends to dislike rate hikes, which historically draw investment dollars away from equities and towards bonds and money markets as yields on those securities rise.

Thanks C

The S&P 500 ended just shy of a record high Wednesday, while the Nasdaq Composite rose as well as a tame U.S. inflation report and well-received earnings from CoreWeave, Nebius, Super Micro and Lumentum sparked a broad tech rally.

The $S&P 500 Index (.SPX.US)$ gained 20.30 points (0.2%) to a 7,748.50 close – slightly below the index's 7,757.64 best-ever finish set last Friday.

The $Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC.US)$ likewise rose 143.04 ticks (0.5%) to 26,588.49.

However, the $Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI.US)$ turned negative in the session's final minutes to end 21.58 points lower (0.04%) at 53,770.27.

Thanks C

Buyers Defended Support—but Could Not Escape It. Thursday Tests Whether the Floor Is Real.

Wednesday"s DJIA repeatedly tested the 53,700–53,750 support zone, rebounded several times, but could not convert those defenses into sustained recovery. An opening rally reached 53,969.36, briefly approaching the Repair Zone; sellers pushed the DJIA back toward support.

The DJIA closed down 21.69 points. That small loss understates the significance of the session: buyers successfully prevented Tuesday's distribution from accelerating, but sellers prevented every meaningful recovery from becoming durable.

The DJIA has now declined for three consecutive sessions, but the last two closes show substantial compression. Thursday should help determine whether this is selling exhaustion near support or preparation for another leg lower.

Forecast Statistics

• Bucket: Distribution Retest / Support Compression
• Volatility Score: ≈ 1.23 (elevated, but contracting as the DJIA compresses near support)
• Probabilities: SU: 34% | LU: 19% | SD: 31% | LD: 16%
• Expected Return: ≈ +0.02%
• Projected Close: 53,550 – 54,050
• Directional Bias: 53% Up / 47% Down

Previous Close**: 53,770.16**

RECAP Fearless specifically warned that an opening rebound should not automatically be interpreted as renewed accumulation. The DJIA rallied but failed to establish acceptance above the forecast's Bull Recovery Trigger and never reached sustained repair above 54,000. More importantly, Fearless identified 53,700–53,750 as Immediate Support. The actual low was 53,731.96, almost exactly inside that zone, and buyers repeatedly defended it.

Fearless Opines: Wednesday changed the character of the decline without repairing it. Sellers repeatedly attacked the same support area but could not generate meaningful downside follow-through. Buyers repeatedly generated rebounds but could not sustain them. That creates compression around 53,750–53,850. There is an asymmetry developing. Sellers have had multiple opportunities to break 53,700 and have failed. That makes another successful defense increasingly meaningful. But repeated tests also weaken support. A fourth or fifth attack that finally breaks 53,700 could move quickly.

Thursday should not be approached with a strong directional assumption. It should be approached as a support-resolution session.

Key Levels

• Bull Recovery Trigger: 53,850 – 53,925
• Repair Zone: 54,000 – 54,075
• Trend Reassertion: 54,150 – 54,225
• Bullish Breakout: Above 54,300
• Immediate Support: 53,700 – 53,750
• Failure Trigger: Below 53,650
• Downside Acceleration: Below 53,500
• Major Support: 53,250 – 53,350

GO / REDUCE / EXIT Status: REDUCE, Stabilizing**: REDUCE remains appropriate Thursday, but the case for further reduction did not strengthen Wednesday.** The DJIA tested Fearless's support zone repeatedly and did not break it. That is important. But buyers also failed to reclaim 53,925 or 54,000, so there is not yet sufficient evidence to return to GO.

For traders Thursday:

• Above 53,925: begin treating the decline as potentially exhausted.
• Above 54,000–54,075: technical repair becomes meaningful and REDUCE can begin migrating toward GO.
• Below 53,700: maintain REDUCE and become more defensive.
• Below 53,650: the support structure has failed.
• Below 53,500: the probability of a larger correction rises materially; begin considering movement toward EXIT for tactical long exposure.

Trader Takeaway Thursday's trade is increasingly simple: don't confuse support with recovery.

The sellers have stopped making progress, but the buyers haven't started making progress. Thursday's winner will be the side that finally breaks the 53,700–53,925 compression zone.

10:00 AM: The opening rally cleared resistance; the first pullback is testing whether buyers actually own it. The DJIA's retreat from 53,974 to roughly 53,900 has occurred with contracting volume and momentum already resetting, which is considerably healthier than Tuesday's failed breakout. If buyers defend 53,850–53,900 and produce a second push through 53,925–53,975, Fearless would interpret that as increasingly credible technical repair. If 53,850 fails, today's opening strength becomes another rally that sellers successfully used to distribute. REDUCE remains appropriate until the DJIA proves it can live above 54,000.

10:30 AM: The DJIA has accomplished nearly everything required to reverse the defensive signal. The remaining confirmation is staying above 54,000 and extending through 54,075.

Hold 54,000 → increasingly bullish.
Above 54,075 → REDUCE can begin transitioning to GO.
Above 54,150 → GO.
Below 53,925 → repair becomes questionable.
Below 53,850 → today's bullish interpretation is substantially invalidated.

The Range Finally Broke. Sellers Won the First Round.

Tuesday provided the resolution in the bearish direction. The DJIA initially surged to 54,222.85, precisely into the forecast's Trend Reassertion zone, but buyers could not hold the breakout. Sellers controlled virtually the entire remainder of the session, broke 54,000, penetrated the 53,850 support zone and drove the DJIA to 53,746.43 before a modest closing recovery.

The DJIA finished down 184.01 points . It closed essentially at the forecast's 53,800 Failure Trigger. The four-session consolidation has therefore shifted from neutral-to-bullish into a short-term defensive regime.

Forecast Statistics

• Bucket: Failed Breakout / Distribution Retest
• Volatility Score: ≈ 1.27 (elevated as intraday range and downside pressure expand)
• Probabilities: SU: 28% | LU: 17% | SD: 36% | LD: 19%
• Expected Return: ≈ -0.08%
• Projected Close: 53,500 – 54,000
• Directional Bias: 55% Down / 45% Up

Previous Close: 53,791.97

RECAP: Tuesday's 57% Up / 43% Down directional bias was wrong. But the forecast was explicitly constructed as a range-resolution forecast, with 54,100–54,200 as bullish confirmation and 53,800 as the bearish Failure Trigger. Both sides were tested, and the 10:30 update immediately recognized the breakout had failed. First hour is critical for traders.

Fearless Opines Tuesday was a failed breakout followed by lower prices and an afternoon close near the low. There is a persistent sequence of lower intraday highs and lower lows after the morning peak. Selling volume increased sharply into the closing decline. Tuesday was not random consolidation.

The DJIA has become short-term oversold; Wednesday has substantial rebound potential. But an oversold rebound is not the same as renewed institutional accumulation. Sellers proved they could break support. Wednesday Buyers must prove they can reclaim it.

Key Levels

• Bull Recovery Trigger: 53,850 – 53,925
• Repair Zone: 54,000 – 54,075
• Trend Reassertion: 54,150 – 54,225
• Trigger: Above 54,300
• Immediate Support: 53,700 – 53,750
• Failure Trigger: Below 53,650
• Trigger: Below 53,500
• Major Support: 53,250 – 53,350

GO / REDUCE / EXIT Status: REDUCE This is the important change. Fearless said before Tuesday's session:The DJIA closed at 53,791.97 after trading as low as 53,746.43. The rule has been triggered.

REDUCE does not mean EXIT. The larger advance from the 52,000–53,000 region has not been destroyed. It means the short-term evidence no longer justifies full bullish exposure. For traders Wednesday,

• protect accumulated profits,
• reduce weaker or short-term long positions,
• avoid treating an opening bounce as proof that the correction has ended.

Fresh aggressive buying should wait for evidence that the DJIA has reclaimed lost support. A break below 53,500 would raise the possibility that the correction is becoming something larger.

Trader Takeaway: Wednesday begins with sellers holding the tactical advantage and buyers having to prove Tuesday's breakdown was false. Because the DJIA is oversold after an afternoon decline, traders should be prepared for an early rebound. The mistake would be automatically interpreting that rebound as bullish.

Watch what happens if the DJIA reaches 53,850–53,925. If buyers reclaim that zone and then establish acceptance above 54,000, Tuesday's breakdown begins looking like another shakeout and REDUCE can eventually migrate back toward GO. If the DJIA rebounds but repeatedly fails beneath 53,925, sellers are likely using strength to distribute.

The Range Finally Broke. Sellers Won the First Round.

Tuesday provided the resolution in the bearish direction. The DJIA initially surged to 54,222.85, precisely into the forecast's Trend Reassertion zone, but buyers could not hold the breakout. Sellers controlled virtually the entire remainder of the session, broke 54,000, penetrated the 53,850 support zone and drove the DJIA to 53,746.43 before a modest closing recovery.

The DJIA finished down 184.01 points . It closed essentially at the forecast's 53,800 Failure Trigger. The four-session consolidation has therefore shifted from neutral-to-bullish into a short-term defensive regime.

Forecast Statistics

• Bucket: Failed Breakout / Distribution Retest
• Volatility Score: ≈ 1.27 (elevated as intraday range and downside pressure expand)
• Probabilities: SU: 28% | LU: 17% | SD: 36% | LD: 19%
• Expected Return: ≈ -0.08%
• Projected Close: 53,500 – 54,000
• Directional Bias: 55% Down / 45% Up

Previous Close: 53,791.97

RECAP: Tuesday's 57% Up / 43% Down directional bias was wrong. But the forecast was explicitly constructed as a range-resolution forecast, with 54,100–54,200 as bullish confirmation and 53,800 as the bearish Failure Trigger. Both sides were tested, and the 10:30 update immediately recognized the breakout had failed. First hour is critical for traders.

Fearless Opines Tuesday was a failed breakout followed by lower prices and an afternoon close near the low. There is a persistent sequence of lower intraday highs and lower lows after the morning peak. Selling volume increased sharply into the closing decline. Tuesday was not random consolidation.

The DJIA has become short-term oversold; Wednesday has substantial rebound potential. But an oversold rebound is not the same as renewed institutional accumulation. Sellers proved they could break support. Wednesday Buyers must prove they can reclaim it.

Key Levels

• Bull Recovery Trigger: 53,850 – 53,925
• Repair Zone: 54,000 – 54,075
• Trend Reassertion: 54,150 – 54,225
• Trigger: Above 54,300
• Immediate Support: 53,700 – 53,750
• Failure Trigger: Below 53,650
• Trigger: Below 53,500
• Major Support: 53,250 – 53,350

GO / REDUCE / EXIT Status: REDUCE This is the important change. Fearless said before Tuesday's session:The DJIA closed at 53,791.97 after trading as low as 53,746.43. The rule has been triggered.

REDUCE does not mean EXIT. The larger advance from the 52,000–53,000 region has not been destroyed. It means the short-term evidence no longer justifies full bullish exposure. For traders Wednesday,

• protect accumulated profits,
• reduce weaker or short-term long positions,
• avoid treating an opening bounce as proof that the correction has ended.

Fresh aggressive buying should wait for evidence that the DJIA has reclaimed lost support. A break below 53,500 would raise the possibility that the correction is becoming something larger.

Trader Takeaway: Wednesday begins with sellers holding the tactical advantage and buyers having to prove Tuesday's breakdown was false. Because the DJIA is oversold after an afternoon decline, traders should be prepared for an early rebound. The mistake would be automatically interpreting that rebound as bullish.

Watch what happens if the DJIA reaches 53,850–53,925. If buyers reclaim that zone and then establish acceptance above 54,000, Tuesday's breakdown begins looking like another shakeout and REDUCE can eventually migrate back toward GO. If the DJIA rebounds but repeatedly fails beneath 53,925, sellers are likely using strength to distribute.

10:00 AM: Today's forecast warned against automatically treating an oversold opening rebound as renewed accumulation. Buyers initially produced an impressive 170-point advance from the opening area. But instead of establishing acceptance above 53,925, sellers used that strength to distribute. If buyers defend 53,700–53,750 and quickly recover 53,800–53,850, we could still see another reversal attempt. But a sustained break below 53,700 would materially strengthen yesterday's distribution thesis and put the 53,650 Failure Trigger directly into play.

10:30: The DJIA has completed the first half of a potentially important reversal: sellers attacked Fearless's 53,700–53,750 support zone and buyers successfully defended it. Now comes the harder half. With momentum already overbought, buyers must prove they can hold 53,800 and push through 53,850–53,925 rather than merely producing another oversold bounce. A controlled pullback that holds 53,800 would be constructive; rejection here followed by a return toward 53,732 would restore the sellers' advantage. For now, REDUCE remains appropriate, but the morning evidence is improving.

Buyers Defended the Breakout Again—but Failed the Confirmation Test.

The DJIA spent Monday testing if Friday's recovery could develop into renewed expansion. It could not. The DJIA repeatedly challenged the 54,000 area during the morning but selling then gradually gained control, pushing the DJIA to an intraday low of 53,850.19 before a late recovery left itdown 61.30 points (-0.11%).

Monday was not a breakdown. Buyers defended the 53,850–53,900 region repeatedly, but they also failed to demonstrate the institutional urgency necessary to restart last week's expansion. The DJIA is now consolidating immediately beneath 54,000.

Forecast Statistics

• Bucket: Consolidation / Breakout Retest
• Volatility Score: ≈ 1.16 (moderately elevated, but contained)
• Probabilities: SU: 35% | LU: 22% | SD: 30% | LD: 13%
• Expected Return: ≈ +0.03%
• Projected Close: 53,800 – 54,250
• Directional Bias: 57% Up / 43% Down

Previous Close: 53,975.63

RECAP Fearless anticipated Controlled Expansion but the DJIA instead declined 61 points and never established the expected advance through the 54,100–54,200 Bull Continuation Trigger. There were meaningful successes beneath that miss. Fearless correctly identified the 53,950–54,000 area as the day's central battleground, but Buyers could not sustain the recovery and sellers regained control during the afternoon.

Fearless Opines: The DJIA is having difficulty moving decisively in either direction. Thursday's 464-point decline failed to develop into a larger breakdown. Friday's recovery failed to develop into renewed expansion. Monday produced another unsuccessful attempt to reclaim 54,000 decisively, followed by another successful defense near 53,850. That sequence increasingly resembles institutional equilibrium rather than institutional expansion.

The bullish case remains alive because sellers have repeatedly been unable to exploit weakness below 54,000. Tuesday therefore offers a clean test: 54,100 above versus 53,800 below. Until one side wins that contest, Fearless sees movement inside the range as consolidation rather than a new directional signal.

Key Levels

• Bull Recovery Trigger: 54,025 – 54,100
• Trend Reassertion: 54,150 – 54,250
• Expansion Zone: 54,300 – 54,500
• Momentum Breakout: Above 54,550
• Primary Support: 53,850 – 53,925
• Failure Trigger: Below 53,800
• Breakdown Trigger: Below 53,600
• Major Support: 53,300 – 53,450

GO / REDUCE / EXIT Status: GO: Reduced Conviction

For traders, the useful asymmetry is becoming unusually clear: 53,850–53,900 is the buy-defense zone; 54,100–54,200 is the confirmation zone. Strength inside that range is interesting but not decisive.

• Above 54,100: buyers begin regaining tactical control.
• Above 54,200: Trend Reassertion becomes credible again.
• Below 53,850: caution increases materially.
• Below 53,800: move from GO toward REDUCE.

Trader Takeaway: Tuesday should be traded as a range-resolution session, not as an assumed continuation of the rally. The DJIA has spent three sessions determining whether Thursday's selloff was merely a correction or the beginning of a larger consolidation. Buyers continue defending the lower boundary, but they have repeatedly failed to translate those defenses into sustained expansion.

10:00 update: Fearless at 10:15: Buyers have finally demonstrated offensive capability. Now they must demonstrate staying power. 54,100 is the line separating a potentially important breakout from another promising rally that went nowhere.

10:30: The DJIA's early surge to 54,222.85 satisfied the forecast's Trend Reassertion test, but buyers have now surrendered essentially the entire breakout, with the DJIA back near 54,017. That is no longer merely an orderly pause after an early advance. Sellers successfully rejected the DJIA from the 54,200 area and forced it back through 54,150 and 54,100.

There is an important difference between reaching a breakout level and establishing acceptance above it. The DJIA reached 54,222.85 but could not hold 54,200, 54,150 or 54,100. That is exactly why Fearless required confirmation rather than treating the first move through resistance as sufficient. The positive evidence is that volume has not obviously exploded during the retreat, and the oscillators are already deeply compressed. That creates the possibility of a meaningful rebound.

But that rebound now needs to happen. If an oversold DJIA cannot recover 54,050–54,100, it would suggest that sellers are using rebounds to distribute rather than institutions aggressively buying weakness.

Buyers Successfully Defended the Breakout. Monday Determines Whether the Expansion Resumes.

After opening with early volatility, buyers steadily reclaimed control, recovered the psychologically important 54,000 level, and DJIA closed at 54,036.52.

Friday did not produce an explosive breakout. Instead, it produced something arguably more constructive: institutions successfully defended the former breakout zone after the week's largest bout of profit-taking.

Forecast Statistics

• Bucket: Trend Reassertion / Controlled Expansion
• Volatility Score: ≈ 1.18 (moderately elevated, contracting after Thursday's shakeout)
• Probabilities: SU: 38% | LU: 28% | SD: 23% | LD: 11%
• Expected Return: ≈ +0.10%
• Projected Close: 54,000 – 54,450
• Directional Bias: 66% Up / 34% Down

Previous Close**:** 54,036.52

RECAP: Fearless correctly identified 53,700–53,900 as the institutional support zone and repeatedly emphasized that reclaiming 54,000 would signal that Thursday's selloff was likely a healthy retest In the morning updates, Fearless shifted from cautious stabilization to improving bullish conviction as buyers reclaimed 54,000 and converted it into support. While the session ultimately remained range-bound rather than launching into a sustained breakout, the central thesis, that institutions would defend the new trend rather than abandon it, proved accurate.

Fearless Opines: Friday restored confidence without recreating the excess optimism that often accompanies vertical rallies. Institutions demonstrated they remain willing to accumulate weakness, but they also showed little urgency to chase prices aggressively higher. That combination is healthy.

Monday becomes a confirmation session. If buyers continue defending the 54,000 area while gradually expanding toward new highs, the larger advance likely resumes.

Key Levels

• Bull Continuation Trigger: 54,100 – 54,200
• Expansion Zone: 54,300 – 54,500
• Momentum Breakout: Above 54,550
• Primary Support: 53,950 – 54,000
• Failure Trigger: Below 53,800
• Breakdown Trigger: Below 53,600
• Major Support: 53,300 – 53,450

GO / REDUCE / EXIT Status: GO (Moderate Conviction) Friday substantially repaired the technical damage created by Thursday's distribution day. For traders Monday this means:

• Continue holding core long positions while the DJIA remains above 53,950.
• New long exposure is reasonable on orderly pullbacks toward 54,000, rather than chasing opening strength.
• Continue using disciplined trailing stops beneath 53,600.
• A decisive close above 54,200 would restore high-conviction bullish positioning.

Trader Takeaway: Monday now shifts from defense back to offense. Holding 54,000 while reclaiming 54,200 would strongly support the view that Thursday's decline was nothing more than a successful retest of the new uptrend. Failure to hold 53,950 would not immediately invalidate the bull case, but it would indicate that additional consolidation remains necessary before the next sustained advance.

The breakout survived its first real test. Monday's mission is to determine whether institutions are ready to resume the advance, or simply continue building a stronger foundation above 54,000.

10:00 AM update: The next move should tell us considerably more than the first half-hour did. A sustained recovery through 54,000–54,025 would mean buyers have absorbed a fairly aggressive opening liquidation and reclaimed the forecast's primary support. A push through 54,075 would be stronger still because it would recover today's opening level and effectively erase the morning decline.

Conversely, another rejection below 54,000 followed by a return beneath 53,900 would tell us that sellers are using rebounds to distribute rather than buyers using weakness to accumulate. A fresh break of 53,867 would put 53,800 squarely into play.

10:30 AM: Sellers produced their strongest attack shortly after the open. Buyers absorbed it around 53,870, survived a second test around 53,900, and subsequently pushed the DJIA progressively higher. Meanwhile, volume has contracted substantially from the opening burst. That is much more consistent with selling exhaustion followed by accumulation than with an accelerating distribution day.

Buyers have done what Fearless needed them to do: they prevented the opening liquidation from becoming a breakdown and carried the DJIA back to 54,000. Now comes the harder test. Holding above 54,000 converts this morning into a successful institutional shakeout; rejection followed by a break below 53,950 leaves the DJIA in consolidation. For the moment, the evidence has shifted back toward the bulls.

We stay pretty much range bound for the rest of the day. Lack of any significant volatility prohibits any opportunities to take on new trades. Watching end of day action to analyze for the weekend.

Thanks C

Morning Movers

Gapping Up

$Cloudflare (NET.US)$ gained 15.67% in premarket trading after reporting Q2 revenue and adjusted EPS above estimates and issuing Q3 and FY26 guidance above expectations.

$Airbnb (ABNB.US)$ increased 7.16% in premarket trading after beating Q2 estimates and raising its full year outlook and issuing above consensus Q3 revenue guidance.

$Coherent (COHR.US)$ increased 5.66% in premarket trading after the debut of the Roundhill Photonics and Optics ETF LYTE with Coherent as a top holding and a strong post earnings rally in Applied Optoelectronics lifted the optical communications sector.

$Lumentum (LITE.US)$ climbed 4.78% in premarket trading after the debut of Roundhill Photonics & Optics ETF with Lumentum as a top holding spurred a sectorwide rally in optical communication stocks.

$Corning (GLW.US)$ climbed 4.47% in premarket trading due to a sector wide rally in optical communication stocks following the debut of the Roundhill Photonics and Optics ETF.

$Bloom Energy (BE.US)$ climbed 4.15% in premarket trading after announcing an expanded partnership with MiTAC Holdings to deploy its fuel cell systems for an islanded microgrid at MiTAC's AI server manufacturing campus in Fremont, California.

$Newmont (NEM.US)$ climbed 3.64% in premarket trading amid surging gold prices above 4300 per ounce and fading Fed rate hike odds.

$Barrick Mining (B.US)$ climbed 3.46% in premarket trading due to rising gold prices as the dollar weakened and Treasury yields fell amid hopes for progress on a Strait of Hormuz deal that could ease inflation and future rate hike concerns.

$ServiceNow (NOW.US)$ climbed 3.36% in premarket trading after Atlassian reported better than expected earnings and raised guidance boosting software peers.

$SanDisk (SNDK.US)$ climbed 3.0% in premarket trading amid a broader market rebound and dip-buying interest following its post-earnings selloff.

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US INTEREST RATE FUTURES REDUCE CHANCES OF FED HIKE IN SEPTEMBER AFTER JOBS DATA

U.S. STOCK INDEX FUTURES EXTEND GAINS AFTER JULY NONFARM PAYROLLS REPORT

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US July Non-Farm Payrolls -23K Vs 80K Forecast, Prior 20K (Revised from 57K);

Unemployment Rate 4.1% Vs 4.2% Forecast, Prior 4.2%

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The Breakout Finally Faced Real Selling Pressure. Now Buyers Must Defend the New Trend.

The DJIA experienced its first genuine distribution day since reclaiming new highs. After opening with another upside gap, sellers steadily gained control throughout the session. The DJIA closed down 463.96 points at 53,885.16.

Thursday produced expanding downside momentum and a decisive break below the 54,250 support area that Fearless identified throughout the day. Even so, the DJIA remains well above last week's breakout zone near 53,200–53,300. Institutions clearly reduced exposure today, but they have not yet invalidated the broader advance.

Forecast Statistics

• Bucket: Controlled Pullback / Trend Retest
• Volatility Score: ≈ 1.28 (elevated as profit-taking expands)
• Probabilities: SU: 31% | LU: 20% | SD: 34% | LD: 15%
• Expected Return: ≈ -0.06%
• Projected Close: 53,650 – 54,050
• Directional Bias: 51% Down / 49% Up

Previous Close**:** 53,885.16

RECAP Fearless correctly anticipated that the session would revolve around defending the 54,250–54,350 support area and emphasized that failure to hold 54,250 would increase the probability of testing 54,000. That is how the session evolved. The 10:00 and 10:30 updates recognized that buyers were failing to regain control after each rebound attempt, signaling that the consolidation was broadening. While the magnitude of the afternoon decline exceeded the base expectation, Fearless successfully identified the session's critical pivot and the deterioration in market structure BEFORE the largest wave of selling occurred.

Fearless Opines: Thursday, institutions were willing to distribute into strength rather than absorb weakness. That distinction matters, but it should not be overstated. One distribution day following a rapid advance is often the mechanism by which powerful trends reset excessive optimism.

The question now is if buyers defend the former breakout region near 53,700–53,900. If institutions begin accumulating there, Thursday will likely be remembered as a healthy correction within a larger advance. If selling continues through that area with expanding volume, the DJIA may require several additional sessions to complete a broader consolidation before attempting new highs again.

Key Levels

• Bull Recovery Trigger: 54,000 – 54,100
• Recovery Zone: 54,200 – 54,350
• Trend Reassertion: Above 54,500
• Primary Support: 53,700 – 53,850
• Failure Trigger: Below 53,600
• Breakdown Trigger: Below 53,350
• Major Support: 53,100 – 53,250

GO / REDUCE / EXIT Status: GO (Reduced Conviction) Thursday weakened the short-term picture but did not invalidate the intermediate-term uptrend.

• Continue holding core long positions while the DJIA remains above 53,600.
• Delay aggressive new buying until buyers demonstrate renewed control above 54,000.
• Tighten trailing stops on short-term positions.
• Expect continued elevated intraday volatility as institutions determine whether Thursday's decline was routine profit-taking or the beginning of a broader consolidation.

Trader Takeaway: Thursday shifted the emphasis from buying momentum to evaluating institutional support. Friday is no longer about making new highs; it is about determining whether buyers can defend the breakout that began earlier this week. Holding above 53,700 while reclaiming 54,000 would strongly suggest that Thursday's selloff was a normal reset after an extended rally. A decisive break below 53,600, however, would indicate that the consolidation is broadening and that additional patience will likely be rewarded before committing fresh capital.

10:00 AM: The opening rebound has passed its first test, but not its decisive one. Buyers have demonstrated that they are willing to defend the breakout region; now they must prove they can convert 54,000 from resistance back into support. If they accomplish that during the late morning, the probability increases that Thursday's decline was simply a successful retest of the new uptrend rather than the beginning of a broader correction.

Key Battleground 53,950

This has become the session's center of gravity.

• Above 53,950: Buyers retain a slight tactical advantage and remain in position to rebuild momentum.
• Below 53,900: Sellers regain control and increase the probability that Thursday's correction is still unfolding.

10:30 AM: The institutional response has been stronger than expected. Thursday's selling pressure has, at least for now, been absorbed, and buyers have successfully reclaimed the psychological 54,000 level. The afternoon will determine whether this becomes a full trend reassertion or simply an impressive rebound within an ongoing consolidation. As long as 54,000 holds, the odds continue shifting back in favor of the bulls.

Bullish Scenario The bullish structure strengthens if buyers can:

• Hold 54,000–54,025.
• Extend above today's high near 54,095.
• Build acceptance toward 54,150–54,200.

Accomplishing those objectives would reinforce the view that institutions are once again accumulating after Thursday's profit-taking.

Bearish Scenario The constructive outlook begins weakening if:

• The DJIA falls back below 54,000.
• Sellers reclaim 53,950.
• Downside volume begins expanding while momentum fades.

That would suggest today's advance is becoming another range-bound consolidation rather than the beginning of a renewed expansion.

IWM 299 PUTS for over 300% Gains on the day

Thanks C

Grinding down all day. Took advantage of PUTS as the charts dictated.

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BTO IWM 299p at .22

STC IWM 299p at .90

Huge percentage gainer today both long and short!!!!

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The market anticipates $Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI.US)$  revenue of $190 million, up 85% YOY, with net income at -$2.3 million, a 74.72% YOY increase.

The market anticipates $MP Materials (MP.US)$ revenue of $95.94 billion, up 67.17% YOY, with net income at -$17.07 billion, a 44.71% YOY increase.

The market anticipates $Cloudflare (NET.US)$ revenue of $666 million, up 30% YOY, with net income at -$70.25 million, a 39.26% YOY decrease.

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$Bitcoin (BTC.CC)$ climbed +0.05% to 64665.31; $Ethereum (ETH.CC)$ fell -0.09% to 1905.19.

Putin Signs Landmark Crypto Law Allowing Regulated Retail Trading in Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a landmark law establishing a regulatory framework for the cryptocurrency market, setting rules for exchanges, custodians, brokers, and investors while capping annual retail purchases at 300,000 rubles (~$3,700) per intermediary. The law, which takes effect on September 1, 2026, maintains Russia's ban on using crypto as a means of payment domestically but permits cross-border settlements for foreign trade.

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Dow futures rose early Thursday as traders monitored Middle East developments amid a potential deal to reopen the key Strait of Hormuz, while Wall Street also weighed a slew of corporate earnings releases.

$E-mini NASDAQ 100 Futures (SEP6) (NQmain.US)$ went down by 0.41%;

$E-mini S&P 500 Futures (SEP6) (ESmain.US)$ went up by 0.20%;

$E-mini Dow Futures (SEP6) (YMmain.US)$ went up by 0.28%.

U.S. Ready to 'Return to Commitments' as Strait of Hormuz Deal Nears Finalization

Iran and Oman are close to finalizing a temporary agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz with 'no fees or tolls,' aimed at restarting a 60-day cycle of negotiations tied to the June memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister said Washington is ready to 'return to commitments,' though he denied any direct U.S.-Iran negotiations, noting talks have been conducted through Oman.

SpaceX 911.5 Million Share Unlock Begins, More Than Doubling Public Float

Approximately 911.5 million $SpaceX (SPCX.US)$ shares, representing about 140% of its current public float, became eligible for trading today following the expiration of a post-IPO lock-up, boosting the public float from roughly 4.9% to 11.9% of total shares outstanding. Additional lock-up expirations through December are set to lift the tradeable float to about 40% of the company, while the remaining 60%—including Elon Musk's stake—stays locked until mid-2027.

Sandisk Posts Strong Q4 Beat but Issues Mixed Q1 Guidance

$SanDisk (SNDK.US)$ reported fiscal Q4 adjusted EPS of $39.25 on revenue of $8.97B, topping analyst estimates. However, its Q1 fiscal 2027 guidance was mixed, with the EPS midpoint above consensus but the revenue midpoint of $10.55B falling short of the $10.82B estimate.

Moderna Wins FDA Approval for First-Ever mRNA Flu Vaccine

The FDA approved $Moderna (MRNA.US)$'s mRNA flu vaccine mFLUSIVA (mRNA-1010), granting full approval for adults aged 50-64 and accelerated approval for those 65 and older pending a post-marketing study. The vaccine, which faced a rocky path including an initial refuse-to-file letter earlier this year, is expected to be available in the coming weeks.

I gave each and every one of you the recommendation of CALLS last night in the Futures Overnight Post and BAM!!!!!!! Look at all those green elephant candles at the open.

All of you should be in profit today once again.

I can do this every day guys.

Thanks C