Market Update Video
Welcome to our August 2026 Market Update!
Wow! Busy month and I apologize for how delayed this report is.
Markets, as reflected in the S&P 500 were virtually flat with the index down on a tenth of a percent.1 I think this was a “win”…want me to share why?
Interest rates moved significantly higher as evidenced in the 10-year US Treasury. It rose 6% for the month to close at 4.74%.2 Usually, interest rates and stocks do the opposite, so in my experience when rates rise stocks usually fall.
As LPL Research put it on July 29th, “the current Bull Market in stocks follows a historically favorable path as four-year-old markets tend to last at least five years.”3 They also stated that strong corporate earnings remain the key driver of market gains.
So let’s re-visit something I brought up last month and take a look at the psychology of markets for a minute. Do you remember this graphic and where you think we are on this curve? In all of the research I follow, I would have to say I see us somewhere around “Optimism.” With all of the negative headlines, including the U.S./Iran war it would be tough to convince me everyone is euphoric and that making money is easy!
Source: Fisher Investments, “Understanding Bull Markets,” Exhibit 1: The Market Sentiment Life Cycle. Quote attributed to Sir John Templeton.
Since next month’s update is only a couple weeks away, I’m going to save my thoughts around a new asset I’m starting to gravitate to and like more and more. Thank you for following this and please let me know if you have any questions or comments.
See ya next month!
Successfully,
Tim Truebenbach, CFP®
Senior Vice President – Financial Advisor
Disclaimers and Sources
1 Source: Thomson ONE Reuters, S&P 500, 6/30/2026 – 7/31/2026
2 Source: CNBC, 10-year US Treasury, 6/30/2026 – 7/31/2026
3 Source: LPL Research, Jeffrey Buchbinder, CFA, 7/29/2026
The economic forecasts set forth in this material may not develop as predicted and there can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful.
Content in this material is for general information only and not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.
The S&P 500 is a stock market index tracking the stock performance of 500 of the largest companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly.
Stock investing includes risks, including fluctuating prices and loss of principal.