PUT IN WORK (8/17/2026)
We’re back with another issue! Last week ended up being another positive one for the market, with the Nasdaq (QQQ) finishing up 2.3%, while the S&P 500 (SPY) finished up 1%. Tech and AI-related stocks helped carry the week higher, and soft inflation data gave investors confidence as rate concerns eased.
Monday started the week slightly lower as tech stocks came under pressure. Investors were waiting on upcoming inflation data, and chip stocks struggled a bit after a strong period of positive movement. Nvidia (NVDA), Intel (INTC), and Apple (AAPL) slipped, Although SpaceX (SPCX) managed to climb above its IPO price for the first time since mid-July.
Tuesday was more of the same, with markets falling for a second straight day. The Nasdaq dropped 0.6% and the S&P 500 slipped 0.3% as investors continued to wait for the July CPI report. Alphabet (GOOG) was one of the bigger losers, while Nvidia finished only slightly lower despite positive news and developments.
Wednesday finally brought some relief as CPI came in largely as expected, which helped calm fears that the Fed would need to raise rates soon. The Nasdaq rose 0.5% and the S&P 500 gained 0.3%, helped by strong earnings reactions from CoreWeave (CRWV), Super Micro Computer (SMCI), and Lumentum (LITE).
Thursday kept the momentum going as the Nasdaq climbed 0.8% and the S&P 500 rose 0.7%, with the latter closing at a new record high. A softer-than-expected PPI report gave investors even more reason to be optimistic, and memory stocks such as Sandisk (SNDK), Western Digital (WDC), Micron (MU), and Seagate (STX) all had strong performances.
Friday brought a small pullback, with the Nasdaq down 0.4% and the S&P 500 down 0.2%. Retail sales came in weaker than expected, and consumer sentiment missed estimates, which added a bit of caution back into the market. Still, both major indices managed to close out the week higher.
(Nasdaq ETF (QQQ) price from August 2025 - 2026 — each candle is 1 week. Chart provided by tradingview.com.)
PORTFOLIO UPDATE
Unfortunately, our portfolio actually underperformed last week, with most of our more volatile picks inching lower after their performance in the previous week. We’re happy to see that they stayed fairly still, though, even if they ended lower. We plan to hold all currently owned stocks for the foreseeable future. As always, thank you for reading, and happy investing.