PUT IN WORK (8/3/2026)

We’re back with another issue! After a couple of rough weeks, the market finally managed to find its footing. The Nasdaq (QQQ) ended the week up 0.6%, while the S&P 500 (SPY) finished up 1.1%. It wasn’t exactly a calm week, though, as investors had plenty to wrestle with between earnings, including the latest Fed meeting.

Monday started things off mixed, with the S&P 500 finishing just barely higher, while the Nasdaq slipped as chip and memory stocks continued to weigh down the market. Nvidia (NVDA) fell sharply, while names like Sandisk (SNDK), Western Digital (WDC), and Seagate (STX) all moved lower. That being said, Apple (AAPL) stood out by reaching a fresh all-time high.

Tuesday was a bit better for the market, though tech still had several weak performances. Strong earnings from several large companies helped lift sentiment, but chip and memory stocks still struggled. Sandisk, Western Digital, Seagate, Micron (MU), and Intel (INTC) all fell, showing that investors still weren’t fully comfortable jumping back into AI.

Wednesday was the roughest day of the week. Stocks sold off after the Fed decided to keep interest rates unchanged, with investors focusing on what that might mean for inflation and future rate decisions. The Nasdaq fell 1.7%, while the S&P 500 dropped 1.5%.

Thursday brought a much-needed rebound. The Nasdaq surged 2.8% and the S&P 500 climbed 1.7%, helped heavily by big moves in tech. Microsoft (MSFT) jumped after better-than-expected results, and memory stocks bounced back after several difficult sessions. PCE data came in as well, at about what was expected.

Friday wrapped things up on a positive note, even if the day itself was choppy. Amazon (AMZN) soared after strong results, while Apple fell after reporting weaker-than-expected services revenue. Microsoft continued higher, and Meta (META) made a decent recovery. It was a volatile but ultimately positive week. The market still has plenty to digest, but after a difficult stretch for tech, investors were happy to see some recovery by Friday’s close.

(Nasdaq ETF (QQQ) price from July 2025 - 2026 — each candle is 1 week. Chart provided by tradingview.com.)

PORTFOLIO UPDATE

Our portfolio was mixed through and through, with some of our more volatile picks soaring higher while others took a mild dive. Overall, performance was about what we’d expected last week. It’s time to see if the market can reverse, or if it’ll crawl lower. We plan to hold steady and hold all currently owned stocks for the foreseeable future. As always, thank you for reading, and happy investing.