September Stock Market Performance in Midterm Election Years | Jeff Hirsch

Since 1950, September has historically delivered bearish stock market performance across major indexes, with all-year averages dropping 0.6% to 0.8% by month-end. Midterm-election years significantly amplify this weakness through four-phases: 

 

► Sep 1–8 (Tue–Tue) = Trading Days 1–5: Sideways-to-up / modestly higher. Most midterm series (especially Russell 2000 and DJIA) rise, with several peaking near +0.5% to +1.0%.
► Sep 9–17 (Wed–Thu) = TD 6–12: Sideways to mildly fading. Early gains are largely held or only slowly given back. S&P 500 midterm often remains the strongest (still near its peak), while NASDAQ and Russell lines begin drifting lower.
► Sep 18–25 (Fri–Fri) = TD 13–18: Steady decline. The mid-month advantage disappears; indices trend lower and most move into negative territory.
► Sep 28–30 (Mon–Wed) = TD 19–21: Accelerating sell-off / sharp weakness. Losses deepen, particularly in NASDAQ and Russell 1000 (historically finishing around –1.6% to –1.8%). Russell 2000 also shows a late plunge.

Reference:

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (September 1, 2026) - September Seasonality: Weakness Intensifies in Midterm Years.

Average S&P 500 total-return path (indexed to 100 on midterm Election Day) for all midterm years since 1970 (1970–2022), spanning roughly ±6 months. X-axis centers on Election Day (first Tuesday in November); y-axis tracks cumulative total return. The average line rises in the final ~22 trading days before the election (= October 2, 2026) and continues higher afterward (+14.1% average in the following six months). A separate “Lost Control” series (party loses presidential trifecta) lags the broader average post-election (+10.4% vs. +16.1%).

See also:

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (June 25, 2026) - July Stock Market Performance in Midterm Election Years.

Seth Golden (July 28, 2026) - Presidential Cycle Sweet Spot: Post-Midterm Election Gains.

Hurst Cycles Update: SPX, NDX, ASX, Gold, Bitcoin | David Hickson

S&P 500: A 20-week trough formed July 29. Bullish momentum has weakened but is not yet bearish; the key question is whether another 40-/80-day peak forms before an F-category break below the 20-day FLD initiates the decline into the mid-September 80-day trough.

 

NASDAQ: A 20-week trough formed at the end of July, at least 20-week magnitude and potentially higher. The NASDAQ retains stronger near-term bullish potential than the S&P 500, with 30,239 still outstanding and a possible double peak preceding the eventual F-category decline into the 80-day trough.

 

Australian ASX: A 20-week trough formed around the US troughs, but the 20-day FLD has produced unclear signals and the trough did not clearly form below it. A 40-day trough probably formed in the third week of August, although an alternative remains. The ASX is likely approaching its second 80-day peak, but its FLD is unusually unreliable (23% interaction rating), while failure to reach 9,237 provides a stronger bearish warning than in the US markets.

 

 

Gold: A 20-week trough formed in the third week of July. Gold's bullish impetus may have been exhausted at its recent 80-day/possible 20-week peak; the confirmed F-category FLD break favors approximately $4,312 and a mid-September 80-day trough, although larger bullish cycles may remain ahead.

 

 

 
Bitcoin: Bitcoin has finally rallied from the potentially January 2026 18-month trough. A 20-week trough was identified in early July, although it could also represent a better placement of the 18-month trough. Bitcoin has finally produced the expected bullish strength; the 76,753 40-week FLD target has been exceeded, while the 20-day FLD will determine whether the 80-day trough occurred early or remains ahead.

 

 

Reference:

David Hickson (August 31, 2026) - Hurst Cycles Market Update. (video) 

Third-to-Last Trading Day of August: 90.5% Bullish Record | Jeff Hirsch

August's third-to-last trading day is a calendar favorite for the bulls. Over the past 21 years, the S&P 500 has risen 19 times—a 90.5% win rate—making it one of only two days of the year with 19 gains in 21 years; the other is the first trading day of July.

 Bullish Third-to-Last Trading Day of August (2005-2025).

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has an even stronger claim: its third-to-last trading day of August has been its best-performing day of the entire year, also gaining 19 of 21 times (90.5%).

This unusually strong late-August bias may reflect seasonal positioning: institutions prepare portfolios for the fall, retirement and investment contributions continue, and investors anticipate upcoming earnings, economic data, and Federal Reserve developments. With August ending, markets also begin positioning for the historically active final four months of the year.

Reference:
Jeffrey A. Hirsch (August 26, 2026) - Dow's Best Day of the Year.

See also:
Jeff Hirsch (July 25, 2026) - August Stock Market Performance in Midterm Election Years.

Seth Golden (July 28, 2026) - Presidential Cycle Sweet Spot: Post-Midterm Election Gains.

The Saturn-Rahu/Ketu Conjunction Blueprint of Market Cycles | Allen Reminick

At the heart of this predictive system is a simple yet profound observation: the Moon's conjunction with the lunar South Node (Ketu) tends to produce bullish market behavior, while its conjunction with the North Node (Rahu) signals bearish pressure. 

This 1646 engraving by Jesuit polymath Athanasius Kircher is an astronomical calculating tool from his book Ars Magna Lucis et Umbrae (The Great Art of Light and Shadow). Known as the Eclipse Dragon, the diagram maps and predicts solar and lunar eclipses. The beast's winding body represents the ecliptic plane, as eclipses occur only when the Moon intersects this path. The dragon's head on the left marks the ascending North Node, historically called "Caput Draconis." Its coiled tail on the right signifies the descending South Node, or "Cauda Draconis."

Fifteen years of statistical validation show that buying during Moon-Ketu conjunctions and selling at Moon-Rahu conjunctions yields a 70% win rate over two-week periods in the S&P 500. The critical caveat is that even when the statistics suggest shorting during Moon-Rahu alignments, the prudent approach avoids counter-trend positions in a bull market. The deeper principle is that the nodes serve as polarity points: Ketu represents contraction and Rahu expansion, each exerting a predictable gravitational influence on market psychology.

Saturn-Rahu Synodic Cycle: The Explosive Bull Catalyst

The strongest evidence for planetary influence emerges from the 11.4-year Saturn-North Node synodic cycle (11.4045 years = 4,165.443 days). When the angle between them measures approximately thirteen degrees—as on March 01 (Sat), 2025 [exact 2025 Saturn–North Node conjunction: on April 14 with the mean node, on April 21 (Mon), 2025 with the true node], preceding the March 30th low—historical back-testing reveals extraordinary consistency. Over 110 years, every occurrence of this specific angular relationship produced an explosive rally shortly thereafter. The 2025 rally from the April lows demonstrated the pattern with remarkable precision, following the template established in 1992, 2003, and 2014, each separated by the 11.4-year interval.

The predictive power extends beyond price action into geopolitical correlation. The same Saturn-Rahu alignment that preceded the 2025 market low also maps to the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003, the Gulf War in 1991, and Ruhollah Khomeini's rise to power in Iran in 1979. Four cycles later, on February 28, 2026, Ali Khameini was murdered on the exact day another cycle began. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991 aligned with this cycle, while its formation sixty-nine years earlier also fell on the same pattern. The 2025 Straits of Hormuz crisis mirrors the Dardanelles crisis of 1878—precisely 148 years, or thirteen synodic cycles, apart—with both involving naval deployments to keep strategic waterways open.

Saturn-Ketu Conjunction: The Bearish Counterpoint

The opposite nodal alignment—Saturn conjunct Ketu—produces the mirror image: severe bear markets every 34 years, or three Saturn-Rahu cycles. The October 11th, 2007 conjunction in Leo [exact Saturn–Ketu conjunction October 12 or 23, ephemeris-dependent] marked the exact high of the Great Financial Crisis. 

Three cycles earlier came the 1974 bear market, triggered three days after President Nixon's resignation. Three cycles before that, the 1940 crash unfolded as Hitler's European campaign intensified. Each occurrence produced a waterfall decline of approximately twenty percent, establishing durable lows that, crucially, were followed by recovery to new highs within five years—a pattern suggesting that the 4,800 level on the S&P in April 2025 will hold as a long-term floor.

Symmetry of Opposites: Market Inversion Mechanics

When Saturn-Rahu and Saturn-Ketu conjunctions occur at opposite zodiacal points, the market responds with striking symmetry. The 2007 high, generated by a Ketu conjunction, corresponds to the 2025 low produced by its Rahu counterpart, inverting the Great Financial Crisis into an upside-down mirror image. 

 

The recent S&P rally was driven by the Saturn‑Rahu synodic cycle: On March 1, 2026, a high formed with a thirteen‑degree angle between Saturn and the North Node, followed by a low on March 30. This exact thirteen‑degree angle recurs every 11.4 years, and back‑testing over 110 years shows that every occurrence produced an explosive rally soon after the corresponding high. Crucially, from every Saturn‑Rahu low, the market is invariably higher five years later, with no exceptions, even when intermediate bear markets appear, as in 1957 and 1969. The synodic period of 11.4 years shifts through different zodiac signs, requiring a full thirteen cycles—totaling 148 years—to return to the identical starting position. On a short‑term basis, Moon‑Ketu conjunctions are bullish and Moon‑Rahu conjunctions are bearish, yet in a bull market one must never counter‑trend short on the Moon‑Rahu signal. 

The 17.5-year interval—1.5 times the 11.4-year cycle—aligns the 2008 Lehman Brothers collapse, the worst phase of the decline, with the most explosive portion of the 2025 rally. On November 21 (Fri), a secondary low followed by a six-week bounce, maps precisely to current market positioning, providing a roadmap for the coming months: a continuation of the rally into September, punctuated by a July dip.

The 34-Year Cycle: Structural Superiority Through Zodiacal Rotation

While the 11.4-year Saturn-Rahu cycle demonstrates impressive predictive capability, the 34.2-year cycle exhibits greater longevity and structural integrity. The reason lies in zodiacal position: the 1991 conjunction occurred at the beginning of Capricorn [Jan 21 (Mon), 1991, while the 2025 alignment in the sidereal system occurred at approximately two degrees of Pisces]—a sixty-degree rotation. 

 

34.25-Year Saturn–Node Cycle Overlay: Weekly Dow versus the same chart shifted back 34.25 years (three Saturn–North Node synodic cycles of 11.4045 years each). The April 2025 low maps directly onto the December 1991 low, the 2007–09 financial-crisis decline aligns with the 1974 crash, and the 15 October 2014 low coincides with the 30 March 2025 low at 97 percent correlation on five-minute bars. The longer-term fidelity arises because the 1991 conjunction occurred at the start of Capricorn while the 2025 conjunction fell near 2° Pisces sidereal—a 60° rotation that preserves the cycle’s structural integrity far beyond isolated 11.4-year repetitions. Project the pattern forward from 34 years ago for the continuing roadmap.

This sixty-degree planetary shift, equivalent to one-sixth of the zodiac, preserves the cycle's periodicity across extended timeframes with 95% correlation. The April 2025 low corresponds precisely to the December 1991 low, with identical swing structures, while the 2007–2009 financial crisis maps to the 1974 crash, demonstrating that the thirty-four-year interval captures both the 11.4-year cycles and their sixty-degree rotations.

Jupiter-Saturn Supra-Cycle: The Grand Synthesizer

Above these cycles operates the Jupiter-Saturn synodic cycle, completing every 19.85 years and remaining in the same elemental sign for 250-year epochs. The 60-year cycle—three Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions, approximating 59.6 years—provides the most reliable long-term market template, with 1965 aligning perfectly with 2025 and 1966 with 2026. 

Multiplying the three cycles yields a 178-year interval connecting the 1842 Opium Wars to the current opioid crisis in the US, with trade direction reversing from west-to-east to east-to-west. The same 178-year span links Mexico's 1828 independence and subsequent invitation to American settlers with today's immigration crisis, demonstrating that these cycles govern not merely market prices but the collective human drama itself.

Human Element: Consciousness Embedded in Cosmic Structure

The patterns repeat because human nature remains constant. The same emotions, fear and greed, and cognitive biases that drove traders in 1878 continue to drive traders today. Planetary configurations serve as signposts—mathematical markers of where collective consciousness directs its attention and emotional energy. 

 

Partial Solar Eclipse (August 12, 2026) and Partial Lunar Eclipse (August 28, 2026) over New York. Moon-Rahu and Moon-Ketu conjunctions occur once per Draconic Month (~27.2122 days) at each node. The most critical conjunctions occur when the Moon aligns with a node near a syzygy (New or Full Moon), producing solar or lunar eclipses—for example, March 3, 2026, Ketu: Total Lunar Eclipse; August 12, 2026, Rahu: Total Solar Eclipse; August 28, 2026, Rahu: Partial Lunar Eclipse. 

Recognizing this structure dissolves the apparent chaos of markets into ordered pattern. The trader ceases to be a victim of random events and becomes an informed participant in a cosmic drama, understanding that the script was written not in Washington or on Wall Street, but in the mathematics of the solar system itself. As the ancient aphorism states: "As above, so below." Markets, far from being disconnected from natural law, operate as its most transparent expression.

Reference:
Allen Reminick (May 30, 2026) - The Hidden Math of Markets. (video)

 

The divine Macroprosopus reflected as the
earthly Microprosopus within the ouroboros.

See also: 
Margo Amala (August 11, 2026) - August 2026 Eclipses: Financial Markets & Monetary Regimes. 

TPR (2026) - 2026 US Stock Market Forecast Based on Jack Gillen's Principles. 

TPR (2026) - The S&P 500 vs. True Lunar Nodal Speed.

S&P 500 vs. Ap Index: +3-Day Lag and Limits of Multi-Week Forecasting

The chart below illustrates the hypothesis that geomagnetic activity, measured by the planetary Ap index, precedes trend reversals, as geomagnetic disturbances subtly impair collective mood and increase risk aversion. This idea draws on research examining correlations between space weather and financial markets, including evidence of both direct and inverse relationships between Ap—and related Kp and F10.7—readings and subsequent market performance.

S&P 500 vs. Ap Index (Apr-Oct 2026). Projected Ap peaks: Sep 4 (Fri),  Sep 17–20 (Thu-Sun), Oct 1 (Thu). 

Wait 24–35 or so days and the AP–price correlation will look almost perfect again.

 

Chart Construction and Data Sources

The chart overlays the daily S&P 500 with the Ap index shifted forward by three calendar days—the short lag that currently offers the best balance between the classic weekly effect reported in the literature and practical S&P 500 trading-day alignment. The series is then extended using the NOAA 45-day Ap forecast. Historical daily Ap data are sourced from GFZ Potsdam, while the dashed forward segment represents the latest NOAA SWPC 45-day Ap forecast, issued on August 22, 2026. 

 

Limits of the NOAA 45-Day Forecast for Forward Correlation

However impressive the historical correlation may appear, its reliability as a guide to future relationships is inherently limited. NOAA's 45-day Ap forecast is a relatively low-resolution space-weather projection, it is adjusted on a daily basis, and its predictive skill declines rapidly beyond the first week. Moreover, the forecast activity levels shown in the chart are modest (Ap 8–15) and remain well below classic geomagnetic storm thresholds: Ap 8–15 corresponds roughly to Kp 2–3 (quiet to unsettled conditions), while Ap 48 corresponds to Kp 5, the threshold for a NOAA G1 geomagnetic storm. 

  

Latitude-Dependent Solar Rotation and Active-Region Return Times

Sunspots and active regions do not return to the Earth-facing side of the Sun on a fixed schedule. Because the Sun rotates differentially—faster at the equator (~25 days sidereal, or ~27 days synodic as seen from Earth) and progressively slower at higher latitudes (reaching ~30–35 days near the poles)—the time required for a given region to reappear depends on its heliographic latitude. The standard Carrington frame uses a compromise rotation period of 27.2753 days (synodic), which roughly corresponds to the typical 10–20° latitudes of sunspots. Regions at higher latitudes therefore take longer to rotate back into view, while those near the equator return sooner. 

 

Solar Activity Snapshot: Comparing Sunspot distribution on the Earth-facing and far sides of the Sun (August 22, 2026). 

From above the Sun's north pole, its rotation is counterclockwise, carrying sunspots from left to right.

 

Reading the Raben Earthside and Farside Maps 

The Raben maps above illustrate this directly: The Earthside view shows currently visible active regions, identified by NOAA numbers and activity-color coding, while the Farside view highlights returning regions with meridian lines estimating the number of days until they may reappear, assuming a uniform rotation rate. In reality, those return times can stretch or compress with latitude. A high-latitude complex visible on the farside today, for example, may take several additional days to rotate back into Earth view compared with a low-latitude region. 

 

How Returning Regions Drive F10.7 and Ap

These returning regions influence both the 10.7 cm radio flux (F10.7) and geomagnetic activity (Ap and Kp). F10.7 serves as a direct proxy for solar EUV/UV output associated with active regions and plages; when a large active complex rotates onto the Earth-facing disk, F10.7 typically rises. Ap, by contrast, responds more indirectly: high-speed solar-wind streams from coronal holes, as well as coronal mass ejections launched from Earth-directed active regions, can disturb the magnetosphere and elevate the planetary Ap index. 

 

Construction of the 27-Day and 45-Day NOAA Forecasts

Consequently, the 27-day forecast for F10.7 and the geomagnetic Ap and Kp indices and the 45-day Ap/F10.7 forecast issued and updated daily by NOAA SWPC, are both built around the expected recurrence of these features through solar rotation. The 27-day forecast is essentially a recurrence forecast, assuming that active regions and coronal holes will reappear roughly one Carrington rotation later. The 45-day forecast extends this approach farther into the future, blending recurrence-based estimates with a longer-term background trend.

The time a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) takes to reach Earth depends mainly on its density and solar-wind conditions:. fast CMEs (>1,000 km/s) arrive in 1–2 days, average CMEs (500–1,000 km/s) in 2–3 days, and slow CMEs (<500 km/s) in 3–5 days.

The Moon's orbit through Earth's magnetosphere, and the corresponding reduction in solar wind ion flux as it enters the magnetotail cavity near full Moon (0°), provides one example of how the solar wind–magnetosphere configuration can influence geomagnetic conditions. More broadly, the semiannual variation of geomagnetic activity is linked to the interaction between the solar wind and Earth's tilted magnetic field, which typically causes increased geomagnetic disturbances around the equinoxes and lower activity around the solstices.

Why Multi-Week Ap Forecasts Remain a Coarse Guide

That is precisely why attempts to forward correlate 27-day and 45-day Ap forecasts with the S&P 500 are inherently limited. The Sun's differential rotation, the uncertain evolution of active regions—including their growth, decay, or disappearance while on the farside—the variable geoeffectiveness of individual regions, and the chaotic nature of solar-wind–magnetosphere coupling all erode day-to-day predictability.  

 

KMAS 3- and 7-day solar wind forecast based on ACE observations.

GFZ high resolution 3-day forecast of ap30, ap60 and ap indices.

 

Hence, multi-week Ap and F10.7 forecasts should be interpreted primarily as defining a broad solar-activity envelope rather than as precise day-by-day projections capable of supporting a tight forward correlation with daily S&P 500 returns. By contrast, short-horizon tools—such as the NOAA 3-day forecast, the LSTM-based 72 hour Ap predictor, and real-time L1 solar-wind data—retain greater predictive value for near-term market conditions.

  

See also:

Jeffrey A. Hansen (2026) - Physics-Based Forecasts of Investment Sentiment. 

Vladimir Belkin (2024) - Strong Inverse Correlation between Ap Index and Gold Price.  

Lifang Peng et al. (2019) - Ap Index of Geomagnetic Activity and S&P 500 Returns. 

Anna Krivelyova & Cesare Robotti (2003) - Playing the Field: Geomagnetic Storms and the Stock Market.

Price Performance vs. Zodiac Signs, Lunar Phase & Mercury Retrograde

S&P 500 (SPX) performance by color-shaded Zodiac Signs (2016–2026),

New Moon, Full Moon and rosa-shaded Mercury Retrograde periods. 

S&P 500 Strategy: Go long during bullish zodiac phases and short during bearish phases; hold through phase end with a 2% stop-loss (1% tighter stops improved results). Starting with $1,000, a 10 year walk-forward case study produced $5,410. The win rate exceeded RSI, Stochastic, and MFI, slightly outperforming Stochastic. Low-win-rate signs (e.g., Gemini at 39%) can be omitted. 

Augmented version: Enter long only when Stochastic (14,1,3) ≤20 during a bullish phase; enter short only when ≥80 during a bearish phase; hold through the full phase. Python backtest: $18,571.79 over two years with a 66.67% win rate. 

Using 10 years of S&P 500, Mercury retrograde periods frequently preceded major pivots, with post-retrograde directional flips.

Upcoming Events (dates and times for New York City):

Jul 29 (Wed), 2026 07:34 EDT — Full Moon (Buck Moon)

Aug 12 (Wed), 2026 12:11 EDT — New Moon

Aug 23 (Sun), 2026 00:19 EDT — enters Virgo (150 deg from 0 deg Aries = vernal equinox)

Aug 27 (Thu), 2026 19:18 EDT — Full Moon (Sturgeon Moon / Lunar Eclipse)

Sep 10 (Thu), 2026 21:12 EDT — New Moon

Sep 22 (Tue), 2026 16:05 EDT — enters Libra (180 deg) (Fall Equinox)

Sep 26 (Sat), 2026 05:49 EDT — Full Moon (Corn / Harvest Moon)
Oct 10 (Sat), 2026 08:51 EDT — New Moon

Oct 22 (Thu), 2026 23:00 EDT — enters Scorpio (210 deg)

Oct 24 (Sat), 2026 03:02 EDT — Mercury Retrograde Begins

Oct 25 (Sun), 2026 15:38 EDT — Full Moon (Hunter's Moon)
Nov 08 (Sun), 2026 23:02 EST — New Moon

Nov 13 (Fri), 2026 11:01 EST — Mercury Direct Resumes

Nov 21 (Sat), 2026 16:00 EST — enters Sagittarius (240 deg)

Nov 24 (Tue), 2026 00:53 EST — Full Moon (Beaver Moon)
Dec 08 (Tue), 2026 15:49 EST — New Moon

Dec 21 (Mon), 2026 10:50 EST — Capricorn (270 deg) (Winter Solstice)

Dec 23 (Wed), 2026 09:28 EST — Full Moon (Cold Moon)

 

Volatility S&P 500 Index (VIX; 2016–2026) 

 

Bitcoin (BTCUSD; 2016–2026) 

Gold (XAUUSD; 2016–2026) 

Silver (XAGUSD; 2016–2026)

 

WTI Light Crude Oil (XTIUSD; 2016–2026)

 

Dollar Index (DXY; 2016–2026)

 

Reference:

Astrology Toolkit [SS] TradingView Indicator coded by Steversteves. 

 

Forecast Based on "Moon Synodic + Sun in Virgo" Model | Sergey Tarassov

 

 

 [HERE]

 

See also:
TPR (2024) - 24 Chinese Solar Terms in 2025. Winter Begins Today (立冬 - Lì Dōng).
Tianbao Zhou et al. (2021) - Chinese Stock Indices, Gann Time Theory and Solar Terms.
W.D. Gann (1950s) - How to Divide the Yearly Time Period.

Margin Debt Hits Record Then Drops: Classic Late-Cycle Sign | Branimir Vojcic

Latest FINRA data published in mid-August show that US margin debt fell to $1.42T in July 2026 after reaching a record $1.50T in June, marking the first decline following a sustained period of increases.

The chart tracks US margin debt versus the S&P 500 from 1997–2026, highlighting historical peaks in leverage that preceded S&P 500 tops by 0–4 months (median around 3 months). That places September–October toward the later end of the historical window for a S&P 500 decline.

BofA Bull & Bear Indicator Hits 9.7—Extreme Greed Signals Sell

On August 5 (Wed), BofA's Hartnett Bull & Bear Indicator hit 9.7, up from 9.4 and its highest level since 2021—a strong contrarian sell signal for risk assets (banks, industrials, semis/tech). 

 

The indicator aggregates positioning (hedge funds and long-only managers), equity/bond flows, global equity breadth, and tight credit spreads. Historically, readings over 8 have preceded modest average equity declines of 2-3% over 1-3 months (around 60% hit rate), with occasional larger drawdowns, prompting BofA to recommend rotating toward defensives (stable, less cyclical sectors like consumer staples and often utilities/healthcare).

 

See also:

Namzes (August 8, 2026) - All Eyes on OpEx: Volatility Ready to Break Out.

TPR (August 6, 2026) - S&P 500 Hits New ATH as Smart Money Starts Bailing.

 

Goldman Sachs' Panic Index—a 2-year rolling percentile of equity-volatility metrics (VIX, skew, ATM IV, term structure)—collapsed from the 90th to 0th percentile in one week, reaching 1.03 in the 2024–26 chart. The plunge signals near-total exhaustion of downside-protection demand after early-2026 fear spikes, with options flows now call-heavy and rising volumes pointing to upside chasing rather than hedging. Yet extreme complacency has historically preceded both sustained rallies and abrupt volatility. Translation: There is no fear. 

Only the dotcom boom pushed US valuations higher.

 

There is a notable negative divergence between the NAAIM Index and the SPX,

similar to February 2025, which preceded a significant decline in the SPX.