S&P 500 up 0.36% — Market Pulse · Nov 3, 2026

Stocks finished mixed on November 3. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 207.70 points, or 0.83%, to 25,372.01, while the S&P 500 added 27.52 points, or 0.36%, to 7,568.92. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 197.26 points, or 0.38%, to 51,786.72, and the Russell 2000 rose 0.23% to 2,812.45.

Key Takeaways

• S&P 500 closed up 0.36% at 7,568.92.
• Market breadth finished with 189 advancers, 313 decliners, and a 0.604 advance/decline ratio.
• Technology led sectors at +1.31%, while Consumer Staples lagged at -2.07%.
• VIX ended at 20.83 in the latest five-session lookback.
• SPY’s first resistance is 760.05 and first support is 747.82.

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Market Breadth: Nasdaq led the rebound, but breadth and defensive pockets told a more mixed story

Metric	Oct 28	Oct 29	Oct 30	Nov 2	Nov 3
Advance/Decline Ratio	0.984	4.219	0.832	2.239	0.604
Advances	249	405	228	347	189
Declines	253	96	274	155	313
Advancing Volume	49.9%	62.4%	33.0%	53.5%	49.2%
Stocks Near 52-Week Highs	8	31	20	31	8
Stocks Near 52-Week Lows	5	0	0	0	1
% Above 20-Day MA	68.9%	74.3%	68.8%	71.7%	70.7%
% Above 50-Day MA	57.2%	63.6%	59.1%	66.1%	64.5%
% Above 200-Day MA	56.2%	59.8%	56.3%	61.0%	59.2%

Under the surface, the session was less convincing than the index moves suggest. Decliners led advancers 313 to 189, for an advance-decline ratio of 0.604, and advancing volume was 49.2%. Even so, participation stayed fairly firm on a trend basis, with 70.72% of stocks above their 20-day moving average, 64.54% above the 50-day, and 59.16% above the 200-day. Stocks near 52-week highs outnumbered those near lows, 8 to 1.

Explore the full dashboard: Market breadth.

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Market Performance: Major Indexes

Index	Close	Change	% Change
S&P 500	7,568.92	27.52	+0.36%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	51,786.72	-197.26	-0.38%
Nasdaq Composite	25,372.01	207.70	+0.83%
Russell 2000	2,812.45	6.57	+0.23%

Five-session context:

Index	Oct 28	Oct 29	Oct 30	Nov 2	Nov 3
S&P 500	+0.28%	-0.30%	-1.82%	-0.51%	+0.36%
Dow Jones Industrial Average	+0.19%	-0.25%	-1.09%	+0.41%	-0.38%
Nasdaq Composite	+0.27%	-1.38%	-2.86%	-1.07%	+0.83%
Russell 2000	+0.41%	+1.01%	-1.66%	-0.21%	+0.23%

The day’s leadership leaned toward growth. The Nasdaq outperformed all four major indexes at 0.83%, while the S&P 500 gained 0.36% and the Russell 2000 added 0.23%. The Dow lagged with a 0.38% decline. Even after Tuesday’s bounce, the five-session path still looks rougher: the Nasdaq fell from 26,549.85 on October 28 to 25,372.01, and the S&P 500 dropped from 7,743.98 to 7,568.92.

Explore the full dashboard: Market snapshot.

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Sector View: Leaders and Laggards

• Leaders: Technology (XLK +1.31%), Communication Services (XLC +1.18%), Industrials (XLI +0.95%), Real Estate (XLRE +0.07%), Health Care (XLV -0.31%)
• Laggards: Consumer Staples (XLP -2.07%), Materials (XLB -2.01%), Energy (XLE -0.85%), Consumer Discretionary (XLY -0.70%), Financials (XLF -0.64%)

Sector action was wide-ranging. Technology led with XLK up 1.31%, followed by Communication Services at 1.18% and Industrials at 0.95%. On the weak side, Consumer Staples fell 2.07% and Materials dropped 2.01%, with Energy down 0.85%. That split helps explain why index gains did not line up with weaker breadth.

Explore the full dashboard: Sector performance.

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Volatility: VIX and ETF Implied Volatility

Metric	Oct 28	Oct 29	Oct 30	Nov 2	Nov 3
VIX Level	16.91	17.20	19.42	21.15	20.83

• SPY IV: 17.95% (Normal)
• QQQ IV: 36.03% (High)
• IWM IV: 23.41% (Normal)
• DIA IV: 16.90% (Normal)

Volatility eased a bit, but not by much. The VIX closed at 20.83, down from 21.15 on November 2, after jumping from 16.91 on October 28. Options pricing also showed uneven risk appetite: SPY implied volatility averaged 17.95%, IWM 23.41%, and DIA 16.90%, while QQQ stood out at 36.03%, marked High.

Explore the full dashboard: Volatility.

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Headlines Moving Markets

Recent macro releases offered a steadier growth backdrop. Third-quarter 2026 real GDP rose at a 3.4% annual rate, up from 2.2% in the second quarter. September personal income increased $54.5 billion, or 0.2%, while personal consumption expenditures increased $113.1 billion, or 0.5%. In market news, Reuters reported oil dropped 7% as Iran signaled openness to peace talks, a move that fits with Energy finishing down 0.85% in the session.

• GDP (Advance Estimate), 3rd Quarter 2026
• Personal Income and Outlays, September 2026
• Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement
• U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, August 2026
• U.S. International Transactions and Investment Position, 2nd Quarter 2026
• Federal Reserve Board announces approval of application by The Bank of Nova Scotia
• Minutes of the Board’s discount rate meetings on August 17, September 9, and September 16, 2026
• Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement
• Oil drops 7% as Iran signals openness to peace talks - Reuters
• Federal Reserve Board releases results of the 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, which provides the public and policymakers with detailed insights into the economic condition of American families
• Personal Income and Outlays, July 2026
• Personal Income and Outlays, June 2026

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Technical Snapshot (SPY)

Level	Oct 28	Oct 29	Oct 30	Nov 2	Nov 3
20-day SMA	770.41	770.90	771.17	770.48	769.33
50-day SMA	766.68	766.82	766.86	766.76	766.53
200-day SMA	724.78	725.19	725.60	725.95	726.27

Near-term pivot structure, based on 2026-11-02:

• Resistance: 760.05 (R1), then 768.05 (R2)
• Pivot: 755.83
• Support: 747.82 (S1), then 743.60 (S2)

For SPY, the pivot sits at 755.83. Nearby resistance levels are 760.05 and 768.05, while support stands at 747.82 and 743.60. Trend gauges remain mixed: SPY is below its 20-day SMA of 769.33 and 50-day SMA of 766.53, but still above its 200-day SMA of 726.27. That leaves the short-term tape under pressure even as the longer-term trend remains intact.

Explore the full dashboard: Support & Resistance levels.

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What to Watch Next

• Whether the Nasdaq can build on its 0.83% gain while breadth improves from 189 advancers versus 313 decliners.
• SPY around the 755.83 pivot, with 760.05 and 768.05 above, and 747.82 then 743.60 below.
• QQQ implied volatility at 36.03% and the VIX at 20.83, especially if tech keeps driving index direction.
• Institutional tone still bears watching: options whale activity was bullish overall with a 2.87 call-put premium ratio, while stock whale activity showed a 1.21 buy-sell ratio.
• Energy and staples after XLE fell 0.85% and XLP dropped 2.07%.

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Bottom Line

November 3 brought a welcome lift in the Nasdaq and a modest gain in the S&P 500, but the session was narrower than the headlines imply. Breadth weakened, volatility stayed elevated, and leadership remained concentrated in a few growth-linked areas. For now, the market looks like it is trying to stabilize after a tough five-session stretch, not yet returning to a fully broad advance.

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Market Pulse provides daily analysis of S&P 500 market breadth, sector rotation, and volatility signals to help investors understand what’s happening beneath the surface. Data sourced from our real-time market breadth collectors. For personalized planning, explore our retirement calculators, investment tools, and FIRE planning resources.

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