Day Trade Cheat Sheet - August 02, 2026 (EOD)

 ## TODAY'S GRADE: B A mostly positive trading day with solid sector rotation and some strong earnings momentum, though tech showed signs of caution ahead of key reports. ## HOW INDEXES TRADED **SPY:** +0.4% - trending higher with steady buying **QQQ:** +0.2% - cautious, mixed performance ahead of major tech earnings **IWM:** +0.6% - outperformed with small caps showing strength ## BIGGEST MOVERS ### Winners **$RSP** +1.2% - inflows pushing assets near $100B, benefiting from equal-weight exposure **$MU** +3.5% - strong sales growth and memory chip demand lifted shares **$MULN** +2.7% - insider buying and positive sector momentum in industrials ### Losers **$AMD** -1.8% - rally stalled ahead of earnings, options imply 12% move causing caution **$GOOG** -1.5% - profit-taking after recent gains and mixed analyst sentiment **$NVDA** -2.0% - profit-taking amid concerns about AI trade rotation despite strong backlog ## WHAT WORKED Patterns or setups that worked today: - Earnings anticipation plays in semiconductor stocks like **$MU** and **$STX** where strong sales and memory demand drove gains. - Rotation into equal-weight ETFs such as **$RSP**, which outperformed cap-weighted peers, indicating broad market participation. - Small-cap strength in **$IWM** names, benefiting from sector rotation and risk appetite. ## WHAT FAILED Setups that didn't work: - Momentum tech plays like **$AMD** and **$NVDA** stalled as traders took profits ahead of earnings, highlighting volatility risk in high-expectation names. - AI-related growth stocks showed mixed results, with some failing to sustain rallies amid profit-taking and rotation into value sectors. - Breakout attempts in mega-cap tech were met with resistance, signaling caution ahead of key earnings and guidance. ## AFTER-HOURS WATCH Earnings or news to monitor tonight: - **$AMD** - highly anticipated Q2 report could trigger significant volatility given options-implied 12% move. - **$SNDK** and **$WDC** - memory chipmakers with expected swings up to 17.5%, critical for semiconductor sector sentiment. - **$NUCL** - NuScale Power’s upcoming earnings could drive momentum in clean energy tech. ## TOMORROW PREVIEW **Early Watch:** - **$AMD**, **$SNDK**, **$WDC** for semiconductor earnings volatility - **$MSFT**, **$META** for AI-driven earnings impact - **$XOM**, **$CVX** on energy sector strength amid oil market optimism **Catalyst:** - Earnings from major tech and semiconductor companies - Iran talks and oil market developments influencing energy stocks - Continued rotation between growth and value sectors **Bias:** - Neutral to cautiously bullish, with selective sector strength balanced by tech earnings uncertainty and profit-taking pressure.