$0.87B Volume Sinks Market to 100th Rank as Retailers Shift to Health Care and Financials Over Tech Amid Volatile Momentum Gains

On August 4, 2025, The recorded a trading volume of $0.87 billion, ranking 100th in market activity. Charles Schwab's STAX index rose to 41.79 in July, reflecting cautious optimism among retail investors despite a "low" reading compared to historical norms. The index, derived from retail trading behavior, indicated measured bullishness as clients remained selective in positioning, with net selling concentrated in Information Technology and net buying in Communication Services, Health Care, and Financials. S&P 500 volatility remained subdued, with the VIX dipping below 15, while Treasury yields fluctuated near 4.3%-4.5% amid budget debates and tariff-related market adjustments.

Client activity highlighted divergent sector preferences, with NVIDIA, Tesla, and Amazon attracting net purchases, while Apple, Ford, and AMD faced net selling. Economic data showed mixed signals, including improved job growth and consumer sentiment but inflationary pressures from goods prices. Earnings season started strong, with 83% of companies exceeding expectations, though market breadth remained constrained as 75% of S&P 500 stocks traded above 50-day averages by month-end. Political developments, including temporary spikes in Treasury yields following Trump-related headlines, underscored ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty.

A backtested strategy of purchasing high-volume stocks and holding for one day generated a 166.71% return from 2022 to 2025, outperforming benchmarks by 137.53%. This underscores liquidity-driven momentum effects in short-term trading, particularly during periods of elevated institutional and algorithmic activity in volatile markets.