S&P 500 3-Month Option-Implied Volatility Single-stock volatility in the S&P 500 has eased from July’s extremes but remains above its long-term average, while index volatility is still relatively calm. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research

Valuation – S&P 500 NTM P/E The S&P 500 equal-weight index trades at 16 times forward earnings, versus 20 times for the benchmark. It is hardly cheap, but the discount makes it look more attractive.…

S&P 500 Weekly Announced Buybacks While the pace of new S&P 500 buyback announcements has cooled in the past few weeks, overall buyback activity in corporate America remains firm, providing steady support for stocks. Image:…

Cross Asset Flows as a % of Assets Government bonds continue to draw strong investor demand, offering relatively attractive yields while interest rates stay high. Image: Deutsche Bank Asset Allocation

Equity Net Long Positioning – Asset Managers Net Future Positions Asset managers are piling into S&P 500 futures longs, pushing net exposure to elevated levels. The bet is straightforward: more upside. The risk? Any reversal…

S&P 500 Seasonal Composite Midterm Election Year The S&P 500 Seasonal Composite still points to more upside for 2026, but the path could get choppy. U.S. stocks are entering their weakest seasonal stretch, which typically…

Hyperscaler Capex Estimates by Year Wall Street keeps underestimating the scale of hyperscalers’ AI spending. What looked like a temporary surge is turning into a multiyear race for data centers, chips, networking capacity and power.…

3-Month Peak to Trough Decline in Hedge Fund Gross Leverage Hedge funds cut exposure aggressively in July, triggering one of the sharpest de-grossing episodes of the past decade and a steep selloff in their most…

Short Interest as % of Market Capitalization S&P 500 Median Short interest in the median S&P 500 stock stands at 3.2%, elevated but consistent with hedging flows rather than a bearish conviction trade, and still…

S&P 500 CAPE Ratio vs. Subsequent 10 Year Annualized Real Return The S&P 500 is now sitting at a Shiller CAPE level that has only shown up during the market’s priciest episodes. History points to…

Valuations – S&P 500 Sector Forward P/E Energy remains the market’s valuation laggard, while Industrials, Healthcare and Consumer Staples are already priced for a lot of optimism. Image: The Daily Shot