Equities
US stocks from published closing prices: the benchmark indexes and what they returned, the eleven sectors ranked, how much of the market’s gain comes from its largest companies, and what options say about the month ahead.
The indexes today
FRED and Yahoo Finance · closes to Nov 6, 2026S&P 500
7,353.73
−4.4% on the day
FRED · Nov 5
Nasdaq Composite
24,579.42
+1.1% on the day
FRED · Nov 6
Dow
51,285.73
−0.5% on the day
FRED · Nov 6
Russell 2000
2,811.37
+2.1% on the day
Yahoo Finance · Nov 9
VIX
28.18
+11.57 points on the day
Cboe via FRED · Nov 5
On Nov 5, 2026 the S&P 500 fell 4.4%; it is up 7.4% this year. The equal-weighted index led it by 7.1% over the month. The VIX closed at 28.18 on Nov 5, 2026.
The benchmark indexes
Price returns, percent, and where each close sits in its past year| Index | Close | 1 day | 1 week | 1 month | This year | 1 year | Year low–high | Place in the range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500Large US companies, weighted by sizeNov 5, 2026 | 7,353.73 | −4.4% | −4.7% | −5.4% | +7.4% | +8.2% | 6,343.72 to 7,818.93 | |
| Nasdaq CompositeEvery Nasdaq-listed stockNov 6, 2026 | 24,579.42 | +1.1% | −3.4% | −10.9% | +5.8% | +6.6% | 20,794.64 to 27,599.89 | |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average30 large companies, weighted by priceNov 6, 2026 | 51,285.73 | −0.5% | −0.9% | −0.5% | +6.7% | +9.3% | 45,166.64 to 54,349.12 | |
| Russell 2000Small US companies (Yahoo Finance)Nov 9, 2026 | 2,811.37 | +2.1% | +0.2% | +0.2% | +13.3% | +15.6% | 2,305.11 to 3,068.42 |
Price returns, without dividends. “This year” runs from the last close of the previous year.
- S&P 500, close
S&P Dow Jones Indices, Nasdaq and Cboe, via FRED, Daily closes: S&P 500 (SP500), Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQCOM), Dow (DJIA), VIX (VIXCLS) · data for Nov 6, 2026 · read Nov 9, 10:40 AM ET
Sectors
The eleven Select Sector SPDR funds, ranked by their return over a month| Sector | Price, $ | 1 day | 1 week | 1 month | This year | 1 year | Year low–high, $ | Place in the range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health careXLV | 186.60 | +1.0% | +1.1% | +9.2% | +20.5% | +27.7% | 142.84 to 189.66 | |
| Consumer staplesXLP | 90.25 | +0.2% | −0.6% | +8.2% | +16.2% | +17.7% | 76.43 to 91.94 | |
| Real estateXLRE | 44.69 | +1.6% | +2.4% | +7.4% | +10.8% | +8.3% | 40.01 to 46.01 | |
| Consumer discretionaryXLY | 120.96 | +2.9% | +2.4% | +7.2% | +1.3% | +2.6% | 105.66 to 124.52 | |
| MaterialsXLB | 52.85 | +1.7% | −1.5% | +6.9% | +16.5% | +23.2% | 42.23 to 53.90 | |
| FinancialsXLF | 57.69 | +0.9% | +0.2% | +5.4% | +5.3% | +9.3% | 47.81 to 59.20 | |
| UtilitiesXLU | 43.62 | +1.1% | −0.1% | +5.3% | +2.2% | −2.7% | 39.25 to 47.73 | |
| IndustrialsXLI | 167.78 | +3.1% | −1.1% | −0.9% | +8.2% | +9.4% | 147.83 to 186.51 | |
| Communication servicesXLC | 107.04 | +2.1% | +6.8% | −3.0% | −9.1% | −4.5% | 99.90 to 120.08 | |
| EnergyXLE | 61.76 | +0.2% | −8.2% | −5.1% | +38.1% | +37.9% | 43.81 to 70.02 | |
| TechnologyXLK | 169.54 | +2.9% | −2.7% | −14.7% | +17.8% | +17.7% | 127.50 to 202.00 |
Each fund holds the S&P 500 companies in its sector, weighted by size; its price return stands for the sector’s.
Yahoo Finance, Daily closes: Russell 2000 (^RUT), Select Sector SPDR funds, RSP and SPY · data for Nov 9, 2026 · read Nov 9, 10:40 AM ET
Equal weight against cap weight
Is the whole market rising, or its largest companies?- RSP ÷ SPY, a year ago = 100
A falling line means the average S&P 500 company is lagging the index, so the index’s gains come from fewer, larger companies. Over the past month the equal-weighted fund did +7.1% relative to the cap-weighted one.
Yahoo Finance, Daily closes: Russell 2000 (^RUT), Select Sector SPDR funds, RSP and SPY · data for Nov 9, 2026 · read Nov 9, 10:40 AM ET
Volatility
The VIX: what S&P 500 options price for the next 30 days- VIX
The VIX closed at 28.18 on Nov 5, 2026, at or above 99% of closes in the past year (low 13.47, high 31.05). A reading of 20 means options price S&P 500 moves of about 20% a year, or about 1.3% a day.
S&P Dow Jones Indices, Nasdaq and Cboe, via FRED, Daily closes: S&P 500 (SP500), Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQCOM), Dow (DJIA), VIX (VIXCLS) · data for Nov 6, 2026 · read Nov 9, 10:40 AM ET
Open Calls
Dated forecasts on this subject, scored in public when they resolve- 62%Will the published daily change in the 10-year Treasury yield reach at least +3 bp on any business day by 2026-11-10?Open Call · resolves Nov 10, 2026 · Call Card
- 20%Will ServiceNow’s closing share price fall at least 27% from the previous trading day’s close in any session by 2026-11-10?Open Call · resolves Nov 10, 2026 · Call Card
- 32%Will the Nasdaq Composite record a daily percentage gain of at least 1.44% on any trading day from today through 2026-11-12?Open Call · resolves Nov 12, 2026 · Call Card
- 25%Will the S&P 500 fall at least 4.4% in a single trading session by 13 November 2026?Open Call · resolves Nov 13, 2026 · Call Card
Every Call and how it resolved: Track record.
ARCANE reporting
Published investigations, newest first
Who Pays
AI stocks came under pressure after Democrats’ victoriesThe wider market rallied first, but AI-linked stocks and data-center companies now face questions about regulation and local limits.
Equities · Nov 7, 2026
The Numbers Disagree
Strong jobs data pushes Treasury yields higherHigher Treasury yields put pressure on bond holders and stock buyers as investors consider another Federal Reserve rate increase.
Rates · Nov 7, 2026
The Numbers Disagree
Tech stocks fall as Wall Street questions AI returnsCompanies tied to AI data centers face the pressure as high rates threaten the build-out and profit misses draw harsher punishment.
equities · Oct 31, 2026
Who Pays
Knot and De Cos are the only ECB candidatesIf Knot is chosen, a Dutch member of the ECB board would have to resign.
rates · Nov 8, 2026
Sources
Every number above, where it comes from and when it was read- S&P Dow Jones Indices, Nasdaq and Cboe, via FREDDaily closes: S&P 500 (SP500), Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQCOM), Dow (DJIA), VIX (VIXCLS)Data for Nov 6, 2026 · read Nov 9, 10:40 AM ET
- Yahoo FinanceDaily closes: Russell 2000 (^RUT), Select Sector SPDR funds, RSP and SPYData for Nov 9, 2026 · read Nov 9, 10:40 AM ET