What Happened Today, Thursday August 06, 2026, 5:00 PM ET close
Stocks Ease Back as Investors Watch Iran Talks and Earnings
The major indexes gave back a little ground as headlines out of the Middle East and a busy earnings calendar kept buyers cautious.
ES and NQ at the close
NQ, Nasdaq 100 futures
29,504.25
-0.37% on the day
Day range 29,241.25 to 29,686.25
ES, S&P 500 futures
7,731.50
-0.23% on the day
Day range 7,724.25 to 7,770.75
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No qualifying setup is a position too. The book stayed flat and patient.
Our automated paper book placed zero trades on NQ and ES today, so the net result was a flat 0 dollars. None of our setups reached the confluence and session filters we require, so nothing fired. On a slow drift-lower day like this, sitting out is the honest and correct call rather than forcing a marginal entry.
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The story
The major US indexes drifted lower on Thursday in a quiet, headline-driven session. The Nasdaq 100 slipped 0.37% and the S&P 500 eased 0.23% as investors kept one eye on talks around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz and the other on a steady flow of corporate earnings. Firmer oil prices and reports that Iran may seek to bar certain vessels from Hormuz added a note of caution. It was a step back rather than a sell-off, with the indexes holding most of their recent gains.
The MAG7 and the megacaps
The big technology names set the tone as usual, and with the Nasdaq 100 down 0.37% the megacap group leaned slightly heavier than the broad market. There was no single catalyst hitting the giants, just a general lack of buyers as traders waited on earnings and geopolitical headlines. When the largest stocks pause, the whole tape tends to drift, and that is what played out Thursday.
After the bell
Middle East talks in focus
Investors spent the day watching diplomacy around Iran. Reuters reported the Dow and S&P slipped as markets weighed Mideast talks against a busy earnings calendar. Uncertainty over the path ahead was enough to keep buyers on the sidelines.
Oil firms on Hormuz headlines
Oil rose after reports that Iran floated a proposal to bar hostile vessels from the Strait of Hormuz, and an Iranian parliamentary committee reviewed a draft bill to bar US and Israeli ships from the waterway. Higher energy prices tend to weigh on sentiment, and stocks felt a bit of that pressure.
Earnings keep rolling in
A steady stream of corporate results gave traders plenty to sort through. With headlines pulling in different directions, the earnings backdrop helped cap gains without forcing a sharp move in either direction.
Europe hits fresh records
European shares extended their run of record highs on strong earnings and optimism around US-Iran talks. That strength abroad did not fully carry over to Wall Street, where caution won out and the indexes eased.
Crypto
Bitcoin traded quietly alongside stocks, slipping 0.30% to close near 64,406. The move was small and stayed inside a tight band between roughly 64,136 and 64,923. With no crypto-specific news driving things, Bitcoin mostly took its cue from the same cautious mood that pressed on equities.
Into the night
Overnight and into the session, the story was steady rather than stormy. European shares extended a run of record highs on solid earnings and optimism around US-Iran talks, while oil firmed on reports that Iran may move to bar hostile vessels from the Strait of Hormuz. Gold pared earlier gains to trade roughly steady. The US, meanwhile, is set to import the most Middle East crude since the Iran war began, which kept energy headlines front and center.
What is coming next
Nasdaq 100 close
29,504.25
Down 0.37% on the day, with a low near 29,241.
S&P 500 close
7,731.50
Down 0.23%, holding above its 7,724 session low.
Oil and Hormuz
Watch the tape
Iran and Strait of Hormuz headlines are moving energy prices.
Earnings flow
Ongoing
Fresh results can shift sentiment day to day.
The setup into the next session is a market waiting on headlines rather than reacting to hard data. Keep an eye on any fresh news out of Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, since that is driving oil and coloring the mood. Earnings will keep landing, and the closing levels near 29,504 on the Nasdaq 100 and 7,731 on the S&P 500 are simple reference points for where the market caught its breath. None of this is a forecast, just a map of what traders will be watching.
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Educational market recap, not financial advice. Futures and options trading carry substantial risk of loss. Prices reflect the 2026-08-06 session close; charts are live and interactive. Always verify before acting.