Wednesday - August 5, 2026

On Wednesday, August 5, Brian Szytel recaps a mixed market day: the Dow rose 263 points while the S&P fell 12 and the Nasdaq dropped about 0.8%, with financials, healthcare, and staples leading as tech lagged after the prior day’s momentum rally. He says markets are increasingly desensitized to the war and are more supported by fundamentals, highlighting Q2 earnings where 61% of companies have reported, 86% beat EPS (highest in five years), and 77% beat revenue. Economic data included a weaker ADP private payrolls print (44k vs. 75k consensus) and ISM services roughly in line at 54.1. He answers a question on why the Fed doesn’t let rates float, outlining the Fed’s evolution from lender of last resort to open market operations, yield curve control, and rate targeting, arguing reserve-currency status and global interconnectedness make free-floating impractical now. 00:00 Market Recap Mixed Session 00:53 Hormuz Headlines vs Fundamentals 01:56 Q2 Earnings Strength 03:14 Today’s Economic Data 03:52 Should Rates Float Freely 04:20 Fed History and Evolution 05:41 Reserve Currency Reality 06:24 Wrap Up and Tomorrow Preview Links mentioned in this episode: DividendCafe.com TheBahnsenGroup.com