All four major U.S. indexes closed higher in the regular session on August 21, 2026. The Dow Jones was the strongest, rising 0.98%, while Tesla surged 5.14% among the tracked stocks; Nvidia, Micron, and SanDisk closed in the opposite direction from the index gains.

Regular Session Ends With Relative Strength in the Dow and Russell

All figures below are based on U.S. regular-session closing prices for August 21, 2026. Index levels and changes from the previous day are in points, while percentage changes are in %.

Major Index August 21, 2026 Close (Points) Change From Previous Day (Points, %)
S&P 500 7,674.37 +33.21(+0.43%)
Nasdaq Composite 26,180.46 +113.29(+0.43%)
Dow Jones 53,277.01 +517.80(+0.98%)
Russell 2000 3,017.87 +25.44(+0.85%)

The S&P 500 ended the regular session on August 21, 2026, up 33.21 points, or 0.43%, at 7,674.37 points. The Nasdaq Composite also rose 113.29 points, or 0.43%, to 26,180.46 points on the same trading day. Closing figures are available in the S&P 500 closing data and Nasdaq Composite closing data.

The Dow Jones closed the same trading day up 517.80 points, or 0.98%, at 53,277.01 points, while the Russell 2000 rose 25.44 points, or 0.85%, to 3,017.87 points. Among the four major indexes, the Dow Jones posted the largest percentage gain, followed by the Russell 2000. This is a relative comparison based on closing prices for August 21, 2026. The Dow Jones closing data and Russell 2000 closing data support this comparison.

Tesla Surges 5.14%, Outpacing the Indexes

Tesla closed the regular session on August 21, 2026, up $17.73, or 5.14%, at $362.86. Its intraday high and low were $366.50 and $346.90, respectively, and trading volume was 57,808,372 shares. It posted the largest gain among the tracked stocks, substantially outpacing the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite, which each rose 0.43% on the same trading day. This is a comparison of closing performance; simultaneous movement alone does not establish that a specific factor caused the gain. Further historical analysis is available through the Tesla closing data and Tesla stock hub.

Alphabet closed on August 21, 2026, up $4.15, or 1.22%, at $344.82. Meta rose $4.07, or 0.75%, to $549.90, while Microsoft also ended the regular session up $2.09, or 0.43%, at $483.24. Closing prices and prior analysis for each stock are available through Alphabet closing data·stock hub, Meta closing data·stock hub, and Microsoft closing data·stock hub.

By contrast, Apple closed on August 21, 2026, down $1.95, or 0.63%, at $309.35, while Amazon fell $1.48, or 0.57%, to $258.63. The declines in both stocks contrasted with gains in the major indexes on the same trading day. Details are available in Apple closing data·stock hub and Amazon closing data·stock hub.

Semiconductor Stocks Close Opposite to Index Gains

Nvidia closed the regular session on August 21, 2026, down $2.13, or 0.98%, at $214.72. Its intraday high was $218.74, its low was $214.50, and trading volume was 91,591,112 shares. Micron also closed down $7.55, or 0.77%, at $966.78; its intraday high and low were $989.96 and $958.26, respectively, and trading volume was 20,783,536 shares. The figures are available in Nvidia closing data·stock hub and Micron closing data·stock hub.

SanDisk ended the regular session on August 21, 2026, down $4.54, or 0.28%, at $1,596.08. Its intraday high was $1,614.00, its low was $1,570.01, and trading volume was 7,074,659 shares. The declines in Nvidia, Micron, and SanDisk are closing-price facts from a day when the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite each rose 0.43%. However, relative performance alone cannot determine a common cause across the semiconductor sector or its future direction. Refer to the SanDisk closing data and SanDisk stock hub.

Volatility Fell While Yields Rose

The VIX closed on August 21, 2026, down 0.85 points, or 5.31%, at 15.16 points. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield rose 0.042 percentage points to 4.738% on the same trading day. The dollar index fell 0.073 points, or 0.07%, to 98.827 points, while WTI crude oil closed down $1.17 per barrel, or 1.33%, at $86.66. Figures are available in the VIX closing data, U.S. 10-year Treasury yield data, dollar index closing data, and WTI crude oil closing data.

USD/KRW closed on August 21, 2026, down 5.1901 won per dollar, or 0.37%, at 1,385.60 won. The scope of the closing data is limited to the fact that index gains, a VIX decline, a rise in the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield, and declines in the dollar index and WTI crude oil occurred together on the same trading day. The figures are available through the USD/KRW closing data.

A Reuters report dated August 20 cited rising bond yields and Walmart earnings as factors behind the previous day’s Wall Street decline. This reflects the original article’s interpretation of the prior trading day’s move and cannot be treated as a direct cause of the August 21, 2026 regular-session gains. Separately from the original Reuters article, the clearest feature in the August 21 data was the coexistence of Tesla’s 5.14% gain and declines in some semiconductor stocks.

Three Items to Watch in the Next Regular Session

  1. It is possible to observe how the Dow Jones, which rose 0.98% on August 21, 2026, and the Russell 2000, which rose 0.85%, perform relative to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite, which each rose 0.43%.

  2. It is possible to monitor whether the strength of Tesla, up 5.14% on August 21, 2026, and Alphabet, up 1.22%, as well as the weakness of Nvidia, down 0.98%, and Micron, down 0.77%, continues or narrows at the next regular-session close.

  3. It is possible to track together the next regular-session closing moves of the VIX, which fell 5.31% to 15.16 points on August 21, 2026, the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield, which rose 0.042 percentage points to 4.738%, and WTI crude oil, which fell 1.33% to $86.66 per barrel. These are observation items and do not recommend a direction for the next trading day or buying or selling.