In the August 31, 2026 U.S. regular session, all four major indexes declined from the previous trading day, with the Russell 2000 recording the largest loss at 1.92%. Among tracked stocks, Nvidia fell 3.16%, while Tesla, Micron, and SanDisk rose, creating a clear divergence between index and individual-stock closing directions.
Broader losses led by small caps
All figures below are based on U.S. regular-session closing data for August 31, 2026. Index levels and changes from the previous day are in points, and percentage changes are in %.
| Major index | August 31, 2026 close (points) | Change from previous day (points, %) |
|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | 7,686.14 | -44.85(-0.58%) |
| Nasdaq Composite | 26,370.89 | -170.46(-0.64%) |
| Dow Jones | 53,185.90 | -383.54(-0.72%) |
| Russell 2000 | 2,956.45 | -57.89(-1.92%) |
The S&P 500 ended the regular session on August 31, 2026 at 7,686.14 points, down 44.85 points, or 0.58%. It opened at 7,697.52 points, with an intraday high of 7,697.52 points and a low of 7,665.06 points, while volume was 3,355,074,000 shares. S&P 500 closing data provides the close and intraday range.
The Nasdaq Composite closed the same trading day at 26,370.89 points, down 170.46 points, or 0.64%. The Dow Jones stood at 53,185.90 points, down 383.54 points, or 0.72%, while the Russell 2000 fell 57.89 points, or 1.92%, to 2,956.45 points. The Russell 2000’s decline was 1.34 percentage points larger than that of the S&P 500 and was the largest among the four indexes. See Nasdaq Composite, Dow Jones, and Russell 2000 closing data.
Nvidia falls as Tesla and SanDisk rise
Nvidia ended the August 31, 2026 regular session at $220.78, down $7.20, or 3.16%. Its intraday high was $221.30, its low was $216.21, and volume was 120,586,441 shares. It posted the largest percentage closing decline among tracked stocks, exceeding the Nasdaq Composite’s 0.64% decline. However, the fact that both closed lower alone does not establish that Nvidia’s move caused the Nasdaq Composite’s decline. See Nvidia closing data and the Nvidia stock hub for previous analysis.
In the opposite direction, SanDisk closed the same trading day at $1,566.70, up $81.75, or 5.51%, the largest gain among tracked stocks. Its intraday high was $1,572.69, its low was $1,449.50, and volume was 22,567,738 shares. See SanDisk closing data and the SanDisk stock hub.
Tesla finished August 31, 2026 at $367.95, up $13.14, or 3.70%. Its intraday high was $368.92, its low was $347.15, and volume was 60,898,473 shares. Micron also closed at $958.73, up $23.34, or 2.50%. The fact that the two stocks rose on a day when both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite declined shows a difference in closing direction only; closing data alone does not establish the reason. See Tesla closing data and the Tesla stock hub, along with Micron closing data and the Micron stock hub.
Large technology stocks did not move in one direction
Amazon ended the August 31, 2026 regular session at $259.77, up $3.51, or 1.37%. Apple rose $2.27, or 0.72%, to $316.85; Microsoft gained $2.23, or 0.44%, to $507.29; and Meta added $1.24, or 0.22%, to $572.34. See Amazon closing data and the stock hub, Apple closing data and the stock hub, Microsoft closing data and the stock hub, and Meta closing data and the stock hub for each stock’s performance.
Alphabet closed the same trading day at $339.35, down $1.30, or 0.38%. Among the tracked large technology stocks, Nvidia and Alphabet declined, while Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and Tesla closed higher. The opposing closing directions of individual stocks coexisted with the index decline, but this alone does not establish that a particular group of stocks drove that day’s index moves. See Alphabet closing data and the Alphabet stock hub.
Separating higher rates and oil prices from reported interpretations
The U.S. 10-year yield closed August 31, 2026 at 4.758%, up 0.086 percentage points. The U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.272 points, or 0.27%, to 99.432 points. The VIX gained 0.39 points, or 2.69%, to 14.90 points, while WTI crude oil rose $2.59 per barrel, or 3.11%, to $85.99. See U.S. 10-year yield data, U.S. Dollar Index data, VIX closing data, and WTI crude oil closing data for their August 31, 2026 closes.
The dollar-won exchange rate closed August 31, 2026 at 1,367.50 won per dollar, down 9.61 won, or 0.70%. Rates, the dollar, oil, the VIX, and stock indexes all reflect closing changes on the same trading day, so the fact that the figures moved together alone does not establish causation. See dollar-won closing data.
Articles offered separate interpretations of the day’s moves. The Schwab article cited higher oil prices and weaker stocks following renewed mutual attacks in the Persian Gulf region, along with the market’s digestion of hawkish Federal Reserve Chair comments. The CNBC article reported Monday’s stock-market decline. These are interpretations or descriptions from the respective reports and cannot be established as causes based on this briefing’s regular-session closing data alone.
Three items to check in the next regular session
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The relative closing performance of the Russell 2000, down 1.92% on August 31, 2026; the Dow Jones, down 0.72%; the Nasdaq Composite, down 0.64%; and the S&P 500, down 0.58%.
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Whether the closing directions again diverge for Nvidia, down 3.16% on August 31, 2026; SanDisk, up 5.51%; Tesla, up 3.70%; and Micron, up 2.50%.
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The next regular-session closes for the U.S. 10-year yield, which rose to 4.758% on August 31, 2026; the U.S. Dollar Index, which rose to 99.432 points; the VIX, which rose to 14.90 points; and WTI crude oil, which rose to $85.99 per barrel. These are items for observation and do not recommend a direction for the next trading day or buying or selling.