The stock market is down, with the Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 futures dropping after hitting resistance at their high points on Thursday. By mid-Friday, the ongoing selloff indicated weak bullish momentum, hinting that further declines could follow if key support levels are broken.
In the Dow futures market, a rising-wedge breakdown is in motion, pushing prices lower for the fourth day in a row. Important support levels are at 43,664 and 43,333, with targets around 42,797 if bearish trends continue. If prices can rise past 43,900, a recovery could be possible.
The Nasdaq-100 futures have also dropped for two days from a high of 23,760.75. Key support is at 22,794.50, with lower targets of 22,283 if the bearish trend stays strong. A recovery might happen if prices stay above 22,794.50.
The S&P 500 futures struggled around 6,459, setting critical support at 6,230.75. bearish targets include 6,192.25 and possibly lower. A bullish recovery could occur if prices return to about 6,279.50. It’s vital for traders to keep an eye on these support levels, as they will influence potential declines or rally opportunities.
The recent market decline signals a need for caution. The Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 are showing weakness after failing to push higher, indicating that bears are currently in control. This trend aligns with the recent July 2025 Consumer Price Index report, which was higher than expected at 3.4%, raising concerns about elevated interest rates.
For the Dow, we are focusing on the rising-wedge breakdown and considering bearish moves like buying put options or selling futures. If the key support at 43,333 is broken, our next target will be 42,797. We would reconsider a bullish outlook only if prices strongly reclaim 43,900.
The decline in the Nasdaq-100 is worrying, and we should prepare for more drops. If it falls below the critical support of 22,794.50, it may drop to around 22,283. Additionally, July’s Non-Farm Payrolls report showed weaker-than-expected job growth, signaling that tech and growth stocks might be especially sensitive right now.
On the S&P 500, the failure at 6,459 is a strong bearish indicator for the market overall. We will focus on the support at 6,230.75; if this breaks, we may target 6,192.25 with our short positions. We will also use tight stop-losses on any bullish trades unless the market climbs back above 6,279.50.
Overall, this kind of market volatility is not surprising for this time of year. August and September often bring choppy conditions, as we saw with similar pullbacks in late summers of 2023 and 2024. This seasonal trend supports our defensive strategy, leading us to prefer trades that benefit from falling prices or increased volatility.
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