Stock Market Update Friday March 20, 2026
- Mar 20
- 4 min read
Stock Market Update Friday March 20, 2026 The week closed with a session that has become increasingly familiar: equities lower alongside rising oil prices and higher yields. This time, however, trading carried a more pronounced risk-off tone, with signs of panic selling emerging as markets approached levels that are beginning to test the large hedging structures that have helped keep the recent equity drawdown relatively orderly. For the week, the S&P 500 finished down roughly 1.8%, though the decline felt more severe following the failed rally attempt earlier in the period. The index now sits approximately 7% below its recent highs.
Score Board:
SPY: -1.5%
QQQ: -1.9%
IWM: -2.3%
Away From Stocks: Treasurys endured another sharp selloff, unfolding in classic bear-steepening fashion. The long bond yield jumped 13 basis points to 4.96%, while the 2-year yield climbed nine basis points to 3.88%. WTI crude advanced to $98 per barrel, gold declined another 3% to $4,502, bitcoin slipped below $70,000, and the VIX surged nearly three points to approach 27.
Our investment approach is disciplined and long-only. We do not engage in short selling. In our long-term portfolio, we focus exclusively on high-quality companies with a demonstrated history of operational excellence and consistent shareholder value creation. However, in our short-term speculative portfolio, some stocks we post may be driven by other factors, such as notable options flow, proprietary algorithms and seasonality. We rely on our proprietary algorithms to identify high-probability entry points, whether to initiate new positions or to strategically add to existing holdings.
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