Stock Market Update Monday February 2, 2026
- Feb 2
- 3 min read
Stock Market Update Monday February 2, 2026 U.S. equities shrugged off an early pullback and ground higher into the close, with the S&P 500 eking out a roughly half-percent gain. Despite lingering volatility across metals, crude oil, and bitcoin over the weekend—raising concerns that February might open on a sour note—dip buyers stepped in quickly and sustained the advance. Sentiment was buoyed by stronger-than-expected ISM manufacturing data and tentative signs of easing tariff frictions with India. IWM (iShares Russell 2000 ETF) performed well, partly due to the strength of regional banks. Among sectors, Financials, Industrials, and Consumer Staples showed strong performance.
Score Board:
SPX +0.5%
QQQ +0.7%
IWM +1.0%
Away From Stocks: Treasurys sold off modestly in a bear-flattening move, with 2-year yields climbing 5 bps to 3.57% and the 30-year up 3 bps to 4.90%. Commodities were under pressure: WTI crude slid nearly 5% to $62 per barrel, while gold extended its pullback to $4,680 per ounce. Bitcoin consolidated following weekend losses, hovering near $78,500. Volatility remained contained, with the VIX settling just above 16.
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.
Want to read more?
Subscribe to algotradealert.com to keep reading this exclusive post.