August 13 market wrap: Nasdaq leads as yields ease

Technology led a broad advance

U.S. stocks ended Thursday, August 13, 2026 higher across the three headline indexes. The S&P 500 closed at 7,798.99, up 50.49 points, or 0.65%. The Nasdaq-100 gained 341.90 points, or 1.15%, to 30,084.50, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 70 points, or 0.13%, to 53,840. The Nasdaq-100’s larger percentage gain shows that technology-heavy shares led the session, even as the broader and blue-chip benchmarks also finished positive.

Treasury yields fell while the VIX edged higher

The Cboe VIX closed at 14.63, up 0.08 point, or 0.55%, from 14.55 on August 12. The U.S. Treasury’s daily par-yield curve put the 2-year yield at 4.15% and the 10-year yield at 4.63%; each was five basis points below the prior market day. Lower benchmark yields accompanied the equity advance, while the small VIX increase shows that a rising stock market and a lower volatility gauge are not automatic counterparts in every session.

Robinhood and Palantir outpaced the indexes

Within YieldCove’s current watchlist, Robinhood Markets (HOOD) closed at $99.37, up $4.46, or 4.70%, from $94.91. Palantir Technologies (PLTR) finished at $179.01, up $7.97, or 4.66%, from $171.04. Cboe’s delayed closing quotes and Nasdaq’s stock screener matched on both regular-session closes and dollar moves. Those feeds establish the magnitude of the gains; closing data alone does not prove a company-specific cause.

A gain near 5% can quickly change option moneyness. A covered-call strike may move closer to the stock price or farther in the money, while an existing cash-secured put may gain price cushion without automatically becoming attractive for a new position. The closing stock price does not reveal the next session’s option spread, implied volatility, skew or executable premium. Option premiums are quoted per share, one standard contract normally represents 100 shares, and the full collateral or delivery obligation matters more than the percentage move alone.

For readers monitoring assignment risk, each dated close is a reference point rather than an order instruction. Rebuilding a delayed quote in a broker after the market reopens means checking the specific contract, its liquidity and the event calendar. Those live contract details can materially change the interpretation even when the verified August 13 stock close remains unchanged.