August 24 market wrap: Tech slips as ASTS and Micron retreat
The S&P 500 slipped 0.28% and the Nasdaq-100 fell 0.97% while the Dow added 0.26%. AST SpaceMobile dropped 9.18% and Micron lost 5.83% as the VIX rose to 15.85.
YieldCove Desk
1 min read
S&P 500
7,652.86
−0.28%
Nasdaq-100
29,023.18
−0.97%
Dow
53,417
+0.26%
VIX
15.85
+4.76%
A split close, led lower by technology
U.S. stocks finished Monday, August 24, 2026, with a mixed tape. The S&P 500 closed at 7,652.86, down 0.28%, and the Nasdaq-100 fell 0.97% to 29,023.18. The Dow moved the other way, adding 0.26% to 53,417.
| Market | Close | Daily move |
|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | 7,652.86 | −0.28% |
| Nasdaq-100 | 29,023.18 | −0.97% |
| Dow | 53,417 | +0.26% |
| VIX | 15.85 | +4.76% |
The one-day read
This was not a uniform risk-off close: the Dow advanced while the technology-heavy Nasdaq-100 lagged. The higher VIX shows that short-term protection became more expensive, but a 15.85 close still describes a contained volatility regime rather than a panic reading.
Rates eased at the long end
The U.S. Treasury’s August 24 curve put the 2-year yield at 4.24%, unchanged from August 21, while the 10-year yield fell four basis points to 4.70%. Lower long-term yields did not prevent the day’s technology pullback, so the close is better described as selective pressure than a single-factor rates move.
AST SpaceMobile and Micron absorbed the pressure
| Ticker | Close | Daily move | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| $ASTS | $62.35 | −9.18% | 12.05M |
| $MU | $910.43 | −5.83% | 29.84M |
$ASTS was the sharper watchlist decline, closing at $62.35, down 9.18%. $MU finished at $910.43, down 5.83%. Those moves were much larger than the broad indexes, but the closing data alone does not prove one common cause; the useful signal is that high-volatility communications and semiconductor exposure underperformed on the same session.
What to watch next
- Whether technology breadth stabilizes after the Nasdaq-100’s 0.97% decline.
- Whether the VIX holds above Friday’s 15.13 close or gives back Monday’s increase.
- Whether the 10-year Treasury yield remains near 4.70% as growth stocks try to stabilize.
- Whether $ASTS and $MU show follow-through or a calmer opening after outsized declines.
Sources
- [1]S&P 500 delayed close — August 24, 2026 — Cboe Global Markets · Accessed 2026-08-24 · Tier 1
- [2]Nasdaq-100 delayed close — August 24, 2026 — Cboe Global Markets · Accessed 2026-08-24 · Tier 1
- [3]Dow delayed close — August 24, 2026 — Cboe Global Markets · Accessed 2026-08-24 · Tier 1
- [4]VIX delayed close — August 24, 2026 — Cboe Global Markets · Accessed 2026-08-24 · Tier 1
- [5]U.S. Treasury daily yield curve — August 24, 2026 — U.S. Department of the Treasury · Accessed 2026-08-24 · Tier 1
- [6]Nasdaq official stock screener close data — August 24, 2026 — Nasdaq · Accessed 2026-08-24 · Tier 1
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