KAPNOTES
Pre-Market Note

Welcome to August

Trade subsides as the major players head to the Hamptons. With earnings season winding down and summer vacations underway, lighter volume can exaggerate moves in individual names — and it pays to keep commitments small.

Welcome to August — a beach umbrella and an empty striped lounge chair on the sand, from the August 13, 2026 Kapnotes morning note on the summer trading lull as the major players head to the Hamptons.

The level of premarket activity has subsided markedly this week, with the winding-down of earnings season and the onset of vacation season. Futures are mainly little changed this morning, as the major market players make their way to their vacation homes. We expect lighter volumes overall, which can result in exaggerated moves in individual names.

At times like this, it pays to keep commitments small, barring a major news event that creates outsized pricing leverage. The major themes remain oil and AI. Though oil is sliding this morning (WTI crude down about 2%), the ongoing trend throughout this latest leg of Iran tensions is up. The Kapnotes trading board remains ever alert for individual stock moves throughout the day.

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Educational only — not financial advice. All content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized financial advice. Trading involves substantial risk of loss. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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