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Swing Trade Ideas – August 19, 2026

Date: August 19, 2026

Laurie’s Abbreviation Index:

** ‘div’ – dividend

** ‘m/m’ – month over month

** ‘y/y’ – year over year

** ‘Inven’ – inventories

** ‘mfg’ – manufacturing ** +/- – plus or minus, positive or negative

** Underlined text – higher volume premarket

** ‘d’ – day

** ‘Y’ – year

**govt – government

Color Key: Positive – Neutral – Negative

Global Markets:  USA, Europe, Japan, China, Hong Kong –neutral set-up

• Commodities:  Gold, Silver, Copper,  Palladium, Oil, natgas, AGGS,  Bitcoin
• Yields: 30Y Bond +0.03%  Currencies:  USA$-0.3% CAD +0.27% YEN +0.34%  BTC/USD-0.43%  Vix:18.15
• Events USA: Industrial production 915ET Building data
• Stock News KEYS+2.4% EL+7.9%    TGT-2.9% LOW-1.9% TJX-2.9%     EPS  MRK and MRNA+104% release skin cancer trial results
  Comments USA indices are flattish with QQQ lagging with both semis and software slightly lower. MAGS are led by NFLX, AMZN, AAPL which had some strength Tues as AI/semis pulled back.  Korea pulled back overnight but recovered after Hynix announced a .large buyback. Semis and AI related optical, quantum have some weakness premarket after a large drop Tues.  MRNA and MRK are the big movers with a skin cancer trial announcement and are lifting the biotech sector.  Retail reaction to earnings mixed but TGT, EL are ones to watch for upside and TJX for downside. ADI beat and is higher but choppy, potential upside. SPX 0DTE 7700 is a line in the sand with 7750, 7650 potential range. Currently looks supported above and below. Note Fed meeting minutes will be released 14ET and can move interest rates and bonds. Vix expiration is at the market open and can cause some volatility at the open.
  
  Stock EL AMZN AAPL ADI MRK MRNA   TJX MRVL  Speculative  DUOL WYFI    
  Indices  XBI GDX DRAM XLV UNG USO XLE  SMH XLK IBIT QQQ

S&P500 MRNA MRK EL   TJX ORCL SMCI MRVL COHR INTC WDC LITE AMD
Other BNTX DUOL TEM PSNL AG NOK   WYFI NBIS ZIM CRWV IONQ RKLB APLD BABA BE OKLO

WMT

WMT reports before the open Thurs. Expected move +/- 5.6. WMT has moved > expected move 50% of the time so some caution on selling volatility. Elevated IV this week is conducive for diagonals or butterflies for directional trades.