NYSE on track for zero 80% downside-volume days in 2026

Through August 17, 2026, the New York Stock Exchange has not logged a single trading day where at least 80% of volume belonged to declining stocks. That has literally never happened before in the three decades this metric has been tracked. Since records began in 1996, every year has produced at least five of these heavy selling sessions. The historical average is 21. This year: zero. What downside-volume days actually measure These days aren’t rare curiosities. Averaging 21 per year means they typically show up roughly once every two and a half weeks. The last time the NYSE registered one was October 2025. Since then, more than ten months of trading have passed without a single session where sellers dominated at that 80% threshold. For context, the previous record low for a full calendar year was five such days. BTIG Chief Market Technician Jonathan Krinsky described the streak as an “anomaly,” which, given the data, qualifies as understatement. A market that forgot how to sell The S&P 500 has climbed roughly 16% year-to-date, putting it within striking distance of fresh all-time highs. The VIX, Wall Street’s preferred gauge of expected volatility, sank to 14.2 in August, a lev...