Nasdaq ends flat as market breadth remains thin ahead of Big Tech earnings

NEW YORK, July 20, 2026, 19:19 EDT

  • The Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.05%, ending at 25,508.07. The Nasdaq-100 rose 0.04% to close at 28,604.23.
  • Advancers lagged decliners by a ratio of 1.8-to-1. The number of new lows exceeded new highs by 3.9-to-1.
  • The regular session has ended. Nasdaq’s after-hours market will be open until 20:00 EDT.

The Nasdaq Composite closed largely unchanged on Monday. While the Nasdaq-100 managed a small increase, the majority of Nasdaq-listed shares declined.

The split is significant, indicating that the recovery remained focused on big stocks.

Decliners accounted for 64% of issues. The number of new 52-week lows was almost four times higher than new highs.

Market activity was light. Volume on U.S. exchanges reached 15.50 billion shares, which is 22.3% lower than the 20-day moving average.

The PHLX semiconductor index climbed 0.6%, having been up nearly 4% earlier in the session. The pullback wiped out much of the Nasdaq’s initial gains.

Shares of Advanced Micro Devices rose 1.6% following an expanded strategic collaboration with Microsoft . Nvidia increased 0.2%. Apple slipped 2%, and Alphabet was up 1.5%.

The more subdued finish on Monday failed to strengthen market internals.

MeasureFriday, July 17Monday, July 20
Nasdaq Composite25,520.24 (down 1.40%)25,508.07 (off 0.05%)
Nasdaq-10028,592.66 (fell 1.49%)28,604.23 (inched up 0.04%)
Decliners per advancer1.761.80
New lows per new high2.533.91
U.S. volume versus 20-day average15.9% lower22.3% below

The Composite trimmed its loss by 1.35 percentage points. However, the low-to-high ratio deteriorated significantly. This does not indicate broad stabilization.

The Nasdaq declined 2.9% last week. The chip index dropped close to 10%, marking its steepest weekly loss in more than a year. It closed at over 20% lower than its peak in late June.

Chase Investment Counsel president Peter Tuz said: “Everybody is waiting for earnings season to really get going.” Reuters

The profit threshold is still elevated. Analysts surveyed by London Stock Exchange Group project S&P 500 earnings growth of 26% for the second quarter.

Official company filings verify major Nasdaq trials scheduled for this week.

CompanyResults timingMain investor focus
Alphabet Wednesday after close; call 16:30 EDTSpending on AI
Texas Instruments Wednesday after close; call 16:30 EDTGeneral demand for chips
Tesla Wednesday after close; webcast 17:30 EDTEarnings expectations
Intel Thursday after close; call 17:00 EDTDemand for chips and manufacturing plans

Kevin Mahn, chief investment officer at Hennion & Walsh, stated that an Alphabet reduction in spending could trigger “ripple effects across the entire AI ecosystem.” Reuters

Risks: Brent crude finished at $89.22, an increase of 1.3%. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.59%. Additional gains could weigh on valuations for growth stocks.

A sustained Nasdaq recovery requires a higher number of advancing stocks and a reduction in new lows. Monday saw no improvement in either metric.

Khadija Saeed

Khadija Saeed is a financial markets reporter at TS2.tech. Her coverage ranges from stocks and technology to emerging industries and developments across global markets. She studied economics and finance at the London School of Economics and worked in market research before becoming a financial journalist. Follow Khadija Saeed on Google News.

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