Choppy Start, Big Swings, and Earnings Ahead
Wendy Kirkland Market Watch July 13, 2026
Markets are off to a choppy start this Monday, with the major indexes bouncing up and down throughout the morning. The Dow briefly turned positive before slipping lower, while the Nasdaq, S&P 500, and Russell are also showing weakness and a lot of back-and-forth movement.
A few big factors are keeping traders on edge: renewed tension around Iran, the start of earnings season, and overall market uncertainty. With so many sharp swings, longer trades may be harder to manage right now, so shorter time-frame trades could make more sense until things settle down.
Looking at the charts, the Dow is technically still in a strength stage, but momentum has flattened out, and the past couple of weeks have leaned bearish. The S&P 500 has also been stuck in a sideways pattern, moving up and down without making much real progress.
Bottom line: the market is still trying to figure out its next move. For now, staying flexible, watching the shorter-term setups, and being mindful of earnings-related volatility may be the best approach.