Will the S&P 500 close higher on Aug 7 than it did on July 31?

The S&P 500 closed at 7,757.64 on August 7, 2026, a record close, up from 7,489.72 on July 31, resolving the question yes. The index climbed roughly 3.6% over that span, including a 0.62% gain on August 7 itself, aided by an unexpected drop in a key jobs report. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the U.S. economy lost 23,000 jobs in July rather than adding the roughly 80,000 economists had forecast, and traders interpreted the miss as reducing the odds the Federal Reserve would need to raise interest rates, allowing it to hold monetary policy steady. The advance also built on a strong week for equities, including a record Dow close earlier in the week driven by gains in large technology stocks and easing oil prices. The S&P 500 finished its strongest week since April as of the August 7 close. The prediction market community was unanimous, with 100% forecasting the S&P 500 would close higher on August 7 than on July 31, and the outcome matched that expectation exactly.