Home

Second Opinion

Trading Ideas

StockWatch

Industries/ETFs

More
Menu
Sign Up

Story

Triple-Witching Options Expiration Triggers Further Selling

Daily Market Comment

March 20, 2026

The major averages were on a steady decline all day as oil prices moved higher and yields jumped on inflation fears. Stocks took a sharper leg lower in the afternoon after the ECB left rates unchanged but warned that the Iran war could push inflation well above its 2% target and keep prices elevated for years if the conflict persists. The rate on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.393%, while the two-year T-Bill landed at 3.904%. The selloff was across the board with 10 of 11 sectors red. The Financial (XLF) sector eked out a gain, while Utilities (XLU), REITs (XLRE), Technology (XLK) and Consumer Discretionary (XLY) were the weakest market groups. The major averages were slightly above their lows at the close with the DJIA down 443.96 points (-0.96%) at 45577.47, while the S&P 500 lost 100.01 points (-1.51%) finishing at 6506.48. The NASDAQ dropped 443.08 points (-2.01%) and settled at 21647.61.

Breadth was negative with declining issues beating advancing issues 5.6:1 on the NYSE and 3.5:1 on the NASDAQ. Declining volume was 79% on the NYSE and 73% of the NASDAQ. The VIX added 2.72 (+11.31%) and closed at 26.78. Crude oil prices increased 2.67 (+2.78%) and the April contract closed at $98.81 a barrel. Gold prices dropped 98.80 (-2.09%) and finished at $4509.50 an ounce. Bitcoin (BTC) closed the session at $70,220.

It was an ugly day and triple-witching options expiration added to the selloff. The different indexes have fallen all the way back to levels last seen in September as the S&P 500 and NASDAQ entered correction territory. The different indexes closed the session oversold by most indicators which could set the market up for a bounce on Monday if we don't see more attacks from Iran on energy facilities or boots on the ground, but we still need to see a ‘washout' before investors may want to step in and pick up some beaten down stocks.

Earnings releases to watch for on Monday include: Caledonia Mining Co (CMCL), WeRide (WRD) and Lument finance Trust (LFT).

Monday's Market Moving Economic Calendar: Construction Spending.

Make sure you check out the latest in-depth market analysis in our Weekly Market Letter.

 

Comments or questions can be sent to:  support@marketetdge.com

Login to MarketEdge

Login
Forgot Password?
Don't have an account? Sign up now.

Get aFREE!Second Opinion®

Second Opinion Performance

Second Opinion Status

5519

Current Opinions
As of: 03/20/2026

64%

Long Accuracy
As of: 03/20/2026

89%

Avoid Accuracy
As of: 03/20/2026
Click For More Details

Market Recap - 03/20/2026

Index Close Day Change Day % Change YTD % Change
NASDAQ COMPOSITE 21647.61 -443.08 -2.01% -6.86%
DJ UTILITIES 1121.89 -43.37 -3.72% 5.04%
DJ TRANSPORT 17849.01 -97.63 -0.54% 2.83%
DJ INDUSTRIALS 45577.47 -443.96 -0.96% -5.17%
NYSE COMPOSITE 21616.73 -324.3 -1.48% -1.76%
S & P 100 INDEX 3181.78 -45.8 -1.42% -7.3%
RUSSELL 2000 2438.45 -56.26 -2.26% -1.75%
S&P 500 6506.48 -100.01 -1.51% -4.95%
CBOE MKT VOLATILITY 26.78 2.72 11.31% 79.13%
AMEX COMPOSITE 8424.63 -100.99 -1.18% 22.69%
Dr MarketEdge Talks Stocks
CAMDEN PROPERTY TRUST (CPT)

EXTRA SPACE STORAGE (EXR)

VALERO ENERGY (VLO)

Friday, March 20th 2026, 4:59 pm

Pricing

$49.95
$ 29 .95 /month
Get Started

Second Opinion on over 3400 stocks, nightly updates for stocks on your watchlist, dozens of tools to find the right stock at the right time, as well as real human support available by chat, email, and phone.

About MarketEdge

MarketEdge is a unique suite of investment tools developed by Computrade Systems, Inc. The purpose of our service is to provide quality, independent research in a manner that is both easily understandable and immediately actionable for individual investors as well as professional money managers. MarketEdge features Second Opinion®, a comprehensive computer-generated technical evaluation of more than 3,400 stocks, along with fundamental research from Standard & Poor's. MarketEdge will generate daily investment ideas for every type of trading strategy thereby enabling one to trade and invest with a consistent, disciplined approach in all market environments.

Logging in...