Market Structure · Beta Instability

Market X-Ray

The chart can be fine while participation breaks down underneath. The X-Ray measures it directly — upside beta (on up-days), downside beta (on down-days), asymmetry and instability — across the key structure pairs and 343 names in our indices. Detecting the rotation before price makes it obvious.

vs S&P 500 33% losing upside participation, 38% gaining downside fragility
vs Nasdaq-100 42% losing upside participation, 27% gaining downside fragility

Updated daily · data as of 2026-08-26 · Participation fragile — fragility rising beneath the surface

Latest read The Generals Have Followed Their Troops — the breadth warning becomes price confirmation →

The pairs we watch — full scores

Each pair, decomposed on up-days and down-days separately. These are the published "Troops Leaving Before the Generals" set — now confirmed by price in "The Generals Have Followed Their Troops".

SMH / QQQ fragile

Semiconductor leadership vs Nasdaq

Upside β1.72
Downside β2.03
Asymmetry-0.31
Particip.0.85
horizon21d63d126d252d
up β1.881.681.721.73
down β2.472.132.031.96
β-z +1.23instab 38 partic 58fragil 99 conv A -1.62 · accelerating-down
downside-beta expansionnegative beta asymmetrydownside-beta expansion (sharp)
XSD / QQQ fragile

Equal-weight semis vs Nasdaq

Upside β1.81
Downside β2.43
Asymmetry-0.63
Particip.0.74
horizon21d63d126d252d
up β1.992.051.811.92
down β3.142.532.432.19
β-z +1.47instab 45 partic 83fragil 100 conv A -2.64 · reversing-up
downside-beta expansionnegative beta asymmetrydownside-beta expansion (sharp)
XSD / SPY neutral

Equal-weight semis vs market

Upside β2.78
Downside β2.49
Asymmetry+0.28
Particip.1.11
horizon21d63d126d252d
up β3.593.962.782.74
down β2.722.722.492.39
β-z +1.74instab 64 partic 99fragil 90 conv A +0.71 · improving-but-stalling
downside-beta expansiondownside-beta expansion (sharp)
IWM / SPY distribution

Small-cap participation

Upside β0.98
Downside β1.07
Asymmetry-0.09
Particip.0.91
horizon21d63d126d252d
up β0.890.760.981.16
down β1.110.971.071.11
β-z -2.45instab 68 partic 25fragil 30 conv A -0.55 · accelerating-down
negative beta asymmetrybeta-adjusted underperformanceupside participation deteriorating (sharp)
RSP / SPY distribution

S&P 500 equal-weight participation

Upside β0.58
Downside β0.76
Asymmetry-0.18
Particip.0.76
horizon21d63d126d252d
up β0.260.310.580.65
down β0.670.710.760.77
β-z -2.20instab 51 partic 1fragil 36 conv A -2.11 · reversing-up
upside-beta collapsenegative beta asymmetrybeta-adjusted underperformanceupside participation deteriorating (sharp)
HYG / SPY neutral

Credit confirmation

Upside β0.23
Downside β0.23
Asymmetry+0.00
Particip.1.01
horizon21d63d126d252d
up β0.120.140.230.25
down β0.120.180.230.19
β-z -1.01instab 24 partic 16fragil 70 conv A -1.26 · accelerating-down
upside-beta collapse
ARKK / QQQ neutral

Speculative-growth appetite

Upside β1.37
Downside β1.31
Asymmetry+0.06
Particip.1.05
horizon21d63d126d252d
up β1.011.351.371.35
down β2.391.391.311.48
β-z -1.62instab 41 partic 29fragil 8 conv A +0.96 · rolling-over
early beta improvementupside participation deteriorating (sharp)downside-beta expansion (sharp)

Participation breadth — by index (vs S&P 500)

Want a specific name? Open the X-Ray Directory → — search, sort and open any of 2766 names on the full toolbox vs SPY & Nasdaq.

How to read it

For each pair (asset vs benchmark), returns are split into the benchmark's up-days and down-days. Upside β is participation in rallies; downside β is vulnerability in selloffs; asymmetry (up − down) and the participation ratio (up ÷ down) say whether an asset captures more upside than downside. Read across 21 / 63 / 126 / 252 days: a sharp drop at the short horizon while the long looks fine is the early warning.

For information and discussion only — a reading of market internals, not investment advice. Scores are relative and descriptive. Cross-read with the Money Temperature regime.

FAQ · from the current data · as of 2026-08-26

Quick answers

What does the Market X-Ray measure?

It measures market participation and fragility beneath the index price by splitting each pair’s returns into up-day and down-day beta. Upside beta shows participation in rallies, downside beta shows vulnerability in selloffs, and asymmetry (up minus down) shows whether an asset captures more upside than downside. It covers the key structure pairs and the full names universe in the Closelook indices, recomputed daily after the US close.

What is the current structural read on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100?

As of 2026-08-26, the read vs the S&P 500 is "33% losing upside participation, 38% gaining downside fragility" and vs the Nasdaq-100 is "42% losing upside participation, 27% gaining downside fragility".

How many names does the Market X-Ray directory cover?

As of 2026-08-26, the X-Ray directory covers 2766 names, ETFs and sector members scored against SPY and Nasdaq-100.

What is the Breadth-of-Breadth score right now?

As of 2026-08-26, the Breadth-of-Breadth score is 62 out of 100, reading as "Mixed participation".