Wow, I'm not sure I remember it being this light this late in the trading day. I'll be surprised if this clips 600K today.
Yeah, low volume in the constituent parts today. Post earnings consolidation? I personally love these narrow range days--they fit my strategies perfectly. But I'm sure the ES folks are hurting today (they always are when I'm showing big unrealized gains).
Low VIX and summer holidays, never a good combination. We need some geopolitics or black swan. I remember back in 2006 things were slow in the middle of the year but then in july and august there was mini war between israel and hezbollah the markets woke up and started to move.
It's August...people historically, or the market, take Summer vacations during this period -- hence the low volume, or market activity, I wouldn't necessarily call it a "Calm before a storm"...this isn't 2008, But it does pay to understand the weird emotions and gyrations of Miss Bitchy Market, This forum post is nothing to write home about, The market is...what it is...I wouldn't necessarily call one period or era a Good market and another a Bad market, A good trader welcomes it all neutrally and objectively -- and can excel in all environments,
Possible impeachment, realignment of European order, possible nuclear war in Asia, mid-term oil instability...I'm not sure what the next step would be...