Schwab STAX slips to 57.5 in August as retail trading activity cools
SCHW•STAX falls as retail trading cools
Charles Schwab’s STAX fell to 57.5 in August from 59.8 in July, signaling softer retail trading activity.
The S&P 500 rose 2.96% in the period, yet clients turned more selective, favoring rebalancing over adding concentrated stock exposure.
Sector flows favor industrials and defensives
Net buying focused on Industrials, Utilities, and Real Estate; Information Technology, Communication Services, and Financials led net selling.
ETF buying strengthens while single-stock demand eases
ETF net buying strengthened, pointing to a preference for diversified exposure as single-stock demand cooled.
Options flow shifted toward defined-risk exposure, with call buying concentrated in tech-linked names versus heavier put hedging in prior periods.
