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"S&P Hits Another Record High: Liquidating to Wait for a Pullback May Be the Costliest Decision in August" Wednesday, August 5, 2026 Q3 · Issue 93 Aspirin · A Data Scientist’s Perspective on Cyclical Analysis The S&P 500 closed last night at 7,736.52 points, up 1.8%, hitting another all-time high; the year-to-date gain is about 13%. I did not chase the rally last night, nor did I liquidate my core index positions. The risk of a pullback in the second half of the year remains, but a properly sized pullback could still settle above today’s level. BTC is still hovering around 64.4K. I’m reserving new funds for the S&P’s pullback range, leaving only two BTC contract alerts at 63.5K and 69.2K. Here’s a calculation many haven’t seriously considered. 1. A 10% drop doesn’t necessarily give you a lower buying point Assuming the S&P rises 12% from 7,736.52 points and then pulls back 10%: 7,736.52 × 1.12 × 0.90 = 7,798.41. The pullback sounds large, but the level is still 0.8% higher than today. Even if it rises 8% and then falls 10%, the index only returns to about 7,520 points, a discount of just 2.8%. "Waiting for a 10% pullback" is not a complete strategy. Those liquidating to wait must correctly guess the top, the timing of the pullback, and the re-entry point. Near all-time highs, there is little trapped supply, trend capital remains, and the market can easily clear out premature shorts before completing the expected correction. 2. In three midterm election years, risks heat up in late summer In the past three U.S. midterm years, the S&P’s second-half rhythm was indeed similar: in 2014, it peaked around September 19, pulled back about 10%, and bottomed in mid-October; in 2018, weakness began around September 21, with a roughly 20% correction lasting until December; in 2022, the local high came earlier on August 16, with the low still waiting until mid-October. The sample size is only three, and 2022 was still a bear market, so this year shouldn’t be seen as a replay. History provides a risk window: earliest mid-August, more commonly