Retail Is Buying the Wrong Market

Ross Givens
Ross Givens Ross Givens is a veteran trader with over 15 years of experi...
August 11, 2026 | 4 min read
A split image showing a massive, vibrant wave of individual colored arrows shooting in wildly different directions — some soaring upward, others plummeting — while in the foreground, a single flat, calm line represents the averaged index, masking the chaos beneath. The contrast between the turbulent individual movements and the deceptively smooth surface line creates an immediate visual tension. The overall color palette shifts from muted grays at the center to electric greens and reds at the ex

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Hey, Ross here:

Yesterday, I showed you why the S&P 500 could be in the middle of another “slingshot” higher.

Today, I want to show you what that slingshot could be hiding.

Because even if the S&P keeps climbing…

The index may tell you surprisingly little about where the biggest moves are actually happening.

Take a look:

Chart of the Day

retail-is-buying-the-wrong-market

This chart measures something called dispersion.

That’s simply how differently individual stocks are moving compared with the market itself.

And right now…

Dispersion is pushing toward levels we haven’t seen since the dot-com era.

Think about what that means.

One stock could rip 15%.

Another could fall 12%.

And after you average everything together…

The S&P barely moves.

The index gives you one nice, clean number.

But underneath that number…

Individual stocks can be going absolutely nuts.

And if yesterday’s “slingshot” has more room to run…

Some stocks could travel farther and faster than the index ever shows.

Now here’s the strange part.

Just as individual-stock moves are becoming more extreme…

Retail traders are moving in the opposite direction.

Take a look:

retail-is-buying-the-wrong-market

The top chart shows retail traders have recently become net sellers of individual U.S. stocks.

But look at the bottom.

They’re still pouring money into ETFs.

So retail hasn’t left the market.

They’ve changed how they’re buying it.

Instead of hunting individual companies…

They’re increasingly buying the whole basket.

Normally, that wouldn’t bother me.

But with dispersion near dot-com-era extremes…

Their timing looks awful.

I explain below.

Insight of the Day

Retail traders are choosing the average – right when the average is hiding some of the biggest moves in the market.

I’m a big fan of index funds for long-term investing.

But if you’re trying to find stocks capable of making huge moves…

The whole point is to not own the average.

An ETF bundles everything together.

The monster winner… the laggard… the “go nowhere” stock – all mixed into one return.

And right now, individual stocks are breaking away from one another at a rate we haven’t seen in decades.

Yet retail traders are selling those stocks…

And piling into products designed to smooth those differences away.

Retail is backing away from individual stocks.

Right when that’s where some of the biggest moves are showing up.

That’s where I spend a lot of my time.

I’ve seen plenty of stocks start acting strange before the rest of the market had any idea why.

Maybe the stock itself hadn’t moved much yet.

Maybe there wasn’t any news worth talking about.

But something had changed beneath the surface.

And by the time the reason became obvious…

The move was already underway.

That’s the type of underground activity I hunt with my Black Edge strategy.

And in just a few hours at 11 a.m. Eastern today…

I’m going LIVE to show you exactly how it works.

Including the controversial market clues I watch for…

How they can tip you off to a stock before the reason becomes obvious…

And why this strategy can be especially powerful for traders working with smaller accounts.

Yesterday, I showed you why the S&P 500 could be loading up for another slingshot higher.

Today, I want to show you how to hunt for the stocks that could fly much farther than the index itself.

I’m talking about targeting explosive stock moves like 3X… 4X… even 9X in a matter of days.

So click here to guarantee your free seat if you haven’t already…

Because with the insane levels of dispersion we’re seeing in the market – now is the best time to use this strategy for yourself.

See you at 11 a.m.ET.

P.S. If you’re planning to attend on a mobile device, make sure you download the presentation app now so you don’t miss anything when it starts. See you there.

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/goto/id1465614785
Android: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=goto&c=apps

Customer Story of the Day

“Ross and the Traders Agency team are trustworthy.

I watched from the sidelines for several months, before joining. My wife was still skeptical after I signed up.

But now, after a month in, she sees the gains I am getting and she’s becoming much more optimistic.

This is important to me, because I have signed up for other services that didn’t work.

Ross’ strategy is the best (and most consistent) I have ever used.

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Thank you Traders Agency for helping me and all the other “little guys” out there.”

Signature

Ross Givens
Editor, Stock Surge Daily

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Ross Givens

Written by

Ross Givens Chief Market Strategist

Ross Givens is a veteran trader with over 15 years of experience and a former VP at a major Wall Street investment bank. Specializing in small-cap stocks and momentum-driven plays, Ross identifies high-probability setups before they hit the mainstream. As Lead Strategist at Traders Agency, he has guided hundreds of successful trades and developed multiple flagship publications.

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