Thursday, August 20, 2026 – Tony’s Pre-Market Playbook

Weakness Continues — Bulls Need to Step Up
by Tony Rago

Weakness continues, and price is trading below the prior day’s lows before the open. Bulls need to reclaim 7,700 on ES and 29,412 on NQ to get something going. If they can’t muster a bounce and reclaim those levels, the risk opens up for a deeper move toward 7,650 and 29,000. Crude over 87 could make that downside move even more difficult for the bulls, so I’ll be keeping an eye on crude as we see how the tape develops.

This is another one where we need to let price tell us what it wants to do. If buyers step in and reclaim the key levels, we can look for some upside follow-through. If they fail, there’s no reason to fight the trend—let the market work its way toward the next levels. Let’s see how we open and go from there!

👉 Full breakdown is inside today’s Pre-Market Playbook.

Check it out here and trade it smart.

Until next time,
Tony

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