Power Hour

The closing power hour—the highly volatile final hour of U.S. stock market trading from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET—is underway on this Wednesday, May 13, 2026. 

Current Market Standing

Markets are experiencing active institutional volume following a hotter-than-expected Producer Price Index (PPI) inflation report released earlier today. The current benchmark index performance as of 3:15 PM ET is: 

• S&P 500 Index (.INX): Up 0.72% sitting at 7,454.42.
• Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC): Leading the session, up 1.35% at 26,441.05.
• Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI): Lagging slightly, down 0.11% at 49,706.58.

What to Expect Before the 4:00 PM Close

• Volume Spikes: Expect an approximate 30% to 40% surge in total volume relative to midday trading as algorithmic and institutional desks finalize daily allocations.
• ETF/Mutual Fund Rebalancing: High-velocity programmatic trades will cross the market tape to sync passive funds with daily index weight changes.
• Closing Market-on-Close (MOC) Imbalances: Large programmatic price adjustments dictate final liquidity right up to the 4:00 PM bell. 

Bitcoin is trading at $79,208.36, down 1.58% for the session. 

The digital asset is closely mirroring equity market reactions to today's hot PPI inflation report. It briefly wobbled below the $80,000 threshold as macro interest-rate concerns triggered a short-term shakeout of leveraged positions. 

Volatility frequently carries over directly into the crypto space as stock market liquidity locks in for the night. 

Would you like to look at the options open interest for Bitcoin's nearest expiry, or check on a specific crypto-related equity like Coinbase or Strategy?