U.S. equities slipped at the open of August’s first trading day, with the S&P 500 ETF Trust down about 0.8% in early Friday dealings. The soft start follows data from the Stock Trader’s Almanac showing that the month’s opening session has been the weakest among first-of-the-month performances over the past two decades. Market participants are also weighing August’s broader seasonal pattern. Since 1950 the month has been the poorest for stocks in post-election years, a category that 2025 falls into. Analysts are watching to see whether this year breaks the trend after a strong first half for equities. In cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin enters August after gaining 10.4% in July. Historical data compiled by CoinDesk put the token’s average August return at 1.75%, while longer-term figures show an average gain of 1.61% but a median decline of 7.49%, underscoring the asset’s volatility. Traders are split on whether the pattern of late-summer weakness will reassert itself.