Long iShares Russell 2000 ETF signal by mansur sani (Natata)

The Russell 2000 hit its 27th record close of 2026 on August 14 at 3,052.85, now up 23% YTD and outpacing the S&P 500 by 9.1 percentage points. IWM trades at a confirmed 34.5% earnings-multiple discount to large caps (19.21x vs. 29.32x for the Russell 1000), and this week's retail earnings wave — HD, TGT, WMT, LOW all reporting — will serve as a direct catalyst confirming or denying the consumer strength that has been driving small-cap breadth. The sector rotation into cyclicals and financials t