The sector rotated again. Dow ($DOW) and LyondellBasell ($LYB) — last scan's two best 30-day performers — turned into this scan's weakest names: Dow's trend downgraded further to outright "down" and LyondellBasell dropped from strong-up to weak-down, both posting the sector's worst weekly declines. On the other side, Sherwin-Williams ($SHW) extended its rally to the sector's best weekly print (+8.47%) and closed within -2.63% of a 52-week high, though it still carries an unresolved death-cross flag. PPG ($PPG) and DuPont ($DD) both reversed last scan's downgrade and climbed back to strong-up, and Ecolab's ($ECL) death-cross flag — in place the past two scans — finally resolved into a golden cross. Linde ($LIN) pulled back from the near-oversold RSI 30.1 it posted last scan to 39.5, still the sector's only sub-40 reading.

Data as-of 2026-08-07 close (all eight tickers, current bar). All numbers from precomputed summaries/chemicals.json. Comparison scan: 2026-07-31-chemicals (2026-07-31 close).

Dow and LyondellBasell were the sector's best 30-day performers last scan (+12.1% and +18.07%). This scan both reversed: Dow's RSI eased from 49.9 to 44.9, its weekly print flipped negative (-3.14%), and its trend classification downgraded further, from weak-down to outright "down" — the worst structural reading in the sector. LyondellBasell's RSI dropped from 58.6 to 48.9, its trend downgraded from strong-up to weak-down, and its weekly print posted the sector's worst decline (-4.01%). Both names' 30-day change is still positive, but decelerated sharply, and both widened their distance from a 52-week high — Dow's gap (-30.58%) remains the widest in the group.

The rest of the sector firmed. Sherwin-Williams extended its rally further: RSI climbed from 55.6 to 65.4, its weekly print accelerated to +8.47% (the sector's best this scan), and its 30-day change swung from -1.5% to +11.85%, closing the gap to a 52-week high to just -2.63%. It still carries a death-cross flag in the underlying data despite three scans of gains. Ecolab firmed alongside it — RSI up to 60.8, trend upgraded from up to strong-up, 30-day change swinging from -0.27% to +4.03% — and its own death-cross flag, flagged in the prior two scans, resolved into a golden cross this scan. PPG and DuPont both reversed last scan's downgrade: PPG's RSI jumped from 40.1 to 55.5 and its trend recovered from weak-down back to strong-up, with a weekly print (+8.32%) tied for the sector's best; DuPont's RSI rose from 47.3 to 54.6 with the same weak-down-to-strong-up recovery. Air Products held its strong-up trend and its 30-day change swung positive (+2.25%, was -3.76%). Linde, the sector's sharpest breakdown last scan, recovered from RSI 30.1 to 39.5 — still the sector's only sub-40 reading and still trending weak-down, but its weekly print turned positive (+2.42%) and its 30-day decline narrowed from -10.34% to -7.14%.

• Dow: RSI 49.9→44.9 (eased), trend weak-down→down (downgraded further), 7D +1.51%→-3.14% (reversed), 30D +12.1%→+1.07% (decelerated sharply, though still positive), 52wkHi -29.13%→-30.58% (widened, still the sector's widest gap).
• LyondellBasell: RSI 58.6→48.9 (dropped), trend strong-up→weak-down (downgraded), 7D +2.92%→-4.01% (reversed, worst weekly print in the sector this scan), 30D +18.07%→+6.95% (decelerated sharply from the sector's best last scan), 52wkHi -26.04%→-29.68% (widened).
• Sherwin-Williams: RSI 55.6→65.4 (firmed further), trend unchanged (up), 7D +7.35%→+8.47% (accelerated, best in the sector this scan), 30D -1.5%→+11.85% (swung strongly positive), 52wkHi -10.22%→-2.63% (narrowed sharply, nearly a new high); death-cross flag remains in place.
• Air Products: RSI 50.7→59.5 (firmed), trend unchanged (strong-up), 7D -1%→+2.9% (turned positive), 30D -3.76%→+2.25% (swung positive), 52wkHi -6.35%→-6.28% (roughly steady).
• Linde: RSI 30.1→39.5 (recovered off a near-oversold reading), trend unchanged (weak-down), 7D -6.62%→+2.42% (turned positive), 30D -10.34%→-7.14% (still negative but improved), 52wkHi -12.74%→-10.43% (narrowed).
• Ecolab: RSI 55.1→60.8 (firmed), trend up→strong-up (upgraded), 7D +3.3%→+2.72% (roughly steady), 30D -0.27%→+4.03% (swung positive), 52wkHi -10.23%→-7.7% (narrowed); death-cross flag from the prior two scans resolved into a golden cross.
• PPG: RSI 40.1→55.5 (recovered sharply), trend weak-down→strong-up (upgraded back), 7D -4.72%→+8.32% (reversed, tied for the sector's best weekly print this scan), 30D -9.86%→+4.76% (swung positive), 52wkHi -17.17%→-10.72% (narrowed).
• DuPont: RSI 47.3→54.6 (firmed), trend weak-down→strong-up (upgraded back), 7D -0.51%→+3.99% (turned positive), 30D -1.06%→+4.02% (swung positive), 52wkHi -13.28%→-6.72% (narrowed).

RSI (Relative Strength Index) gauges how aggressively a stock has been bought or sold over roughly the past two weeks, on a 0-100 scale — under 30 signals an oversold, potentially undervalued stretch; over 70 signals overbought, extended risk; readings in between are neutral. The color icons below track that scale: green marks oversold/healthy, yellow marks neutral, orange marks approaching overbought, red marks a breakdown or extreme overbought reading. Trend reflects a stock's structural direction based on its moving averages (strong-up, weak-up, weak-down, strong-down); vs SMA20 shows how far price sits above or below its 20-day average; 52wkHi shows the distance below the stock's own one-year high — the closer to zero, the closer to a new high.

RSI < 25 (Oversold): None this scan.

RSI 25-40 (Approaching Oversold): Linde ($489.98, RSI 39.5) is the sector's only name in this band, and it's recovering — up from RSI 30.1 last scan, near the oversold threshold. Its weekly print turned positive and its 30-day decline narrowed, but the trend classification is still weak-down and its 30-day change (-7.14%) is still the sector's worst.

RSI 40+ (Neutral-to-Strong): The other seven names sit here. Dow (44.9) and LyondellBasell (48.9) are the sector's laggards this scan — both downgraded on trend and posted the sector's worst weekly declines after being last scan's best 30-day performers. Sherwin-Williams (65.4) is the sector's strongest reading, closing within -2.63% of a 52-week high, though it still carries an unresolved death-cross flag. PPG (55.5) and DuPont (54.6) both recovered back to strong-up after last scan's downgrade, and Ecolab (60.8) upgraded to strong-up with its death-cross flag resolved. Air Products (59.5) held its strong-up trend and swung its 30-day change positive.

Does Dow and LyondellBasell's reversal mark a real turn, or does the sector rotate again next scan the way it already has between these pairs? Does Sherwin-Williams' death-cross flag finally resolve now that Ecolab's has, or does it stay unreconciled despite three scans of gains? And does Linde's recovery off RSI 30 continue, or was this one bounce inside a still-weak-down trend?

• Tape data (price/RSI/SMA/returns): pre-computed summaries as of the 2026-08-07 close — chemicals.
• Comparison figures: 2026-07-31-chemicals (2026-07-31 close).