AI Trader | Minervini: 37 SEPA setups, UMAC best at 3.13:1

Mark Minervini

Thirty-seven actionable out of 387—that’s a selective tape, and I like it. UMAC is the kind of setup I’d circle: tight VCP, volume 3.5x, and a clean pivot at 35.03. The 3.13:1 reward-to-risk gives me room to cut fast if it fails, but I’m not buying a single point early. Let it trade through that pivot with conviction, or I wait. The other 265 names are noise—don’t let them talk you into mediocrity.

The Trend Template Gate

Market: Confirmed Uptrend. Every stock must pass all 8 Trend Template criteria (Stage 2 uptrend) before I look at the setup. Today’s scan covers 8 deepvue scans merged and deduplicated.

Today at a Glance

Scanned 387. Actionable 37 · Watch 85 · Avoid 265.

Portfolio Snapshot

Open Positions

SEPA Setups — At or Near the Pivot

UMAC · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: UMAC is tightening up right in the pocket where I want to see it. The base has been coiling for weeks, and the contraction is getting visibly tighter—that’s the VCP signature. Price is sitting just below that 35.03 pivot, and volume is already running at 3.5 times average. That’s not noise; that’s institutional fingerprints. When the bid hits that level and volume confirms, I don’t need to think twice. The risk is defined at 32.23, which is only about 8% away, and the target gives me over 3 times that. This is the exact moment where the odds shift in my favor—not before, not after. I’m ready to pull the trigger the second it trades through that pivot.

Why wait: Because if it doesn’t trade through 35.03, I have no trade. A breakout that fails to confirm is just a trap, and I’m not in the business of catching falling knives or guessing at false moves. If UMAC stalls here, or if volume dries up on the attempt, that tells me the supply is still there, and I’ll let it go. Waiting also protects me from chasing a gap or a spike that leaves me with a terrible entry. The stop is tight, but it’s only tight if the pivot is real. If it breaks down before the pivot, I’m out—no hesitation. Patience isn’t weakness; it’s the difference between a high batting average and a high slugging percentage. I’d rather miss a trade than take a bad one. The market will give me another chance, but it won’t give me back my capital.

ETON · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: ETON is setting up exactly the way I like to see it—a tight, constructive base with the pivot right there at 59.89. The volume profile is showing 4.834, which tells me there’s institutional participation building, not just retail noise. My buy point is precise: I don’t want to chase a runaway move. I want the stock to come to me, and it’s knocking on the door. The risk-to-reward is 3.13 to 1, which clears my minimum threshold. If this breaks on above-average volume, I’m in. That’s the trigger. No hesitation, no second-guessing. The setup is imminent, and I’m ready to act the moment the tape confirms it.

Why wait: Because the stock hasn’t broken out yet. I don’t buy anticipation; I buy confirmation. If it stalls at that pivot or fails to hold above 59.89 on volume, you’re not missing anything—you’re avoiding a losing trade. My stop at 55.10 is non-negotiable, and that’s a 8% haircut if I’m wrong. That’s acceptable only if the entry is clean. If ETON gaps up and runs away from the pivot, I let it go. There’s always another train. Patience is a weapon. The market will pay you for discipline, not for being early. So I wait for the exact moment—not a penny before, not a penny after. That’s how I protect capital and let winners run.

HZO · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: HZO is tightening up right in the pocket of a proper base, and that buy point at 52.56 is the exact line in the sand where supply dries up and demand takes over. The volume reading at 2.51 tells me there’s institutional participation lurking—not the dead tape you see in failed patterns. My stop at 48.36 is just over 8% below entry, which is the maximum I’ll tolerate because I’m not here to be a hero; I’m here to let the stock prove itself. The 3.13 reward-to-risk is the kind of asymmetry I wait for—if I’m wrong, I’m out small, but if I’m right, the move to 65.7 gives me a slugging percentage that keeps my equity curve climbing. This is the moment to act, not to think about acting.

Why wait: Because if you hesitate, you’re buying extended, and that’s where amateurs get chopped up. The pivot is a knife’s edge—every tick above 52.56 that you miss means you’re paying up for risk that was already defined. I don’t chase; I wait for the exact trigger, and if it doesn’t fire, I don’t force it. The market doesn’t care about your opinion, and HZO could just as easily roll over and break that stop—that’s why I’m not married to the trade. If the volume doesn’t confirm the breakout within a day or two, or if price stalls under the pivot, I’m walking away. Patience isn’t passive; it’s the discipline to let the setup come to you, and the willingness to say no when the edge isn’t there. You wait for the precise moment, then you strike—anything else is gambling.

ATRO · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: ATRO is compressing into a proper VCP, and the tightness in the price action tells me the sellers are exhausted. The buy at 94.56 isn't a guess—it's the exact pivot where the base resolves. Volume is at 0.773, which is below average, and that's actually a good thing here because it confirms the lack of supply during the pullback. When I see a stock coil like this, with a defined stop at 87.0, I'm not waiting for a headline or a fundamental story. I'm waiting for the tape to confirm. The risk-reward at 3.13 is acceptable, but the real edge is the timing: if it triggers, I want to be in at the pivot, not chasing it 2% higher. The RS is unknown, but I don't need it to be a market leader if the price structure and volume are right—this is a tactical trade, not a long-term thesis.

Why wait: Because the status is IMMINENT, not CONFIRMED. I don't buy anticipation; I buy reaction. If ATRO doesn't hit 94.56 on above-average volume, I'm not interested. A low-volume drift through the pivot is a trap—it means the breakout lacks conviction, and I'd rather miss the move than take a false signal. My stop at 87.0 is 8% below entry, which is wider than I prefer, but it's the structural level that invalidates the pattern. If it breaks down before triggering, I've lost nothing. If it triggers and fails, I'm out at 87.0 with a small, controlled loss. The market will give me another chance, but it won't give me back capital lost to impatience. So I wait for the exact trigger, and if it comes, I'm decisive. If it doesn't, I move on. That's the discipline.

NTAP · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: NTAP is tightening up exactly the way I like to see it. The base is contracting, volatility is compressing, and we’re sitting right at the pivot—209.16 is the line in the sand. Volume is at 0.827, which tells me the supply is drying up, and that’s the fuel for a proper breakout. I don’t need a perfect RS number to know the tape is constructive; I need the price to confirm with a surge on volume. When that happens, I’m in at the pivot, not a penny higher. My stop at 192.43 is tight enough to keep the damage minimal if I’m wrong, and the target at 261.45 gives me a 3.13 reward-to-risk. That’s the math I trade by—batting average doesn’t matter if my winners are three times bigger than my losers.

Why wait: Because the breakout hasn’t happened yet. The status is IMMINENT, not CONFIRMED. I don’t buy anticipation; I buy reaction. If NTAP stalls here or fades back into the base, that 209.16 pivot becomes a trap, and the stop will get hit before you can blink. Waiting costs you nothing but a few cents of upside on the entry—but acting too early costs you capital and confidence. I’ve seen too many traders get shaken out because they jumped the gun on a “sure thing” that needed one more day of compression. Let the volume confirm the move. If it doesn’t come, I walk away. There’s always another setup. The market pays you for discipline, not for being early.

Watch List

Avoid

What I’d Tell You

Risk first, always. Know your stop before you enter. Size from the stop, not from how much you want to make. If a stock violates after the breakout — closes below the 20-day, fails to follow through, shows heavy selling — do not wait for the hard stop. Act. The difference between a good trader and a great one is not the entries; it is the exits.

Stage, pattern and sentiment labels are generated by rule-based approximations (Weinstein stage analysis, Minervini trend template and heuristic pattern detection), not by precise technical analysis. Data as of August 17, 2026. For informational and educational purposes only — not investment advice. Always verify against primary sources before making any investment decision. SEPA-inspired system. VCP geometry is partially visual; the detector is a proxy. All thresholds are author calibration.