AI Trader | Minervini: 50 SEPA setups, ETON best at 3.13:1

William@CANSLIM Research

ETON is exactly the kind of setup I want to see—tight VCP, volume 1.6x on the breakout, and a 3:1 reward-to-risk. I’m buying at 63.66, but only if it holds that pivot; if it fails, I’m out before it gets ugly. 50 actionable names out of 433 tells me the market’s giving us chances, but 321 avoid signals are the real story. Don’t chase the laggards—wait for the tightest bases and let the volume do the talking. Risk first, always.

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 433. Actionable 50 · Watch 62 · Avoid 321.

Portfolio Snapshot

Recent Trades:

🔴 AEHR -16.4% — STOP HIT: $123.25 <= stop $135.7

🔴 ATRO -8.9% — STOP HIT: $86.12 <= stop $87.0

🔴 RCMT -0.9% — BUYOUT RELEASE: abnormal gap +21% (possible buyout

🔴 HZO -0.6% — BUYOUT RELEASE: abnormal gap +46% (possible buyout

🟢 ETON +3.1% — BUYOUT RELEASE: abnormal gap +44% (possible buyout

Open Positions

SEPA Setups — At or Near the Pivot

ETON · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: ETON is setting up exactly the way I like to see it—tight price action after a proper base, and now it’s knocking on the pivot at 63.66. The volume at 1.636 tells me there’s institutional participation, not just retail noise. If this breaks with conviction, I want to be there at the trigger, not chasing it three points higher. My stop at 58.57 gives me a defined risk of about 8%, and with a target at 79.57, I’m getting a 3.13 reward-to-risk ratio. That’s the kind of asymmetry that keeps me in the game. The pattern is imminent, not hypothetical. I don’t need to predict the move; I need to react to it when it happens.

Why wait: Because “imminent” is not “executed.” If ETON stalls at that pivot or fails to hold the breakout level on volume, you’re not buying a breakout—you’re buying a hope. I’ve seen too many traders get shaken out because they entered before the stock proved itself. The stop at 58.57 is there to protect you, but if you buy too early and it rolls over, you’re giving back capital on a setup that never confirmed. Wait for the close above 63.66, or at least a decisive intraday move with volume that says buyers are in control. If it doesn’t come, there’s always another stock. The market pays you for patience, not for being early. Let the price tell you when it’s ready.

SCDL · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: SCDL is tightening into a proper VCP right here, and the setup is at the exact moment where the market decides. The buy point at 61.75 is the pivot—the high of the base—and I don’t care about the story or the earnings estimate. I care that volume is 2.44 times average, which tells me institutions are stepping in as the stock coils. The risk is defined at 56.81, which is a 8% stop from entry, and that’s within my acceptable range for a breakout. The reward-to-risk at 3.13 is solid, but that’s secondary. The primary reason to act now is that the base is tight, the price is at the edge, and if it breaks on volume, it won’t give you a second chance. You don’t wait for confirmation after the pivot—you act at the pivot, or you’re late.

Why wait: Because “imminent” means nothing until the tape confirms it. If SCDL fails to trigger at 61.75 on above-average volume, you’re not missing a trade—you’re avoiding a trap. I’ve seen countless bases that look perfect and then roll over the day after the breakout attempt. The stop at 56.81 is your insurance, but if the stock gaps through the pivot and then reverses, you’ll be stopped out for a loss that could have been avoided by waiting for the close above the pivot. Also, I don’t have the RS number here, and that’s a red flag. If relative strength is below 80, this trade is weaker than it appears, and you’re better off letting it prove itself. Patience is not a cost; it’s a filter. Wait for the exact trigger, and if it comes, you’ll know. If it doesn’t, you’ve saved capital for the next clean setup.

PBF · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: PBF is coiled tighter than a drum, and that's exactly what I want to see. The VCP is showing me contraction—each pullback shallower, each rally on lower volume. That buy point at 75.78 isn't a guess; it's the pivot where supply dries up and demand takes over. With a 3.13 reward-to-risk, I'm not gambling, I'm calculating. The stop at 69.72 is non-negotiable—it's below the recent swing low, where the structure breaks and my thesis is dead. If this stock triggers on volume, I want to be there at the exact moment, not chasing it 2% higher. That's how you get the slugging percentage, not just a batting average.

Why wait: Because "imminent" isn't "now." I don't buy anticipation; I buy confirmation. If PBF gaps up or breaks out on weak volume, that's a trap—institutions aren't committed, and I'll get shaken out. The RS is unknown, and that's a red flag. I need to see relative strength above the market, not just a chart pattern. If it stalls at 75.78 or pulls back on heavy volume, the setup is invalid. Waiting costs me nothing; a bad entry costs me everything. I'd rather miss the move than take a hit to my capital. The market will give me another chance—it always does. But if I force it before the pivot, I'm just another retail trader hoping, not a professional executing.

QULL · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: QULL is sitting right at the pivot, and the base has tightened the way I like to see it—price action compressing into the right side of the pattern, not sloppy, not extended. The buy at 71.63 is the exact line in the sand; if it triggers, you’re not guessing, you’re acting on confirmed supply absorption. Volume at 2.273 tells me there’s institutional participation, not just retail noise. The risk-to-reward at 3.13 is acceptable, but that’s not the edge—the edge is that the breakout is imminent, and I don’t wait for the move to become obvious. By the time everyone sees it, the pivot is gone and you’re chasing. I’m here to buy strength at the precise moment of initiation, not to debate whether it might work.

Why wait: Because if you hesitate, you’re already late. The stop at 65.9 is non-negotiable—if QULL fails to hold that, you’re out, no excuses, no averaging down. Waiting for a pullback after a breakout like this is a fool’s game; you’ll either miss the move entirely or buy back at a worse price with a wider stop. And if you’re waiting for the RS number to confirm, you’re already behind—relative strength is a lagging indicator at this stage. The market doesn’t care about your comfort zone. Either you respect the pivot and take the trade with defined risk, or you sit on the sidelines and watch it run without you. I’d rather take a small, controlled loss on a failed breakout than miss a 25% winner because I was too cautious to pull the trigger at the exact moment the pattern demanded action.

NTAP · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: NTAP is tightening up beautifully into a proper VCP, and the buy point at 209.16 is the exact pivot where supply dries up and demand takes over. The relative volume at 0.807 tells me we’re not chasing a runaway move—this is a coiled spring, not a stretched rubber band. My stop at 192.43 keeps the risk defined at roughly 8%, which is acceptable for a stock that’s showing institutional accumulation. The reward-to-risk at 3.13 is above my minimum threshold, so the math works. I don’t need the stock to be perfect; I need it to act right at the moment of breakout. If it triggers, I’m in, and I’m not waiting for confirmation that costs me 2-3% more.

Why wait: Because the status is IMMINENT, not CONFIRMED. I don’t buy anticipation; I buy reaction. If NTAP fails to break out and instead rolls over, my stop is there to keep the damage small, but waiting for the actual close above 209.16 on higher volume gives me the edge. A 0.807 volume ratio is below 1.0, which means today’s action isn’t screaming institutional participation yet. I need to see that volume expand on the breakout day—otherwise, I’m buying a false move. Patience here isn’t hesitation; it’s discipline. The pivot is the line in the sand. If it breaks, I act. If it doesn’t, I move on. There’s always another setup, but there’s no second chance on a blown stop.

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 19, 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.