AI Trader | Minervini: 27 SEPA setups, AMLX best at 3.13:1

Mark Minervini

Twenty-seven actionable out of 414—that’s a selective tape, and I like it. AMLX is the kind of tight VCP I want to see: volume 3.5x, clean pivot at 40.54, and a 3:1 reward-to-risk that respects the stop. Don’t chase it; if it gaps, let it come to you or pass. The other 336 are noise—your job is to ignore them and wait for the next precise trigger. 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 414. Actionable 27 · Watch 51 · Avoid 336.

Portfolio Snapshot

Recent Trades:

🔴 PBF -8.2% — STOP HIT: $69.56 <= stop $69.72

🔴 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

Open Positions

SEPA Setups — At or Near the Pivot

AMLX · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: The setup is right here, right now. AMLX has tightened up into a proper VCP, and the buy point at 40.54 is the exact pivot where supply dries up and demand takes over. Volume is already showing 3.5 times average, which tells me institutional money is stepping in, not retail noise. My stop at 37.3 is tight enough to keep the risk defined—about 8%—and the target at 50.67 gives me a 3.13 reward-to-risk ratio. That’s the kind of asymmetry I want. I don’t need to predict the market; I need to react to the tape. The tape is saying this is the moment to pull the trigger, not tomorrow, not next week. If it breaks, I’m out. If it runs, I’m in. That’s the game.

Why wait: Waiting is what kills traders. If you hesitate here, you’re either going to chase it higher and ruin your risk-reward, or you’ll watch it fail and think you were smart for not buying—but that’s just luck, not skill. The pivot is the pivot. If AMLX doesn’t hold above 40.54 on this volume, my stop gets me out with a small, manageable loss. That’s the cost of doing business. But if you wait for more confirmation, you’re buying extended, and that’s where you get chopped up. I don’t care about your batting average; I care about your slugging percentage. One big winner pays for ten small losses. This setup gives me that chance. The only question is whether you have the discipline to act when the signal fires. I do.

NDSN · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: NDSN is setting up exactly the way I like to see it—tight price action, contracting ranges, and volume that’s telling me the sellers are exhausted. The buy at 336.8 is right at the pivot, not a penny early, not a penny late. That’s the moment when the stock proves it can clear the overhead supply and the institutional buyers step in. With a 3.13 reward-to-risk ratio, I’m not gambling; I’m taking a high-probability trade where the stop at 309.86 is tight enough to keep my loss small if I’m wrong. The volume reading at 3.139 suggests participation is building, and that’s the fuel a breakout needs to run. If this pivot triggers, I want to be there, because the best gains come from acting when the pattern is ripe, not after it’s obvious.

Why wait: Because “imminent” doesn’t mean “now.” I don’t buy anticipation; I buy confirmation. If NDSN stalls at that 336.8 level or fails to hold above it for even a few bars, that’s a failed breakout, and I’d rather miss the move than eat a stop-out. The relative strength is a question mark—and that’s a red flag. Without RS confirming the market’s leadership, this could be a laggard trying to fake a move. I’ll wait for the exact trigger, volume to expand on the breakout, and the stock to close above that pivot. If it doesn’t, I move on. There’s always another setup. Patience is a weapon; don’t waste it on a maybe.

HZO · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: HZO is setting up exactly the way I like to see it before I pull the trigger. The base has tightened, the VCP is showing contraction on the right side, and the buy point at 52.56 is the pivot where supply finally dries up. Volume is at 0.872 relative to average—that’s not screaming yet, but it’s close enough that I’m watching for the expansion on the breakout bar. The risk-to-reward at 3.13 is acceptable, but that’s not why I’m here. I’m here because the pattern is telling me the stock is coiled, and when it breaks, it should move fast. I don’t need to be early; I need to be at the exact moment the buyers take control. If that volume confirms on the push through 52.56, I’m in. No hesitation.

Why wait: Because the status is IMMINENT, not CONFIRMED. That means I haven’t seen the volume spike yet, and without that, I’m just guessing. A breakout on weak volume is a trap—it fails more often than it works, and it will shake you out before the real move. My stop at 48.36 is 8% below the entry, which is wider than I prefer, but it’s manageable if the position size is cut accordingly. The bigger issue is that if the stock breaks down before the pivot, I’m not going to catch a falling knife. I’d rather miss the first few points than take a loss on a false start. Patience is a weapon. Wait for the volume to confirm, then act. If it doesn’t come, there’s always another setup. The market will pay you to be disciplined, not to be early.

TXG · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: TXG is sitting right at the pivot, and the base is tight enough that I’m willing to commit capital. The buy is 64.63, which means the stock has already proven it can hold its lows and compress into a proper VCP. Volume is at 0.97, so it’s not screaming yet, but that’s fine—I don’t need a parade, I need confirmation at the exact moment of breakout. The risk is defined at 59.46, which is about 8% below entry. That’s acceptable for a stock with this kind of upside target. The reward-to-risk is 3.13, which clears my minimum threshold. If this breaks on above-average volume, I’m in. No hesitation. No averaging down. Just execution.

Why wait: If you’re not ready to pull the trigger at 64.63, you’re already late. The moment the stock trades through that level, the dynamics change—institutional buyers are stepping in, and the easy money is made in the first few days of the move. Waiting for a pullback after a breakout is a coin flip; you might get a better price, but you’re also risking that the stock never comes back. My rule is simple: if the setup is valid and the risk is defined, I act at the pivot. If volume confirms, great. If it doesn’t, I’m out at my stop. The worst thing you can do is watch it run to 70 and then chase it. That’s how you turn a 3-to-1 setup into a 1-to-1 loss. So either you trust the pattern and the price action, or you don’t. If you don’t, stay out. But don’t sit on the sidelines and call it discipline—that’s just fear dressed up as patience.

USFD · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: USFD is tightening into a proper VCP right here, and the buy point at 111.52 is the exact pivot where supply has been absorbed. The volume contraction you’re seeing—0.457 relative to its average—tells me the sellers are exhausted, not just quiet. That’s the kind of quiet before a move that rewards patience with precision. My stop at 102.6 is below the recent swing low, giving me a defined risk of about 8%, and the target at 139.4 gives me over 3 times that risk. That’s the math I care about: not how often I’m right, but how much I make when I am. If this breaks on volume, I’m in. No hesitation, no second-guessing.

Why wait: Because “imminent” is not “now.” I don’t buy the pivot before it’s confirmed—I buy the pivot when it’s triggered. If USFD stalls or drifts sideways for another few days, that tightness could loosen, and a loose base is a trap. I’ve seen too many traders jump early on a pattern that looks ready, only to watch it roll over and stop them out. My edge comes from acting at the exact moment of institutional commitment, not from predicting it. If the stock doesn’t hit 111.52 on above-average volume, I’m not interested. I’ll wait for the next setup, because there’s always another train. 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 21, 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.