AI Trader | Minervini: 23 SEPA setups, ZETA best at 3.13:1

Mark Minervini

Twenty-three actionable names in a confirmed uptrend—that’s a workable number, but don’t get seduced by the count. ZETA’s breakout at 31.15 with 1.44x volume and a 3.13:1 reward-to-risk is exactly the kind of tight VCP pivot I want to see, but remember: the buy is only half the battle. Your stop is your identity; if it breaks 30.20, you’re out, no excuses. The other 283 names are noise—let them prove themselves before you risk a dime. Stay selective, stay disciplined, and let the winners do the heavy lifting.

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 369. Actionable 23 · Watch 63 · Avoid 283.

Portfolio Snapshot

Recent Trades:

🔴 HALO -2.9% — Trimmed for portfolio risk limit

🔴 ERO -8.6% — Stop-loss hit at $37.13

🔴 ERO -7.7% — Trimmed for portfolio risk limit

🔴 SSRM -5.4% — Trimmed for portfolio risk limit

🔴 SSRM -5.3% — Trimmed for portfolio risk limit

Open Positions

SEPA Setups — At or Near the Pivot

ZETA · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: ZETA is tightening up right in the pocket where I want to see it. The base is contracting, volume is drying up on the pullbacks, and that 31.15 pivot is the line in the sand. I don’t need to guess if it’s going to work—I need to see it trigger with conviction. When the stock crosses that level with volume at least 1.44 times average, that’s my confirmation. The risk is defined at 28.66, which is just over 8% below entry. That’s acceptable. The target at 38.94 gives me over 3 times the risk. That’s the kind of asymmetry I’m willing to commit capital to. I’m not buying early, I’m not buying late. I’m buying the exact moment the market tells me the buyers have taken control.

Why wait: Because an imminent breakout is not a breakout. If I buy at 30.90 or 31.00, I’m paying for hope, not proof. The stop at 28.66 only works if the pivot holds—if I enter early, I’m giving up my edge and turning a 3:1 setup into a coin flip. And if the stock fails to trigger, I’ve saved myself a loss. There’s no prize for being early in this game. The prize is for being right at the right time. I’d rather miss the first 1% of a move than take a 8% loss on a failed attempt. Wait for the volume, wait for the close above 31.15, and then act without hesitation. Patience is not passive—it’s the most aggressive risk management you can have.

WEAT · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: WEAT is coiling into a proper VCP right here, and the tightness in the last few days tells me the sellers are exhausted. The breakout level at 27.92 is the pivot—not a penny before, not a penny after. Volume is picking up at 4.058, which is exactly what I want to see as price approaches the trigger. The risk-reward at 3.13 is acceptable, but that's not the edge. The edge is the timing: this is the moment where supply dries up and demand takes over. If it breaks on volume, I'm in. If it doesn't, I'm not. Simple.

Why wait: Because the market doesn't care about your target or your pattern until it proves itself. A base breakout is only a breakout if it holds above the pivot with conviction. If WEAT stalls at 27.92 or gaps through and fades, you're buying a failed move, and that stop at 25.69 is going to hurt more than the missed opportunity. I'd rather miss the first 2% than take a 8% loss on a false trigger. Wait for the close above the pivot, or at least a strong intraday push with volume that confirms institutional participation. If it doesn't come, there's always another setup. The market pays you for patience, not for being early.

HALO · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: HALO is setting up exactly the way I like to see it before I commit a single dollar. The base has tightened—you can feel the VCP contraction in the price action, and that 0.613 volatility reading tells me the stock is coiling, not drifting. My buy is 109.76, which is the pivot where supply finally dries up and demand takes over. I’m not guessing here; I’m waiting for the exact moment price confirms with volume. If it triggers, I’m in. The stop at 100.98 is tight enough to keep my risk per share at 8%, which is within my acceptable range for a breakout that has this kind of reward-to-risk ratio. A 3.13 RR means I don’t need to be right often—I just need to be right when I’m right. This is a high-probability setup, and the timing is now, not later.

Why wait: Because the stock hasn’t actually broken out yet. Status is IMMINENT, not CONFIRMED. I don’t buy anticipation; I buy execution. If I jump in before 109.76, I’m speculating on a pivot that may never come, and I’m exposing myself to downside that my stop isn’t designed to handle. The market doesn’t care about my opinion—it cares about price and volume. If HALO stalls or rolls over before hitting my buy point, I’ve saved myself a loss. Waiting also gives me time to check the relative strength, which I don’t have a number for yet. That’s a red flag. I never enter a position without knowing how the stock is behaving against the market. If RS is weak, this setup is a trap. So I wait. I wait for the trigger, I wait for volume to confirm, and I wait for RS to line up. Patience is not passive—it’s the most active risk management I have.

RNG · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: The setup is right here, right now. RNG has tightened up into a proper VCP—the contraction is visible, and the base is deep enough to shake out weak hands but not so wide that it signals distribution. My buy point at 69.88 is the pivot, the exact spot where supply dries up and demand takes over. The volume at 0.743 tells me we’re not seeing a runaway move yet; we’re seeing accumulation, which is what I want before the breakout. The risk-reward at 3.13 is acceptable, but that’s not the edge—the edge is the timing. If this pivot triggers, I’m in. Not a penny before, not a penny after. The stop at 64.29 is my line in the sand; if it breaks, I’m wrong, and I’m out. That’s the discipline.

Why wait: Because the status says IMMINENT, not CONFIRMED. I don’t buy anticipation; I buy reaction. If the stock stalls at 69.88 or fails to close above it on above-average volume, the setup is void. The relative strength is a question mark—that’s a red flag. I need to see RS confirm the price action, not hope it shows up later. Waiting costs me a few cents on the entry, but it saves me from a failed breakout that could gap through my stop and turn a 3:1 into a 1:1 loss. Patience is not hesitation; it’s the difference between a high batting average and a high slugging percentage. I’d rather miss this one than take a bad trade. The market will give me another pitch.

MPC · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: MPC is coiled tighter than a drum, and that’s exactly what I want to see. The VCP is showing me the contraction—each pullback is shallower, the float is getting squeezed, and volume is drying up on the lows. That tells me supply is gone. The buy point at 376.66 is the pivot, not a guess. I don’t need to predict the market; I need to react when price confirms. With a 3.13 reward-to-risk, I’m getting paid to take the trade, but only if I’m at the trigger. The moment it trades through that level on volume, I’m in. No hesitation, no second-guessing. That’s the edge.

Why wait: Because if you buy before the pivot, you’re gambling, not trading. The stop at 346.53 is my line in the sand—if price doesn’t clear 376.66, I don’t have a setup. I’d rather miss the move than take a loss on a broken pattern. And don’t ask me about RS until you show me the relative strength number; without it, I’m flying blind on whether this is a leader or a laggard. If volume doesn’t confirm the breakout, I’m out. The market will tell me when it’s ready, not my ego. Patience is a position. Wait for the exact moment, or don’t play at all.

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 September 01, 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.