AI Trader | Minervini: 26 SEPA setups, SENEA best at 3.13:1

Mark Minervini

Twenty-six actionable names out of 357—that’s a selective tape, and I like it. SENEA’s base breakout at 203.81 is textbook, but volume at 0.27 tells me the institutions aren’t fully committed yet. I’d rather wait for that pivot to confirm with a 40%+ volume surge than chase a half-hearted move. Remember, it’s not about how many trades you take, it’s about the ones you take at the exact right moment. Risk first, then let the slugging percentage do the talking.

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 357. Actionable 26 · Watch 71 · Avoid 260.

Portfolio Snapshot

Recent Trades:

🔴 FIVN -2.2% — Trimmed for portfolio risk limit

🔴 CRWD -4.8% — Trimmed for portfolio risk limit

🔴 HALO -1.9% — Trimmed for portfolio risk limit

🔴 FROG -8.4% — Stop-loss hit at $96.06

🔴 CAKE -8.7% — Stop-loss hit at $108.25

Open Positions

SEPA Setups — At or Near the Pivot

SENEA · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: SENEA is tightening up into a proper VCP, and the buy point at 203.81 is the exact spot where the last overhead supply gets absorbed. The 0.27 volatility tells me this stock is coiling—it’s not sloppy, it’s not drifting. It’s compressing, and that compression is what gives you the explosive move when it breaks. The risk-to-reward at 3.13 is acceptable, but that’s not why I’m pulling the trigger. I’m pulling the trigger because the pattern is mature, the pivot is defined, and the stop at 187.51 is tight enough to keep my loss small if I’m wrong. If volume confirms on that breakout—and I mean a real surge, not a trickle—this thing has room to run to 254.76. You don’t wait for the move to be obvious. You act when the setup is right, and this is right now.

Why wait: Because if you hesitate, you’re buying extended, and that’s how you turn a 3-to-1 winner into a 1-to-1 loser. The moment SENEA clears 203.81, the risk changes. Your stop becomes wider, your edge shrinks, and you’re no longer buying the pivot—you’re chasing the tail. I’ve seen too many traders watch a perfect breakout, wait for “confirmation,” and then buy 5% above the pivot, only to get shaken out on the first pullback. The market doesn’t reward patience at the pivot; it rewards precision. If you’re not ready to act at 203.81, you’re not ready to trade this stock. The RS is unknown, which is a yellow flag—I want to see relative strength, not just a base. But if the volume confirms and the RS is there, waiting is the only mistake that costs you more than a bad entry.

HALO · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: HALO is setting up exactly the way I like to see it—tightness in the base, volume drying up to a whisper at 0.1, and price coiling right at the pivot. That’s the VCP signature. The buy is 109.76, and I’m not interested in guessing before that level. When it triggers, I want to see volume expand at least 40-50% above average on the breakout bar. That’s my confirmation. The stop at 100.98 gives me a defined risk of roughly 8%, and the target at 137.2 gives me a 3.13 reward-to-risk ratio. That’s a trade I can take all day. The setup is imminent, not hypothetical. I’m ready to act the moment price confirms.

Why wait: Because right now, you have no edge. The stock hasn’t broken out yet, and buying early is just guessing. Guessing gets you stopped out. I don’t care how tight the base looks—if it doesn’t trigger, it’s not a trade. And if it triggers but volume is weak, I’m not chasing it. Weak volume on a breakout is a trap. Also, your relative strength is unknown—that’s a red flag. I need to see RS at least 80 or higher, ideally in the 90s, to know this stock is leading, not lagging. Without that, I’m flying blind. So I wait. I wait for the exact pivot, the volume surge, and the RS confirmation. If it doesn’t come, I move on. There’s always another setup. Patience is a weapon, not a weakness.

VLO · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: VLO is tightening up right in the pocket of a proper VCP—the contraction is there, and the volume is drying up to 0.128, which tells me the sellers are exhausted. The base is constructive, and my buy point at 365.0 is the exact pivot where supply meets demand. I don’t need to guess; I need to act when the stock tells me it’s ready. If it triggers, I’m in with a defined risk of 29.2 points, and my target at 456.25 gives me a 3.13 reward-to-risk ratio. That’s the kind of asymmetry I’ll take every day. The setup is imminent, not hypothetical—this is the moment to pull the trigger, not to wait for a better price that may never come.

Why wait: If you hesitate, you’re not being patient—you’re being lazy. The market doesn’t reward those who wait for confirmation after the pivot; it rewards those who respect the risk and act at the line. If VLO breaks out and you’re late, you’re buying extended, your stop is too wide, and your edge evaporates. Waiting for a pullback after a breakout is a coin flip, and I don’t play coin flips with my capital. The stop at 335.8 is non-negotiable—if it fails, I’m out with a small, controlled loss. But if I wait, I’m either chasing or missing the move entirely. The time to decide is now, not after the stock has already run.

FIVN · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: FIVN is tightening up right in the pocket where I want to see it. That 34.88 pivot is the line in the sand—price has been coiling for weeks, and the volume contraction at 0.072 tells me the sellers are exhausted. When I see a VCP this tight, with the base forming right at the 50-day, I don’t need to predict the move; I just need to be there when it fires. The risk is defined at 32.09, which is only 8% below entry, and the reward is 43.6—that’s a 3.13 to 1 payoff. That’s the kind of asymmetry I’ll take every day. If it breaks on volume, I’m in. Not a penny before, not a penny after.

Why wait: If you’re not already positioned, you’re not late—you’re smart. The status is IMMINENT, not CONFIRMED. I don’t buy anticipation; I buy reaction. If FIVN stalls at that pivot or fails to hold 34.88 on a closing basis, you’d be buying a broken base, and that stop at 32.09 becomes a gift to the market makers. Wait for the volume to confirm the breakout—at least 40-50% above average—and then pull the trigger. If it gaps through, you miss the first few points, but you avoid the trap. My job isn’t to catch the exact low; it’s to catch the move with the highest probability. Patience here isn’t weakness—it’s the edge. Let the stock prove itself, then strike.

FRO · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: FRO shows a Base breakout with buy point at 45.27. R/R 3.13:1 against a 41.65 stop.

Why wait: ? Because a base breakout without volume is a trap. I’ve seen countless traders buy a clean-looking breakout only to watch it fail because the big money wasn’t there to support it. Your stop is tight, but if you enter early, you’re giving up the edge that the pivot provides. The relative strength is unknown, and that’s a red flag—if FRO isn’t outperforming the market, this breakout is less likely to follow through. Patience isn’t passive; it’s active risk management. Let the stock prove itself at 45.27 with volume, then pull the trigger. If it doesn’t, you move on. There’s always another setup. The goal isn’t to be right—it’s to be right at the right time, and only then, with a defined risk.

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.