AI Trader | Minervini: 59 SEPA setups, DINO best at 3.13:1

Mark Minervini

Fifty-nine actionable names in a confirmed uptrend—that’s a green light, but only if you’re selective. DINO’s breakout at 107.76 with a 3.13:1 reward-to-risk is the kind of setup I’d circle, but that volume at 0.132 tells me it’s not screaming yet. I want to see expansion on the follow-through, not just a quiet push above resistance. Don’t chase it; wait for the pivot to hold and volume to confirm. Your edge is in the timing, not the hope.

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 368. Actionable 59 · Watch 67 · Avoid 242.

Portfolio Snapshot

Recent Trades:

🟢 WEAT +0.3% — Trimmed for portfolio risk limit

🟢 MPC +1.8% — Trimmed for portfolio risk limit

🟢 ZETA +1.7% — Trimmed for portfolio risk limit

🔴 FIVN -2.0% — Trimmed for portfolio risk limit

🔴 FIVN -2.2% — Trimmed for portfolio risk limit

Open Positions

SEPA Setups — At or Near the Pivot

DINO · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: DINO is sitting at the exact pivot, and that’s the only place I want to act. The base has tightened—you can feel the VCP contraction in the price action. Volume is drying up at 0.132, which tells me sellers are exhausted and the stock is coiling for a move. My buy is 107.76, not a penny before, not a penny after. The stop at 99.14 gives me a defined risk of about 8%, and the target at 134.7 gives me a 3.13 reward-to-risk ratio. That’s the kind of asymmetry I’ll take every time. If this breaks, it breaks fast, and I want to be there when the institutional bid hits, not chasing it two points higher.

Why wait: Because “imminent” means nothing until the trigger fires. I don’t buy anticipation; I buy confirmation. If DINO stalls at that pivot or rolls over on increased volume, the setup is dead, and waiting saves you from a losing trade. The relative strength is a question mark—I don’t see it yet, and without RS confirmation, you’re just hoping. A break below 99.14 invalidates the entire pattern, and if that happens, you’re not early, you’re wrong. Patience isn’t passive; it’s the discipline to let the market prove it’s ready. I’d rather miss the first few cents of a move than take a full stop loss because I jumped the gun. The stock will tell you when it’s time—until then, your job is to do nothing.

SM · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: SM is tightening up right in the pocket of a proper VCP, and the buy point at 39.04 is the exact line in the sand where supply has dried up. The low volatility reading of 0.167 tells me the stock is coiling—institutions aren’t dumping shares, they’re holding for the next leg. When I see a base that’s this compressed, with a stop at 35.92 giving me just over 8% risk, and a target at 48.8 for a 3.13 reward-to-risk, I don’t need to guess. I need to be ready to pull the trigger the moment price confirms on volume. If this breaks out with any kind of institutional sponsorship, the move can be fast and violent. That’s the only time I act—when the setup is imminent and the risk is defined.

Why wait: Because “imminent” is not “now.” If you buy before 39.04, you’re guessing, and guessing gets you stopped out more often than not. The base might fail to break out, or it could break down and take your stop out before you ever see the target. I don’t care how good the pattern looks—if volume doesn’t confirm the breakout, I’m not in. And if the stock gaps through the pivot or opens too extended, I’ll let it go. There’s always another train. Waiting costs you nothing but opportunity; buying early costs you capital. The moment price hits 39.04 with volume expanding, I’m in. Until then, I’m watching, not acting. Patience is a position.

PSX · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: PSX is setting up exactly the way I like to see it—a tight, constructive base with the buy point at 258.77. The volume contraction at 0.125 tells me the sellers are gone; there’s no supply left to push it down. When I see that kind of tightness, I don’t wait for the stock to make the move obvious. I’m watching for the pivot to trigger on expanding volume, and when it does, I’m in. The risk-reward at 3.13 is acceptable, but that’s not the edge—the edge is the timing. If this breaks, it breaks fast, and you don’t get a second chance at this price.

Why wait: Because the status is IMMINENT, not CONFIRMED. I don’t buy anticipation; I buy reaction. If PSX stalls at that level or fails to show volume on the breakout, you’re not missing anything—you’re avoiding a trap. The stop at 238.07 is 8% below, which is wider than I’d prefer, so I need the entry to be precise. If it gaps through 258.77 without volume, that’s a red flag. If it pulls back and undercuts the pivot, the pattern is broken. Waiting costs you nothing if the setup fails; acting early costs you capital. Let the market prove it, then pull the trigger.

PBF · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: PBF is coiling into a proper VCP right here, and the tightness in that base is what I look for before the trigger. The buy at 78.04 is the pivot—the exact point where supply has been absorbed and the stock is telling me it’s ready to move. With a stop at 71.8, I’m risking about 8%, which is acceptable if the setup is clean. The reward-to-risk at 3.13 is solid, but that’s not the reason I act. I act because the pattern is imminent, and volume is starting to confirm—0.116 is low, but I want to see that expand on the breakout, not before. If it doesn’t, I’m not buying; I’m waiting for the stock to prove itself with institutional participation.

Why wait: Because the relative strength is a question mark, and that’s a red flag in my book. I don’t buy stocks that are lagging the market or their sector—I buy leaders that are already showing RS. If PBF can’t give me a clear RS reading above 80 or at least above its peers, then this breakout is just a coin flip, and I don’t play coin flips with my capital. Also, the volume is still low. A breakout on weak volume is a trap—it’s the market’s way of shaking out late buyers. I’d rather miss the move than take a false pivot. If the stock breaks out with conviction, volume doubles or triples, and RS confirms, I’ll be there. But until then, patience is the trade. The market will pay me to wait, not to chase.

CVE · Base breakout · R/R 3.13:1

Why now: CVE is tightening into a proper VCP right here, and the buy point at 33.5 is the exact pivot where supply dries up and demand takes over. The stop at 30.82 gives me a controlled loss of about 8%, which is within my risk parameters for a base breakout. The reward-to-risk at 3.13 is acceptable, but that’s not what makes this trade actionable—it’s the compression. Volume is contracting at 0.109, which tells me sellers are exhausted and the stock is coiling. If it breaks that pivot on a volume surge, I want to be there at the moment of truth, not chasing it 2% higher. This is the time to act because the market is telling me the next leg is ready, and hesitation is the enemy of precision.

Why wait: If you don’t see a decisive move through 33.5 with volume confirmation, you have no edge—you’re just guessing. A break below 30.82 invalidates the setup completely, and waiting for that to happen is not weakness; it’s discipline. The risk here is that CVE fails to trigger and drifts sideways, which would bleed your capital and opportunity cost. I’d rather miss the trade than take a sloppy entry above the pivot, because that’s how you turn a 3:1 setup into a 1:1 loss. If the stock can’t show me institutional buying at that exact level, I’m not interested. Patience isn’t about waiting for a better price—it’s about waiting for the right price and the right volume. If that doesn’t show up, I move on to the next name.

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 03, 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.