SA 07/10/2026 – Money leaving the market – Normal selling pressure

Overall market trend: Bearish phase – day 19

Yesterdays market: Money leaving the market – Normal selling pressure

TC2000 McClellan: 17

Stocks above 40PMA T2108: 24

VIX: 15

52 week highs (US common stocks): 177

Seasonality: The historical case: October is the midterm year’s best month

Since 1950, October has been the best-performing month in U.S. midterm years, averaging a 3% gain for the S&P 500 and posting positive returns 73.7% of the time. November ranks second, averaging a 2.7% gain, with positive returns 78.9% of the time. The midterm effect is large. Across all years, October has been positive nearly 60% of the time since 1950, with an average gain of 0.89%, so the midterm version roughly triples the typical October return. LPL also notes that the improvement from October onwards in midterm years has not depended on which party holds the Presidency.

The key difference from the template.

The midterm Q4 rally has historically started from a deep autumn low, which you’ve already noted. Since 1950, the S&P 500 has suffered an average peak-to-trough decline of about 18% in midterm years. In 2026, the S&P 500 fell 5% in the first quarter, rallied 15% in the second, and gained 2% in the third, and it remains less than 2% below its last record close. The early-year weakness fits the pattern. But there hasn’t been an autumn flush, so the “relief rally off the lows” mechanism has less to work with. Detrick’s comment that the historical Q4 pattern should not be viewed in isolation applies here, especially with yields at 5.3% and oil above $100.

Overall, the seasonal tailwind for October 2026 is real but should be discounted. The usual setup (a washed-out market heading into the vote) is missing. The more likely route to a large Q4 might be a further pullback in October, followed by the post-election rally, rather than a straight run higher from here.

Indices:

$SOXX Uptrend

$QQQ: Uptrend

$SPY: Uptrend

$RSP: No trend

$DIA: No trend

$IWM: No trend

$BTC: No trend

$SQQQ: Downtrend

$UVIX: Downtrend

$TLT: Downtrend

$USO: No trend

$GLD: Downtrend

$SLV: Downtrend

$SLX: No trend

2%+ sectors yesterday:

  • $XLU +2.98%
  • $XTL +2.23%
  • $HACK +2.14%

2%- sectors yesterday:

  • $IBB -2.34%

Main sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $XLE $XLK
  • Lagging – $XLF $XLB

Sub sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $SMH $HACK
  • Lagging – $TAN $KRE

Bitcoin: 84k ish

Themes:

Cybersecurity

Infrastructure

Cloud Computing

Semiconductors

Software

Clean energy

Crypto

THEME 1: AI Chip Equipment & Fab Capex Supercycle

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
AMATApplied Materials, Inc.Semis – Wafer Fab Equipmentverify~+100%+10.95% wk; Morgan Stanley raised 2027 EPS est. to $20.92Buy; PT verify
LRCXLam Research CorporationSemis – Etch/Deposition~$420Bverify+10.24% wk; Micron memory capex read-across; earnings late OctBuy; PT verify
KLACKLA CorporationSemis – Process Controlverify+62.6%+10.10% wk; JPM top US equipment pickBuy; PT verify
ASMLASML Holding N.V.Semis – LithographyverifyverifyQ3 results mid-Oct; EUV order intakeBuy; PT verify
TSMTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.Semis – FoundryverifyverifySept monthly sales and Q3 earnings mid-OctBuy; PT verify
MUMicron Technology, Inc.Semis – Memory~$1.2TverifyFQ4 rev $54.2B (+379% YoY); FQ1 guide $61.5B; capex step-upBuy; Needham PT $1,650 (Jun)
TERTeradyne, Inc.Semis – Test EquipmentverifyverifyHBM/AI accelerator test demandverify
ONTOOnto Innovation Inc.Semis – Inspection/MetrologyverifyverifyAdvanced packaging inspectionverify
NVMINova Ltd.Semis – MetrologyverifyverifyMemory/logic node transitionsverify
ENTGEntegris, Inc.Semis – Materials/ConsumablesverifyverifyWafer starts rising with capacityverify
MKSIMKS Inc.Semis – Subsystems/LasersverifyverifyTool-builder supply chainverify
AMKRAmkor Technology, Inc.Semis – OSAT/Advanced PackagingverifyverifyHBM/CoWoS-style packaging capacityverify
FORMFormFactor, Inc.Semis – Probe CardsverifyverifyHBM probe card demandverify
ACMRACM Research, Inc.Semis – Wafer CleaningverifyverifyMemory fab expansionverify
CAMTCamtek Ltd.Semis – InspectionverifyverifyHBM/advanced packaging inspectionverify
ETF SMHVanEck Semiconductor ETFETF~$74B AUM+59.07% (18 Sep)Broad semis incl. equipment–
ETF SOXXiShares Semiconductor ETFETFverifyverifyBroad semis–
ETF PSIInvesco Semiconductors ETFETFverifyverifyEqual-ish weight semis–
ETF XSDSPDR S&P Semiconductor ETFETFverifyverifyEqual-weight semis–

Theme 2: AI Optical Networking & Data-Centre Interconnect

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
LITELumentum Holdings Inc.Optical Components~$74B>+100%Bernstein Outperform; FQ1 guide $1.225–1.275BMixed Buy/Hold; TD Cowen PT $675
COHRCoherent Corp.Optical Components/Lasers~$50BverifyPhotonLink launch; +10% on 1 OctBuy; Bernstein PT $350, TD Cowen $330
CIENCiena CorporationOptical Networking~$52B+59%Bernstein PT $440; Evercore upgrade, PT $550Buy; PT verify
GLWCorning IncorporatedFibre/Specialty Glassverify>+100%+8.31% wk; Nvidia/Amazon fibre dealsBuy; PT verify
ANETArista Networks, Inc.Data-Centre NetworkingverifyverifyBernstein Outperform initiationBuy; TD Cowen PT $170 (Mar)
CSCOCisco Systems, Inc.Networking Equipment~$440B~+46% (Jul)+2.8% on 2 Oct; climbing AI networking ordersBuy; PT verify
AVGOBroadcom Inc.Semis – Networking/Custom AIverifyverify+3.35% on 2 Oct; AI chip funding headlineBuy; PT verify
MRVLMarvell Technology, Inc.Semis – Optical DSP/Custom AIverifyverifyOptical DSPs; top optics ETF holdingBuy; PT verify
CRDOCredo Technology Group Holding LtdSemis – ConnectivityverifyverifyActive electrical cables, AI scale-outverify
FNFabrinetOptical Manufacturing (EMS)verifyverifyBuilds transceivers for optics leadersverify
AAOIApplied Optoelectronics, Inc.Optical TransceiversverifyverifyHyperscaler transceiver rampverify
ALABAstera Labs, Inc.Semis – AI ConnectivityverifyverifyPCIe/CXL scale-up fabricverify
CLSCelestica Inc.EMS – Networking HardwareverifyverifyHyperscaler switch buildsverify
MTSIMACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.Semis – Analog/Opticalverifyverify800G/1.6T optical driversverify
NOKNokia OyjOptical/Telecom NetworkingverifyverifyData-centre interconnect via Infineraverify
ETF LYTEOptical networking ETF (launched 2026)ETFverifyverifyPure-play optics; +4% on 1 Oct–
ETF LAZROptical/photonics ETF (launched 2026)ETFverifyverifyPure-play optics–
ETF IGNiShares North American Tech-Multimedia Networking ETFETFverifyverifyNetworking equipment–

What type of market are we in: Choppy

Are breakouts working: Selectively

Are breakouts likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: Selectively

Are breakdowns likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: No

Should I be trading: Breadth readings getting a bit more bullish but still a choppy market. Today will be day 4 of the move so not a good time to enter overall unless EP9’s SIPs with strong catalysts.

Todays watchlist (stocks setting up): $MMED $PLTR $AAPL $HPQ $META $GDX

SA 06/10/2026 – Money entering the market – Normal buying pressure

Overall market trend: Bearish phase – day 18

Yesterdays market: Money entering the market – Normal buying pressure

TC2000 McClellan: -3

Stocks above 40PMA T2108: 22

VIX: 16

52 week highs (US common stocks): 190

Seasonality: The historical case: October is the midterm year’s best month

Since 1950, October has been the best-performing month in U.S. midterm years, averaging a 3% gain for the S&P 500 and posting positive returns 73.7% of the time. November ranks second, averaging a 2.7% gain, with positive returns 78.9% of the time. The midterm effect is large. Across all years, October has been positive nearly 60% of the time since 1950, with an average gain of 0.89%, so the midterm version roughly triples the typical October return. LPL also notes that the improvement from October onwards in midterm years has not depended on which party holds the Presidency.

The key difference from the template.

The midterm Q4 rally has historically started from a deep autumn low, which you’ve already noted. Since 1950, the S&P 500 has suffered an average peak-to-trough decline of about 18% in midterm years. In 2026, the S&P 500 fell 5% in the first quarter, rallied 15% in the second, and gained 2% in the third, and it remains less than 2% below its last record close. The early-year weakness fits the pattern. But there hasn’t been an autumn flush, so the “relief rally off the lows” mechanism has less to work with. Detrick’s comment that the historical Q4 pattern should not be viewed in isolation applies here, especially with yields at 5.3% and oil above $100.

Overall, the seasonal tailwind for October 2026 is real but should be discounted. The usual setup (a washed-out market heading into the vote) is missing. The more likely route to a large Q4 might be a further pullback in October, followed by the post-election rally, rather than a straight run higher from here.

Indices:

$SOXX Uptrend

$QQQ: Uptrend

$SPY: Uptrend

$RSP: No trend

$DIA: Downtrend

$IWM: No trend

$BTC: Uptrend

$SQQQ: Downtrend

$UVIX: Downtrend

$TLT: Downtrend

$USO: Downtrend

$GLD: Downtrend

$SLV: Downtrend

$SLX: No trend

2%+ sectors yesterday:

  • None

2%- sectors yesterday:

  • None

Main sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $XLI $XLK
  • Lagging – $XLF $XLB

Sub sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $SMH $HACK
  • Lagging – $TAN $TLT

Bitcoin: 86k ish

Themes:

Cybersecurity

Infrastructure

Cloud Computing

Semiconductors

Software

Clean energy

Crypto

THEME 1: AI Chip Equipment & Fab Capex Supercycle

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
AMATApplied Materials, Inc.Semis – Wafer Fab Equipmentverify~+100%+10.95% wk; Morgan Stanley raised 2027 EPS est. to $20.92Buy; PT verify
LRCXLam Research CorporationSemis – Etch/Deposition~$420Bverify+10.24% wk; Micron memory capex read-across; earnings late OctBuy; PT verify
KLACKLA CorporationSemis – Process Controlverify+62.6%+10.10% wk; JPM top US equipment pickBuy; PT verify
ASMLASML Holding N.V.Semis – LithographyverifyverifyQ3 results mid-Oct; EUV order intakeBuy; PT verify
TSMTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.Semis – FoundryverifyverifySept monthly sales and Q3 earnings mid-OctBuy; PT verify
MUMicron Technology, Inc.Semis – Memory~$1.2TverifyFQ4 rev $54.2B (+379% YoY); FQ1 guide $61.5B; capex step-upBuy; Needham PT $1,650 (Jun)
TERTeradyne, Inc.Semis – Test EquipmentverifyverifyHBM/AI accelerator test demandverify
ONTOOnto Innovation Inc.Semis – Inspection/MetrologyverifyverifyAdvanced packaging inspectionverify
NVMINova Ltd.Semis – MetrologyverifyverifyMemory/logic node transitionsverify
ENTGEntegris, Inc.Semis – Materials/ConsumablesverifyverifyWafer starts rising with capacityverify
MKSIMKS Inc.Semis – Subsystems/LasersverifyverifyTool-builder supply chainverify
AMKRAmkor Technology, Inc.Semis – OSAT/Advanced PackagingverifyverifyHBM/CoWoS-style packaging capacityverify
FORMFormFactor, Inc.Semis – Probe CardsverifyverifyHBM probe card demandverify
ACMRACM Research, Inc.Semis – Wafer CleaningverifyverifyMemory fab expansionverify
CAMTCamtek Ltd.Semis – InspectionverifyverifyHBM/advanced packaging inspectionverify
ETF SMHVanEck Semiconductor ETFETF~$74B AUM+59.07% (18 Sep)Broad semis incl. equipment–
ETF SOXXiShares Semiconductor ETFETFverifyverifyBroad semis–
ETF PSIInvesco Semiconductors ETFETFverifyverifyEqual-ish weight semis–
ETF XSDSPDR S&P Semiconductor ETFETFverifyverifyEqual-weight semis–

Theme 2: AI Optical Networking & Data-Centre Interconnect

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
LITELumentum Holdings Inc.Optical Components~$74B>+100%Bernstein Outperform; FQ1 guide $1.225–1.275BMixed Buy/Hold; TD Cowen PT $675
COHRCoherent Corp.Optical Components/Lasers~$50BverifyPhotonLink launch; +10% on 1 OctBuy; Bernstein PT $350, TD Cowen $330
CIENCiena CorporationOptical Networking~$52B+59%Bernstein PT $440; Evercore upgrade, PT $550Buy; PT verify
GLWCorning IncorporatedFibre/Specialty Glassverify>+100%+8.31% wk; Nvidia/Amazon fibre dealsBuy; PT verify
ANETArista Networks, Inc.Data-Centre NetworkingverifyverifyBernstein Outperform initiationBuy; TD Cowen PT $170 (Mar)
CSCOCisco Systems, Inc.Networking Equipment~$440B~+46% (Jul)+2.8% on 2 Oct; climbing AI networking ordersBuy; PT verify
AVGOBroadcom Inc.Semis – Networking/Custom AIverifyverify+3.35% on 2 Oct; AI chip funding headlineBuy; PT verify
MRVLMarvell Technology, Inc.Semis – Optical DSP/Custom AIverifyverifyOptical DSPs; top optics ETF holdingBuy; PT verify
CRDOCredo Technology Group Holding LtdSemis – ConnectivityverifyverifyActive electrical cables, AI scale-outverify
FNFabrinetOptical Manufacturing (EMS)verifyverifyBuilds transceivers for optics leadersverify
AAOIApplied Optoelectronics, Inc.Optical TransceiversverifyverifyHyperscaler transceiver rampverify
ALABAstera Labs, Inc.Semis – AI ConnectivityverifyverifyPCIe/CXL scale-up fabricverify
CLSCelestica Inc.EMS – Networking HardwareverifyverifyHyperscaler switch buildsverify
MTSIMACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.Semis – Analog/Opticalverifyverify800G/1.6T optical driversverify
NOKNokia OyjOptical/Telecom NetworkingverifyverifyData-centre interconnect via Infineraverify
ETF LYTEOptical networking ETF (launched 2026)ETFverifyverifyPure-play optics; +4% on 1 Oct–
ETF LAZROptical/photonics ETF (launched 2026)ETFverifyverifyPure-play optics–
ETF IGNiShares North American Tech-Multimedia Networking ETFETFverifyverifyNetworking equipment–

What type of market are we in: Choppy

Are breakouts working: No

Are breakouts likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: No

Are breakdowns likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: No

Should I be trading: Breadth readings getting a bit more bullish but still a choppy market. EP9’s SIPs with strong catalysts

Todays watchlist (stocks setting up): $AMKR $PLTR $GLW $POET $ALAB

SA 05/10/2026 – Money entering the market – Normal buying pressure

Overall market trend: Bearish phase – day 17

Fridays market: Money entering the market – Normal buying pressure

TC2000 McClellan: -20

Stocks above 40PMA T2108: 21

VIX: 15

52 week highs (US common stocks): 192

Seasonality: The historical case: October is the midterm year’s best month

Since 1950, October has been the best-performing month in U.S. midterm years, averaging a 3% gain for the S&P 500 and posting positive returns 73.7% of the time. November ranks second, averaging a 2.7% gain, with positive returns 78.9% of the time. The midterm effect is large. Across all years, October has been positive nearly 60% of the time since 1950, with an average gain of 0.89%, so the midterm version roughly triples the typical October return. LPL also notes that the improvement from October onwards in midterm years has not depended on which party holds the Presidency.

The key difference from the template.

The midterm Q4 rally has historically started from a deep autumn low, which you’ve already noted. Since 1950, the S&P 500 has suffered an average peak-to-trough decline of about 18% in midterm years. In 2026, the S&P 500 fell 5% in the first quarter, rallied 15% in the second, and gained 2% in the third, and it remains less than 2% below its last record close. The early-year weakness fits the pattern. But there hasn’t been an autumn flush, so the “relief rally off the lows” mechanism has less to work with. Detrick’s comment that the historical Q4 pattern should not be viewed in isolation applies here, especially with yields at 5.3% and oil above $100.

Overall, the seasonal tailwind for October 2026 is real but should be discounted. The usual setup (a washed-out market heading into the vote) is missing. The more likely route to a large Q4 might be a further pullback in October, followed by the post-election rally, rather than a straight run higher from here.

Indices:

$SOXX Uptrend

$QQQ: Uptrend

$SPY: No trend

$RSP: Downtrend

$DIA: Downtrend

$IWM: Downtrend

$BTC: No trend

$SQQQ: Downtrend

$UVIX: No trend

$TLT: Downtrend

$USO: No trend

$GLD: Downtrend

$SLV: Downtrend

$SLX: Downtrend

2%+ sectors Friday:

  • $TAN +2.28%
  • $SMH +2.07%
  • $XTL +2.07%

2%- sectors Friday:

  • None

Main sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $XLI $XLK
  • Lagging – $XLF $XLU

Sub sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $SMH $HACK
  • Lagging – $TAN $IYT

Bitcoin: 86k ish

Themes:

Cybersecurity

Infrastructure

Cloud Computing

Semiconductors

Software

Clean energy

Crypto

THEME 1: AI Chip Equipment & Fab Capex Supercycle

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
AMATApplied Materials, Inc.Semis – Wafer Fab Equipmentverify~+100%+10.95% wk; Morgan Stanley raised 2027 EPS est. to $20.92Buy; PT verify
LRCXLam Research CorporationSemis – Etch/Deposition~$420Bverify+10.24% wk; Micron memory capex read-across; earnings late OctBuy; PT verify
KLACKLA CorporationSemis – Process Controlverify+62.6%+10.10% wk; JPM top US equipment pickBuy; PT verify
ASMLASML Holding N.V.Semis – LithographyverifyverifyQ3 results mid-Oct; EUV order intakeBuy; PT verify
TSMTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.Semis – FoundryverifyverifySept monthly sales and Q3 earnings mid-OctBuy; PT verify
MUMicron Technology, Inc.Semis – Memory~$1.2TverifyFQ4 rev $54.2B (+379% YoY); FQ1 guide $61.5B; capex step-upBuy; Needham PT $1,650 (Jun)
TERTeradyne, Inc.Semis – Test EquipmentverifyverifyHBM/AI accelerator test demandverify
ONTOOnto Innovation Inc.Semis – Inspection/MetrologyverifyverifyAdvanced packaging inspectionverify
NVMINova Ltd.Semis – MetrologyverifyverifyMemory/logic node transitionsverify
ENTGEntegris, Inc.Semis – Materials/ConsumablesverifyverifyWafer starts rising with capacityverify
MKSIMKS Inc.Semis – Subsystems/LasersverifyverifyTool-builder supply chainverify
AMKRAmkor Technology, Inc.Semis – OSAT/Advanced PackagingverifyverifyHBM/CoWoS-style packaging capacityverify
FORMFormFactor, Inc.Semis – Probe CardsverifyverifyHBM probe card demandverify
ACMRACM Research, Inc.Semis – Wafer CleaningverifyverifyMemory fab expansionverify
CAMTCamtek Ltd.Semis – InspectionverifyverifyHBM/advanced packaging inspectionverify
ETF SMHVanEck Semiconductor ETFETF~$74B AUM+59.07% (18 Sep)Broad semis incl. equipment–
ETF SOXXiShares Semiconductor ETFETFverifyverifyBroad semis–
ETF PSIInvesco Semiconductors ETFETFverifyverifyEqual-ish weight semis–
ETF XSDSPDR S&P Semiconductor ETFETFverifyverifyEqual-weight semis–

Theme 2: AI Optical Networking & Data-Centre Interconnect

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
LITELumentum Holdings Inc.Optical Components~$74B>+100%Bernstein Outperform; FQ1 guide $1.225–1.275BMixed Buy/Hold; TD Cowen PT $675
COHRCoherent Corp.Optical Components/Lasers~$50BverifyPhotonLink launch; +10% on 1 OctBuy; Bernstein PT $350, TD Cowen $330
CIENCiena CorporationOptical Networking~$52B+59%Bernstein PT $440; Evercore upgrade, PT $550Buy; PT verify
GLWCorning IncorporatedFibre/Specialty Glassverify>+100%+8.31% wk; Nvidia/Amazon fibre dealsBuy; PT verify
ANETArista Networks, Inc.Data-Centre NetworkingverifyverifyBernstein Outperform initiationBuy; TD Cowen PT $170 (Mar)
CSCOCisco Systems, Inc.Networking Equipment~$440B~+46% (Jul)+2.8% on 2 Oct; climbing AI networking ordersBuy; PT verify
AVGOBroadcom Inc.Semis – Networking/Custom AIverifyverify+3.35% on 2 Oct; AI chip funding headlineBuy; PT verify
MRVLMarvell Technology, Inc.Semis – Optical DSP/Custom AIverifyverifyOptical DSPs; top optics ETF holdingBuy; PT verify
CRDOCredo Technology Group Holding LtdSemis – ConnectivityverifyverifyActive electrical cables, AI scale-outverify
FNFabrinetOptical Manufacturing (EMS)verifyverifyBuilds transceivers for optics leadersverify
AAOIApplied Optoelectronics, Inc.Optical TransceiversverifyverifyHyperscaler transceiver rampverify
ALABAstera Labs, Inc.Semis – AI ConnectivityverifyverifyPCIe/CXL scale-up fabricverify
CLSCelestica Inc.EMS – Networking HardwareverifyverifyHyperscaler switch buildsverify
MTSIMACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.Semis – Analog/Opticalverifyverify800G/1.6T optical driversverify
NOKNokia OyjOptical/Telecom NetworkingverifyverifyData-centre interconnect via Infineraverify
ETF LYTEOptical networking ETF (launched 2026)ETFverifyverifyPure-play optics; +4% on 1 Oct–
ETF LAZROptical/photonics ETF (launched 2026)ETFverifyverifyPure-play optics–
ETF IGNiShares North American Tech-Multimedia Networking ETFETFverifyverifyNetworking equipment–

What type of market are we in: Choppy

Are breakouts working: No

Are breakouts likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: No

Are breakdowns likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: Selectively

Should I be trading: Breadth readings getting a bit more bullish but still a choppy market. EP9’s SIPs with strong catalysts

Todays watchlist (stocks setting up): Symbols from TC2000
$NET
$MSFT
$PLTR
$MRNA
$META

SA 02/10/2026 – Money leaving the market – Normal selling pressure

Overall market trend: Bearish phase – day 16

Yesterdays market: Money leaving the market – Normal selling pressure

TC2000 McClellan: -58

Stocks above 40PMA T2108: 19

VIX: 16

52 week highs (US common stocks): 174

Seasonality: The historical case: October is the midterm year’s best month

Since 1950, October has been the best-performing month in U.S. midterm years, averaging a 3% gain for the S&P 500 and posting positive returns 73.7% of the time. November ranks second, averaging a 2.7% gain, with positive returns 78.9% of the time. The midterm effect is large. Across all years, October has been positive nearly 60% of the time since 1950, with an average gain of 0.89%, so the midterm version roughly triples the typical October return. LPL also notes that the improvement from October onwards in midterm years has not depended on which party holds the Presidency.

The key difference from the template.

The midterm Q4 rally has historically started from a deep autumn low, which you’ve already noted. Since 1950, the S&P 500 has suffered an average peak-to-trough decline of about 18% in midterm years. In 2026, the S&P 500 fell 5% in the first quarter, rallied 15% in the second, and gained 2% in the third, and it remains less than 2% below its last record close. The early-year weakness fits the pattern. But there hasn’t been an autumn flush, so the “relief rally off the lows” mechanism has less to work with. Detrick’s comment that the historical Q4 pattern should not be viewed in isolation applies here, especially with yields at 5.3% and oil above $100.

Overall, the seasonal tailwind for October 2026 is real but should be discounted. The usual setup (a washed-out market heading into the vote) is missing. The more likely route to a large Q4 might be a further pullback in October, followed by the post-election rally, rather than a straight run higher from here.

Indices:

$SOXX Uptrend

$QQQ: Uptrend

$SPY: No trend

$RSP: Downtrend

$DIA: Downtrend

$IWM: Downtrend

$BTC: Uptrend

$SQQQ: Downtrend

$UVIX: No trend

$TLT: Downtrend

$USO: Downtrend

$GLD: Downtrend

$SLV: Downtrend

$SLX: Downtrend

2%+ sectors yesterday:

  • None

2%- sectors yesterday:

  • $IBB -2.17%

Main sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $IBB $XLK
  • Lagging – $XLF $XLB

Sub sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $SMH $HACK
  • Lagging – $TAN $IYT

Bitcoin: 86k ish

Themes:

Cybersecurity

Infrastructure

Cloud Computing

Semiconductors

Software

Clean energy

Crypto

THEME 1: Agentic AI CPU & Compute Squeeze:

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
INTCIntel CorporationSemis – CPUs/Foundry~$620B~+220%Server CPU shortage; reported 10% CPU price hikes; +17% this weekHold; ~$115
AMDAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.Semis – CPUs/GPUs~$1.0T~+185%10% price hike from Q4; crossed $1T market cap; EPYC share gainsStrong Buy; ~$617
ARMArm Holdings plc (ADR)Semis – CPU IP / AGI CPU~$320B~+170%>$2B AGI CPU customer commitments FY27–28; server royalties doublingModerate Buy; ~$306
QCOMQUALCOMM IncorporatedSemis – CPUs/Data Centern/vn/vAmazon AI data-center deal; +9% on the Muse CPU traden/v
NVDANVIDIA CorporationSemis – GPUs/Grace CPUs~$5.5T~+21%More agents means more compute; SOX +7% since Musen/v
TSMTaiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. (ADR)Semis – Foundry~$2.2T~+40%Wafer price increases flowing through to chip prices; fabs for every CPU designern/v
AVGOBroadcom Inc.Semis – Custom Silicon/Networkingn/vn/vHyperscaler custom chips; recent price-target raisesn/v
MUMicron Technology, Inc.Semis – Memory (DRAM/NAND)~$1.2T~+280%FQ4 earnings Sep 30; Citi models DRAM prices +20% q/qBuy; Citi PT $1,300
SNDKSandisk CorporationSemis – NAND/Enterprise SSD~$260B~+650%Rosenblatt initiates at Buy; SSD demand from AI inferenceBuy; Rosenblatt PT $2,400
DELLDell Technologies Inc.Hardware – AI Servers~$380B~+345%Demand for CPU-dense servers; +5% Fridayn/v
SMCISuper Micro Computer, Inc.Hardware – AI Serversn/vn/vRack-scale server demandn/v
HPEHewlett Packard Enterprise Co.Hardware – Serversn/vn/vEnterprise server refreshn/v
MRVLMarvell Technology, Inc.Semis – Custom Silicon/Opticsn/vn/vCustom CPU/accelerator programsn/v
AMKRAmkor Technology, Inc.Semis – Advanced Packagingn/vn/vPackaging is a limit on AGI CPU supplyn/v
LRCXLam Research CorporationSemicap Equipmentn/vn/vSEMICON West; chip equipment shortages flagged by Citin/v
SOXXiShares Semiconductor ETFETF–n/vBroad semis basket–
SMHVanEck Semiconductor ETFETF–n/vMega-cap semis weighted–
PSIInvesco Semiconductors ETFETF–n/vEqual-weight-style semis–
SOXLDirexion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3XETF (3x leveraged)–n/vTactical/leveraged–

THEME 2: Agentic AI Platforms & Agent-Commerce Winners:

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
METAMeta Platforms, Inc.Comm Services – Interactive Media~$1.9T~+14%Muse is the #1 app; Truist sees ~$28.5B in revenue by 2030Buy; recent PTs $750–$860
MSFTMicrosoft CorporationSoftware – Cloud/Copilot~$3.8T~+7%Stifel upgrade; Copilot at ~30M seatsBuy; Stifel PT $575
SHOPShopify Inc.Software – E-commerce/Payments~$185B~−10%Muse checkout via Shop Pay; Stifel sees a Q4–2027 boostBuy; ~$173
GOOGLAlphabet Inc. (Class A)Comm Services – Search/Cloud~$4.2T~+10%Gemini agents; Googlebook launchn/v
AMZNAmazon.com, Inc.Consumer Disc./Cloud (AWS)~$2.7T~+8%AWS benefits, but Amazon blocked Muse on its store (mixed)n/v
ORCLOracle CorporationSoftware – Cloud Infrastructure~$390B~−30%Trending; cloud capacity for agents; laggard that could reboundn/v
TWLOTwilio Inc.Software – Communications APIsn/vn/vMorgan Stanley: agents increase messaging volumesn/v
NETCloudflare, Inc.Software – Edge/Securityn/vn/vManaging and securing agent web trafficn/v
PLTRPalantir Technologies Inc.Software – AI Platformsn/vn/vAIP enterprise agentsn/v
NOWServiceNow, Inc.Software – Workflown/vn/vEnterprise agent workflowsn/v
CRMSalesforce, Inc.Software – CRMn/vn/vAgentforce adoptionn/v
SNOWSnowflake Inc.Software – Data Cloudn/vn/vData layer that agents queryn/v
DDOGDatadog, Inc.Software – Observabilityn/vn/vMonitoring of AI agentsn/v
OKTAOkta, Inc.Software – Identityn/vn/vAgent identity and authorisationn/v
LYVLive Nation Entertainment, Inc.Entertainment – Ticketingn/vn/vTicketmaster is a Muse launch partnern/v
MAGSRoundhill Magnificent Seven ETFETF–~+10%Mega-cap AI platforms–
XLCCommunication Services Select Sector SPDRETF–n/vMETA/GOOGL heavy–
IGViShares Expanded Tech-Software ETFETF–n/vSoftware rebound–
AIQGlobal X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETFETF–n/vBroad AI–

What type of market are we in: Choppy

Are breakouts working: No

Are breakouts likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: No

Are breakdowns likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: Selectively

Should I be trading: Small increase in positive breadth readings yesterday and some tech names trying to go while megacap tech had a generally weak day, looking like a green open yesterday was a day 1 in some names, see if we get any follow through or just more chop.

Todays watchlist (stocks setting up): Symbols from TC2000
$AMKR
$PLTR
$TQQQ
$SOXL
$AMZN
$IONQ
$DRAM
$RGTI
$FCEL
$MRVL
$META

SA 01/10/2026 – Money leaving the market – Normal selling pressure

Overall market trend: Bearish phase – day 15

Yesterdays market: Money leaving the market – Normal selling pressure

TC2000 McClellan: -98

Stocks above 40PMA T2108: 17

VIX: 16

52 week highs (US common stocks): 158

Seasonality: The historical case: October is the midterm year’s best month

Since 1950, October has been the best-performing month in U.S. midterm years, averaging a 3% gain for the S&P 500 and posting positive returns 73.7% of the time. November ranks second, averaging a 2.7% gain, with positive returns 78.9% of the time. The midterm effect is large. Across all years, October has been positive nearly 60% of the time since 1950, with an average gain of 0.89%, so the midterm version roughly triples the typical October return. LPL also notes that the improvement from October onwards in midterm years has not depended on which party holds the Presidency.

The key difference from the template.

The midterm Q4 rally has historically started from a deep autumn low, which you’ve already noted. Since 1950, the S&P 500 has suffered an average peak-to-trough decline of about 18% in midterm years. In 2026, the S&P 500 fell 5% in the first quarter, rallied 15% in the second, and gained 2% in the third, and it remains less than 2% below its last record close. The early-year weakness fits the pattern. But there hasn’t been an autumn flush, so the “relief rally off the lows” mechanism has less to work with. Detrick’s comment that the historical Q4 pattern should not be viewed in isolation applies here, especially with yields at 5.3% and oil above $100.

Overall, the seasonal tailwind for October 2026 is real but should be discounted. The usual setup (a washed-out market heading into the vote) is missing. The more likely route to a large Q4 might be a further pullback in October, followed by the post-election rally, rather than a straight run higher from here.

Indices:

$SOXX Uptrend

$QQQ: Uptrend

$SPY: No trend

$RSP: Downtrend

$DIA: Downtrend

$IWM: Downtrend

$BTC: No trend

$SQQQ: Downtrend

$UVIX: No trend

$TLT: Downtrend

$USO: Downtrend

$GLD: Downtrend

$SLV: Downtrend

$SLX: Downtrend

2%+ sectors yesterday:

  • None

2%- sectors yesterday:

  • None

Main sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $IBB $XLK
  • Lagging – $XLF $XLB

Sub sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $SMH $HACK
  • Lagging – $TAN $IYT

Bitcoin: 83k ish

Themes:

Cybersecurity

Infrastructure

Cloud Computing

Semiconductors

Software

Clean energy

Crypto

THEME 1: Agentic AI CPU & Compute Squeeze:

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
INTCIntel CorporationSemis – CPUs/Foundry~$620B~+220%Server CPU shortage; reported 10% CPU price hikes; +17% this weekHold; ~$115
AMDAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.Semis – CPUs/GPUs~$1.0T~+185%10% price hike from Q4; crossed $1T market cap; EPYC share gainsStrong Buy; ~$617
ARMArm Holdings plc (ADR)Semis – CPU IP / AGI CPU~$320B~+170%>$2B AGI CPU customer commitments FY27–28; server royalties doublingModerate Buy; ~$306
QCOMQUALCOMM IncorporatedSemis – CPUs/Data Centern/vn/vAmazon AI data-center deal; +9% on the Muse CPU traden/v
NVDANVIDIA CorporationSemis – GPUs/Grace CPUs~$5.5T~+21%More agents means more compute; SOX +7% since Musen/v
TSMTaiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. (ADR)Semis – Foundry~$2.2T~+40%Wafer price increases flowing through to chip prices; fabs for every CPU designern/v
AVGOBroadcom Inc.Semis – Custom Silicon/Networkingn/vn/vHyperscaler custom chips; recent price-target raisesn/v
MUMicron Technology, Inc.Semis – Memory (DRAM/NAND)~$1.2T~+280%FQ4 earnings Sep 30; Citi models DRAM prices +20% q/qBuy; Citi PT $1,300
SNDKSandisk CorporationSemis – NAND/Enterprise SSD~$260B~+650%Rosenblatt initiates at Buy; SSD demand from AI inferenceBuy; Rosenblatt PT $2,400
DELLDell Technologies Inc.Hardware – AI Servers~$380B~+345%Demand for CPU-dense servers; +5% Fridayn/v
SMCISuper Micro Computer, Inc.Hardware – AI Serversn/vn/vRack-scale server demandn/v
HPEHewlett Packard Enterprise Co.Hardware – Serversn/vn/vEnterprise server refreshn/v
MRVLMarvell Technology, Inc.Semis – Custom Silicon/Opticsn/vn/vCustom CPU/accelerator programsn/v
AMKRAmkor Technology, Inc.Semis – Advanced Packagingn/vn/vPackaging is a limit on AGI CPU supplyn/v
LRCXLam Research CorporationSemicap Equipmentn/vn/vSEMICON West; chip equipment shortages flagged by Citin/v
SOXXiShares Semiconductor ETFETF–n/vBroad semis basket–
SMHVanEck Semiconductor ETFETF–n/vMega-cap semis weighted–
PSIInvesco Semiconductors ETFETF–n/vEqual-weight-style semis–
SOXLDirexion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3XETF (3x leveraged)–n/vTactical/leveraged–

THEME 2: Agentic AI Platforms & Agent-Commerce Winners:

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
METAMeta Platforms, Inc.Comm Services – Interactive Media~$1.9T~+14%Muse is the #1 app; Truist sees ~$28.5B in revenue by 2030Buy; recent PTs $750–$860
MSFTMicrosoft CorporationSoftware – Cloud/Copilot~$3.8T~+7%Stifel upgrade; Copilot at ~30M seatsBuy; Stifel PT $575
SHOPShopify Inc.Software – E-commerce/Payments~$185B~−10%Muse checkout via Shop Pay; Stifel sees a Q4–2027 boostBuy; ~$173
GOOGLAlphabet Inc. (Class A)Comm Services – Search/Cloud~$4.2T~+10%Gemini agents; Googlebook launchn/v
AMZNAmazon.com, Inc.Consumer Disc./Cloud (AWS)~$2.7T~+8%AWS benefits, but Amazon blocked Muse on its store (mixed)n/v
ORCLOracle CorporationSoftware – Cloud Infrastructure~$390B~−30%Trending; cloud capacity for agents; laggard that could reboundn/v
TWLOTwilio Inc.Software – Communications APIsn/vn/vMorgan Stanley: agents increase messaging volumesn/v
NETCloudflare, Inc.Software – Edge/Securityn/vn/vManaging and securing agent web trafficn/v
PLTRPalantir Technologies Inc.Software – AI Platformsn/vn/vAIP enterprise agentsn/v
NOWServiceNow, Inc.Software – Workflown/vn/vEnterprise agent workflowsn/v
CRMSalesforce, Inc.Software – CRMn/vn/vAgentforce adoptionn/v
SNOWSnowflake Inc.Software – Data Cloudn/vn/vData layer that agents queryn/v
DDOGDatadog, Inc.Software – Observabilityn/vn/vMonitoring of AI agentsn/v
OKTAOkta, Inc.Software – Identityn/vn/vAgent identity and authorisationn/v
LYVLive Nation Entertainment, Inc.Entertainment – Ticketingn/vn/vTicketmaster is a Muse launch partnern/v
MAGSRoundhill Magnificent Seven ETFETF–~+10%Mega-cap AI platforms–
XLCCommunication Services Select Sector SPDRETF–n/vMETA/GOOGL heavy–
IGViShares Expanded Tech-Software ETFETF–n/vSoftware rebound–
AIQGlobal X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETFETF–n/vBroad AI–

What type of market are we in: Choppy

Are breakouts working: No

Are breakouts likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: No

Are breakdowns likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: Selectively

Should I be trading: Day 1 of a new Qtr, $MU reported last night with a beat and raise which hasnt been rewarded, remains relatively flat.

Many breadth indicators in bounce zones so expecting a move at some point feels like the market just needs a catalyst to spark it into life.

Todays watchlist (stocks setting up): $SOXL $TQQQ $DRAM

SA 30/09/2026 – Money entering the market – Normal buying pressure

Overall market trend: Bearish phase – day 14

Yesterdays market: Money entering the market – Normal buying pressure

TC2000 McClellan: -78

Stocks above 40PMA T2108: 18

VIX: 16

52 week highs (US common stocks): 160

Seasonality: September is broadly weak, and midterm years make it slightly weaker. Since 1950, September averages about -0.6% across all years, but in midterm years specifically it drops to roughly -0.8%, compared to +0.9% for October and +1.9% for November in all years. Other analyses using different lookback windows put the midterm-September average anywhere from -0.82% with a win rate of just 47.4% to slightly better depending on the exact years sampled.

The bigger story is the September–October low, not September alone. Across the 19 midterm years since 1950, market lows have clustered heavily in the weeks just before the election, and the S&P 500 has been higher 12 months after every single one of those 19 midterm elections. Drawdowns in this window have ranged widely — a roughly 20% decline in 2002, a shallower pullback in 2010, ~10% in 2014, and ~11.5% in 2018.

Indices:

$SOXX Uptrend

$QQQ: Uptrend

$SPY: No trend

$RSP: Downtrend

$DIA: Downtrend

$IWM: Downtrend

$BTC: No trend

$SQQQ: Downtrend

$UVIX: Downtrend

$TLT: Downtrend

$USO: Downtrend

$GLD: Downtrend

$SLV: Downtrend

$SLX: Downtrend

2%+ sectors yesterday:

  • None

2%- sectors yesterday:

  • None

Main sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $XLV $XLK
  • Lagging – $XLU $XLB

Sub sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $SMH $HACK
  • Lagging – $TAN $IYT

Bitcoin: 84k ish

Themes:

Cybersecurity

Infrastructure

Cloud Computing

Semiconductors

Software

Clean energy

Crypto

THEME 1: Agentic AI CPU & Compute Squeeze:

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
INTCIntel CorporationSemis – CPUs/Foundry~$620B~+220%Server CPU shortage; reported 10% CPU price hikes; +17% this weekHold; ~$115
AMDAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.Semis – CPUs/GPUs~$1.0T~+185%10% price hike from Q4; crossed $1T market cap; EPYC share gainsStrong Buy; ~$617
ARMArm Holdings plc (ADR)Semis – CPU IP / AGI CPU~$320B~+170%>$2B AGI CPU customer commitments FY27–28; server royalties doublingModerate Buy; ~$306
QCOMQUALCOMM IncorporatedSemis – CPUs/Data Centern/vn/vAmazon AI data-center deal; +9% on the Muse CPU traden/v
NVDANVIDIA CorporationSemis – GPUs/Grace CPUs~$5.5T~+21%More agents means more compute; SOX +7% since Musen/v
TSMTaiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. (ADR)Semis – Foundry~$2.2T~+40%Wafer price increases flowing through to chip prices; fabs for every CPU designern/v
AVGOBroadcom Inc.Semis – Custom Silicon/Networkingn/vn/vHyperscaler custom chips; recent price-target raisesn/v
MUMicron Technology, Inc.Semis – Memory (DRAM/NAND)~$1.2T~+280%FQ4 earnings Sep 30; Citi models DRAM prices +20% q/qBuy; Citi PT $1,300
SNDKSandisk CorporationSemis – NAND/Enterprise SSD~$260B~+650%Rosenblatt initiates at Buy; SSD demand from AI inferenceBuy; Rosenblatt PT $2,400
DELLDell Technologies Inc.Hardware – AI Servers~$380B~+345%Demand for CPU-dense servers; +5% Fridayn/v
SMCISuper Micro Computer, Inc.Hardware – AI Serversn/vn/vRack-scale server demandn/v
HPEHewlett Packard Enterprise Co.Hardware – Serversn/vn/vEnterprise server refreshn/v
MRVLMarvell Technology, Inc.Semis – Custom Silicon/Opticsn/vn/vCustom CPU/accelerator programsn/v
AMKRAmkor Technology, Inc.Semis – Advanced Packagingn/vn/vPackaging is a limit on AGI CPU supplyn/v
LRCXLam Research CorporationSemicap Equipmentn/vn/vSEMICON West; chip equipment shortages flagged by Citin/v
SOXXiShares Semiconductor ETFETF–n/vBroad semis basket–
SMHVanEck Semiconductor ETFETF–n/vMega-cap semis weighted–
PSIInvesco Semiconductors ETFETF–n/vEqual-weight-style semis–
SOXLDirexion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3XETF (3x leveraged)–n/vTactical/leveraged–

THEME 2: Agentic AI Platforms & Agent-Commerce Winners:

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
METAMeta Platforms, Inc.Comm Services – Interactive Media~$1.9T~+14%Muse is the #1 app; Truist sees ~$28.5B in revenue by 2030Buy; recent PTs $750–$860
MSFTMicrosoft CorporationSoftware – Cloud/Copilot~$3.8T~+7%Stifel upgrade; Copilot at ~30M seatsBuy; Stifel PT $575
SHOPShopify Inc.Software – E-commerce/Payments~$185B~−10%Muse checkout via Shop Pay; Stifel sees a Q4–2027 boostBuy; ~$173
GOOGLAlphabet Inc. (Class A)Comm Services – Search/Cloud~$4.2T~+10%Gemini agents; Googlebook launchn/v
AMZNAmazon.com, Inc.Consumer Disc./Cloud (AWS)~$2.7T~+8%AWS benefits, but Amazon blocked Muse on its store (mixed)n/v
ORCLOracle CorporationSoftware – Cloud Infrastructure~$390B~−30%Trending; cloud capacity for agents; laggard that could reboundn/v
TWLOTwilio Inc.Software – Communications APIsn/vn/vMorgan Stanley: agents increase messaging volumesn/v
NETCloudflare, Inc.Software – Edge/Securityn/vn/vManaging and securing agent web trafficn/v
PLTRPalantir Technologies Inc.Software – AI Platformsn/vn/vAIP enterprise agentsn/v
NOWServiceNow, Inc.Software – Workflown/vn/vEnterprise agent workflowsn/v
CRMSalesforce, Inc.Software – CRMn/vn/vAgentforce adoptionn/v
SNOWSnowflake Inc.Software – Data Cloudn/vn/vData layer that agents queryn/v
DDOGDatadog, Inc.Software – Observabilityn/vn/vMonitoring of AI agentsn/v
OKTAOkta, Inc.Software – Identityn/vn/vAgent identity and authorisationn/v
LYVLive Nation Entertainment, Inc.Entertainment – Ticketingn/vn/vTicketmaster is a Muse launch partnern/v
MAGSRoundhill Magnificent Seven ETFETF–~+10%Mega-cap AI platforms–
XLCCommunication Services Select Sector SPDRETF–n/vMETA/GOOGL heavy–
IGViShares Expanded Tech-Software ETFETF–n/vSoftware rebound–
AIQGlobal X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETFETF–n/vBroad AI–

What type of market are we in: Choppy

Are breakouts working: No

Are breakouts likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: No

Are breakdowns likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: Selectively

Should I be trading: Month and Qtr end, likely to be erratic moves as funds re balance and position for the new month & qtr. Tech leading and looks poised to breakout without the rest of the market, $MU report tonight which could provide a short term catalyst either way.

Todays watchlist (stocks setting up): $AMZN & $NOW might be setting up long.

$AMPX long 28/09/2026

Entry price – 10.81

SL – 10.31

Risk – 0.50 (just below LOD)

Time of entry – 14:36 BST

21 ADR – 5.57

Catalyst / setup – Pre market SIP – Opened approx 15% up on news “Amprius (NYSE: AMPX) has been awarded up to $75M from the U.S. Department of War. The money will retrofit an existing domestic EV battery production line to make high-energy-density cells for unmanned aerial systems. The line is operated by a major South Korean manufacturer. It is planned for completion in early 2028 at 12 million Amprius cells per year, and the conversion is expected to cost about $100M including in-kind investment from Amprius and the partner.”

I took a small entry against the 5 min lows based on current price vs “The Street is already constructive: a consensus target of $23.00 across 11 analysts, a high of $33 and a low of $17. Recent actions include H.C. Wainwright reiterating Buy at $18 on Sept 22 and Northland reiterating Buy at $24 on Sept 3. Clear Street, meanwhile, trimmed its target to $30 from $33”

Result – Trade closed, got stopped out a few mins later @ 14:41 for 0.75 pt / 100% loss

SA 29/09/2026 – Money leaving the market – High selling pressure

Overall market trend: Bearish phase – day 13

Yesterdays market: Money leaving the market – High selling pressure

TC2000 McClellan: -80

Stocks above 40PMA T2108: 18

VIX: 16

52 week highs (US common stocks): 158

Seasonality: September is broadly weak, and midterm years make it slightly weaker. Since 1950, September averages about -0.6% across all years, but in midterm years specifically it drops to roughly -0.8%, compared to +0.9% for October and +1.9% for November in all years. Other analyses using different lookback windows put the midterm-September average anywhere from -0.82% with a win rate of just 47.4% to slightly better depending on the exact years sampled.

The bigger story is the September–October low, not September alone. Across the 19 midterm years since 1950, market lows have clustered heavily in the weeks just before the election, and the S&P 500 has been higher 12 months after every single one of those 19 midterm elections. Drawdowns in this window have ranged widely — a roughly 20% decline in 2002, a shallower pullback in 2010, ~10% in 2014, and ~11.5% in 2018.

Indices:

$SOXX Uptrend

$QQQ: Uptrend

$SPY: Uptrend

$RSP: Downtrend

$DIA: Downtrend

$IWM: Downtrend

$BTC: No trend

$SQQQ: Downtrend

$UVIX: Downtrend

$TLT: Downtrend

$USO: Downtrend

$GLD: Downtrend

$SLV: No trend

$SLX: Downtrend

2%+ sectors yesterday:

  • None

2%- sectors yesterday:

  • $TAN -2.41%

Main sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $XLE $XLK
  • Lagging – $XLU $XLB

Sub sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $SMH $HACK
  • Lagging – $TAN $IYT

Bitcoin: 84k ish

Themes:

Cybersecurity

Infrastructure

Cloud Computing

Semiconductors

Software

Clean energy

Crypto

THEME 1: Agentic AI CPU & Compute Squeeze:

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
INTCIntel CorporationSemis – CPUs/Foundry~$620B~+220%Server CPU shortage; reported 10% CPU price hikes; +17% this weekHold; ~$115
AMDAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.Semis – CPUs/GPUs~$1.0T~+185%10% price hike from Q4; crossed $1T market cap; EPYC share gainsStrong Buy; ~$617
ARMArm Holdings plc (ADR)Semis – CPU IP / AGI CPU~$320B~+170%>$2B AGI CPU customer commitments FY27–28; server royalties doublingModerate Buy; ~$306
QCOMQUALCOMM IncorporatedSemis – CPUs/Data Centern/vn/vAmazon AI data-center deal; +9% on the Muse CPU traden/v
NVDANVIDIA CorporationSemis – GPUs/Grace CPUs~$5.5T~+21%More agents means more compute; SOX +7% since Musen/v
TSMTaiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. (ADR)Semis – Foundry~$2.2T~+40%Wafer price increases flowing through to chip prices; fabs for every CPU designern/v
AVGOBroadcom Inc.Semis – Custom Silicon/Networkingn/vn/vHyperscaler custom chips; recent price-target raisesn/v
MUMicron Technology, Inc.Semis – Memory (DRAM/NAND)~$1.2T~+280%FQ4 earnings Sep 30; Citi models DRAM prices +20% q/qBuy; Citi PT $1,300
SNDKSandisk CorporationSemis – NAND/Enterprise SSD~$260B~+650%Rosenblatt initiates at Buy; SSD demand from AI inferenceBuy; Rosenblatt PT $2,400
DELLDell Technologies Inc.Hardware – AI Servers~$380B~+345%Demand for CPU-dense servers; +5% Fridayn/v
SMCISuper Micro Computer, Inc.Hardware – AI Serversn/vn/vRack-scale server demandn/v
HPEHewlett Packard Enterprise Co.Hardware – Serversn/vn/vEnterprise server refreshn/v
MRVLMarvell Technology, Inc.Semis – Custom Silicon/Opticsn/vn/vCustom CPU/accelerator programsn/v
AMKRAmkor Technology, Inc.Semis – Advanced Packagingn/vn/vPackaging is a limit on AGI CPU supplyn/v
LRCXLam Research CorporationSemicap Equipmentn/vn/vSEMICON West; chip equipment shortages flagged by Citin/v
SOXXiShares Semiconductor ETFETF–n/vBroad semis basket–
SMHVanEck Semiconductor ETFETF–n/vMega-cap semis weighted–
PSIInvesco Semiconductors ETFETF–n/vEqual-weight-style semis–
SOXLDirexion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3XETF (3x leveraged)–n/vTactical/leveraged–

THEME 2: Agentic AI Platforms & Agent-Commerce Winners:

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
METAMeta Platforms, Inc.Comm Services – Interactive Media~$1.9T~+14%Muse is the #1 app; Truist sees ~$28.5B in revenue by 2030Buy; recent PTs $750–$860
MSFTMicrosoft CorporationSoftware – Cloud/Copilot~$3.8T~+7%Stifel upgrade; Copilot at ~30M seatsBuy; Stifel PT $575
SHOPShopify Inc.Software – E-commerce/Payments~$185B~−10%Muse checkout via Shop Pay; Stifel sees a Q4–2027 boostBuy; ~$173
GOOGLAlphabet Inc. (Class A)Comm Services – Search/Cloud~$4.2T~+10%Gemini agents; Googlebook launchn/v
AMZNAmazon.com, Inc.Consumer Disc./Cloud (AWS)~$2.7T~+8%AWS benefits, but Amazon blocked Muse on its store (mixed)n/v
ORCLOracle CorporationSoftware – Cloud Infrastructure~$390B~−30%Trending; cloud capacity for agents; laggard that could reboundn/v
TWLOTwilio Inc.Software – Communications APIsn/vn/vMorgan Stanley: agents increase messaging volumesn/v
NETCloudflare, Inc.Software – Edge/Securityn/vn/vManaging and securing agent web trafficn/v
PLTRPalantir Technologies Inc.Software – AI Platformsn/vn/vAIP enterprise agentsn/v
NOWServiceNow, Inc.Software – Workflown/vn/vEnterprise agent workflowsn/v
CRMSalesforce, Inc.Software – CRMn/vn/vAgentforce adoptionn/v
SNOWSnowflake Inc.Software – Data Cloudn/vn/vData layer that agents queryn/v
DDOGDatadog, Inc.Software – Observabilityn/vn/vMonitoring of AI agentsn/v
OKTAOkta, Inc.Software – Identityn/vn/vAgent identity and authorisationn/v
LYVLive Nation Entertainment, Inc.Entertainment – Ticketingn/vn/vTicketmaster is a Muse launch partnern/v
MAGSRoundhill Magnificent Seven ETFETF–~+10%Mega-cap AI platforms–
XLCCommunication Services Select Sector SPDRETF–n/vMETA/GOOGL heavy–
IGViShares Expanded Tech-Software ETFETF–n/vSoftware rebound–
AIQGlobal X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETFETF–n/vBroad AI–

What type of market are we in: Choppy

Are breakouts working: No

Are breakouts likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: No

Are breakdowns likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: Selectively

Should I be trading: Not for my style of trading unless an exceptional CAT

Todays watchlist (stocks setting up): None at the moment

SA 28/09/2026 – Money entering the market – Normal buying pressure

Overall market trend: Bearish phase – day 12

Fridays market: Money entering the market – Normal buying pressure

TC2000 McClellan: -52

Stocks above 40PMA: 20

VIX: 15

52 week highs (US common stocks): 178

Seasonality: September is broadly weak, and midterm years make it slightly weaker. Since 1950, September averages about -0.6% across all years, but in midterm years specifically it drops to roughly -0.8%, compared to +0.9% for October and +1.9% for November in all years. Other analyses using different lookback windows put the midterm-September average anywhere from -0.82% with a win rate of just 47.4% to slightly better depending on the exact years sampled.

The bigger story is the September–October low, not September alone. Across the 19 midterm years since 1950, market lows have clustered heavily in the weeks just before the election, and the S&P 500 has been higher 12 months after every single one of those 19 midterm elections. Drawdowns in this window have ranged widely — a roughly 20% decline in 2002, a shallower pullback in 2010, ~10% in 2014, and ~11.5% in 2018.

Indices:

$SOXX Uptrend

$QQQ: Uptrend

$SPY: Uptrend

$RSP: Downtrend

$DIA: Downtrend

$IWM: Downtrend

$BTC: No trend

$SQQQ: Downtrend

$UVIX: Downtrend

$TLT: Downtrend

$USO: Downtrend

$GLD: Downtrend

$SLV: No trend

$SLX: Downtrend

2%+ sectors Friday:

  • None

2%- sectors Friday:

  • $HACK -3.13%

Main sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $XLE $XLK
  • Lagging – $XLU $XLB

Sub sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $SMH $HACK
  • Lagging – $TAN $IYT

Bitcoin: 84k ish

Themes:

Cybersecurity

Infrastructure

Cloud Computing

Semiconductors

Software

Clean energy

Crypto

THEME 1: Agentic AI CPU & Compute Squeeze:

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
INTCIntel CorporationSemis – CPUs/Foundry~$620B~+220%Server CPU shortage; reported 10% CPU price hikes; +17% this weekHold; ~$115
AMDAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.Semis – CPUs/GPUs~$1.0T~+185%10% price hike from Q4; crossed $1T market cap; EPYC share gainsStrong Buy; ~$617
ARMArm Holdings plc (ADR)Semis – CPU IP / AGI CPU~$320B~+170%>$2B AGI CPU customer commitments FY27–28; server royalties doublingModerate Buy; ~$306
QCOMQUALCOMM IncorporatedSemis – CPUs/Data Centern/vn/vAmazon AI data-center deal; +9% on the Muse CPU traden/v
NVDANVIDIA CorporationSemis – GPUs/Grace CPUs~$5.5T~+21%More agents means more compute; SOX +7% since Musen/v
TSMTaiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. (ADR)Semis – Foundry~$2.2T~+40%Wafer price increases flowing through to chip prices; fabs for every CPU designern/v
AVGOBroadcom Inc.Semis – Custom Silicon/Networkingn/vn/vHyperscaler custom chips; recent price-target raisesn/v
MUMicron Technology, Inc.Semis – Memory (DRAM/NAND)~$1.2T~+280%FQ4 earnings Sep 30; Citi models DRAM prices +20% q/qBuy; Citi PT $1,300
SNDKSandisk CorporationSemis – NAND/Enterprise SSD~$260B~+650%Rosenblatt initiates at Buy; SSD demand from AI inferenceBuy; Rosenblatt PT $2,400
DELLDell Technologies Inc.Hardware – AI Servers~$380B~+345%Demand for CPU-dense servers; +5% Fridayn/v
SMCISuper Micro Computer, Inc.Hardware – AI Serversn/vn/vRack-scale server demandn/v
HPEHewlett Packard Enterprise Co.Hardware – Serversn/vn/vEnterprise server refreshn/v
MRVLMarvell Technology, Inc.Semis – Custom Silicon/Opticsn/vn/vCustom CPU/accelerator programsn/v
AMKRAmkor Technology, Inc.Semis – Advanced Packagingn/vn/vPackaging is a limit on AGI CPU supplyn/v
LRCXLam Research CorporationSemicap Equipmentn/vn/vSEMICON West; chip equipment shortages flagged by Citin/v
SOXXiShares Semiconductor ETFETF–n/vBroad semis basket–
SMHVanEck Semiconductor ETFETF–n/vMega-cap semis weighted–
PSIInvesco Semiconductors ETFETF–n/vEqual-weight-style semis–
SOXLDirexion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3XETF (3x leveraged)–n/vTactical/leveraged–

THEME 2: Agentic AI Platforms & Agent-Commerce Winners:

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
METAMeta Platforms, Inc.Comm Services – Interactive Media~$1.9T~+14%Muse is the #1 app; Truist sees ~$28.5B in revenue by 2030Buy; recent PTs $750–$860
MSFTMicrosoft CorporationSoftware – Cloud/Copilot~$3.8T~+7%Stifel upgrade; Copilot at ~30M seatsBuy; Stifel PT $575
SHOPShopify Inc.Software – E-commerce/Payments~$185B~−10%Muse checkout via Shop Pay; Stifel sees a Q4–2027 boostBuy; ~$173
GOOGLAlphabet Inc. (Class A)Comm Services – Search/Cloud~$4.2T~+10%Gemini agents; Googlebook launchn/v
AMZNAmazon.com, Inc.Consumer Disc./Cloud (AWS)~$2.7T~+8%AWS benefits, but Amazon blocked Muse on its store (mixed)n/v
ORCLOracle CorporationSoftware – Cloud Infrastructure~$390B~−30%Trending; cloud capacity for agents; laggard that could reboundn/v
TWLOTwilio Inc.Software – Communications APIsn/vn/vMorgan Stanley: agents increase messaging volumesn/v
NETCloudflare, Inc.Software – Edge/Securityn/vn/vManaging and securing agent web trafficn/v
PLTRPalantir Technologies Inc.Software – AI Platformsn/vn/vAIP enterprise agentsn/v
NOWServiceNow, Inc.Software – Workflown/vn/vEnterprise agent workflowsn/v
CRMSalesforce, Inc.Software – CRMn/vn/vAgentforce adoptionn/v
SNOWSnowflake Inc.Software – Data Cloudn/vn/vData layer that agents queryn/v
DDOGDatadog, Inc.Software – Observabilityn/vn/vMonitoring of AI agentsn/v
OKTAOkta, Inc.Software – Identityn/vn/vAgent identity and authorisationn/v
LYVLive Nation Entertainment, Inc.Entertainment – Ticketingn/vn/vTicketmaster is a Muse launch partnern/v
MAGSRoundhill Magnificent Seven ETFETF–~+10%Mega-cap AI platforms–
XLCCommunication Services Select Sector SPDRETF–n/vMETA/GOOGL heavy–
IGViShares Expanded Tech-Software ETFETF–n/vSoftware rebound–
AIQGlobal X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETFETF–n/vBroad AI–

What type of market are we in: Choppy

Are breakouts working: No

Are breakouts likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: No

Are breakdowns likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: Selectively

Should I be trading: Not for my style of trading unless an exceptional CAT

Todays watchlist (stocks setting up): None at the moment

SA 24/09/2026 – Money leaving the market – Normal selling pressure

Overall market trend: Bearish phase – day 11

Yesterdays market: Money leaving the market – Normal selling pressure

TC2000 McClellan: -85

Stocks above 40PMA: 20

VIX: 15

52 week highs (US common stocks): 171

Seasonality: September is broadly weak, and midterm years make it slightly weaker. Since 1950, September averages about -0.6% across all years, but in midterm years specifically it drops to roughly -0.8%, compared to +0.9% for October and +1.9% for November in all years. Other analyses using different lookback windows put the midterm-September average anywhere from -0.82% with a win rate of just 47.4% to slightly better depending on the exact years sampled.

The bigger story is the September–October low, not September alone. Across the 19 midterm years since 1950, market lows have clustered heavily in the weeks just before the election, and the S&P 500 has been higher 12 months after every single one of those 19 midterm elections. Drawdowns in this window have ranged widely — a roughly 20% decline in 2002, a shallower pullback in 2010, ~10% in 2014, and ~11.5% in 2018.

Indices:

$SOXX Uptrend

$QQQ: Uptrend

$SPY: Uptrend

$RSP: Downtrend

$DIA: Downtrend

$IWM: Downtrend

$BTC: Uptrend

$SQQQ: Downtrend

$UVIX: Downtrend

$TLT: Downtrend

$USO: Downtrend

$GLD: Downtrend

$SLV: No trend

$SLX: Downtrend

2%+ sectors yesterday:

  • None

2%- sectors yesterday:

  • $TAN -3.51%

Main sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $XLE $XLK
  • Lagging – $XLU $XLB

Sub sectors monthly trailing:

  • Leading – $SMH $HACK
  • Lagging – $TAN $IYT

Bitcoin: 84k ish

Themes:

Cybersecurity

Infrastructure

Cloud Computing

Semiconductors

Software

Clean energy

Crypto

Top thematic stocks:

TickerCompany NameSector/IndustryMarket CapYTD ReturnKey CatalystAnalyst Consensus
LITELumentum Holdings Inc.Communication Equipment – Optical/Photonics$83.2B+151.5%800G/1.6T optical interconnect upgrade cycle for AI data centersBuy; PT $1,148 (+24%)
CIENCiena CorpCommunication Equipment – Networking$49.6B+49.5%Record $8.5B backlog (seen exceeding $10B by FY-end); Q3 beat, but margin-normalization concernsBuy; PT $504 (+44%)
COHRCoherent CorpElectronic Components – Photonics/Lasers$59.8B+65.5%Diversified photonics/laser exposure to optical-interconnect upgradesBuy; PT $415 (+36%)
GLWCorning IncElectronic Components – Glass/Fiber$143.3B+91.1%Fiber and glass infrastructure demand from AI data center buildoutStrong Buy; PT $194 (+17%)
AAOIApplied OptoelectronicsCommunication Equipment – Optical$9.0B+202.2%Pure-play optical transceiver maker riding hyperscaler capexBuy; PT $163 (+55%)
MRVLMarvell TechnologySemiconductors – Networking/Optical DSP$207.0B+178.2%Custom AI silicon plus optical DSP demandStrong Buy; PT $285 (+21%)
CRDOCredo Technology GroupSemiconductors – Connectivity$30.6B+13.3%Active electrical cables/optical interconnect for AI server racksStrong Buy; PT $281 (+73%)
AVGOBroadcom IncSemiconductors – Networking/Custom ASIC$1.73T+5.0%Custom AI ASICs plus core networking siliconStrong Buy; PT $533 (+47%)
ANETArista NetworksCommunication Equipment – Data Center Networking$251.7B+52.3%High-speed switching for AI clustersStrong Buy; PT $241 (+21%)
HPEHewlett Packard EnterpriseComputer Hardware$69.3B+160.9%AI server/networking demand, Juniper integration; +12% single-day surge on Oracle read-throughBuy; PT $67 (+9%)
FNFabrinetElectronic Components – Optical Manufacturing$15.0B−8.9%Contract manufacturer for optical transceivers; lagging peers near-termBuy; PT $734 (+77%)
ALABAstera LabsSemiconductors – Connectivity$50.5B+75.1%Connectivity chips linking GPUs and optics inside AI racksBuy; PT $390 (+34%)
CSCOCisco SystemsCommunication Equipment – Networking$442.1B+47.7%AI-networking and security portfolio re-ratingBuy; PT $138 (+23%)
DELLDell TechnologiesComputer Hardware – AI Servers$356.5B+354.8%AI server backlog tied to data center buildout; shares have more than tripled in 2026Buy; PT $564 (≈flat)
POETPOET TechnologiesSemiconductors – Optical/Photonic ICs$1.4B+25.6%Early-stage photonic integrated circuit developerThin coverage (n/a)
LUMAKraneShares Photonic & Optical ETFThematic ETF—New (launched Jul 2026)Pure-play basket: top holdings incl. Lumark Optoelectronics, SOITEC, LITE, COHR, MRVL—

What type of market are we in: Choppy

Are breakouts working: No

Are breakouts likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: No

Are breakdowns likely to work for the next 3 – 5 days: No

Should I be trading: Not for my style of trading unless an exceptional CAT

Todays watchlist (stocks setting up): None at the moment