EverHint Signal — Momentum Swing: Aggressive Momentum (10 stocks) — January 08, 2026

What This Signal Is (Quick)

Aggressive Momentum is an experimental momentum swing strategy targeting the triple threat: high momentum + high volume + high volatility.

Signal Criteria:

• Volume thrust: 2.0x+ average daily volume (institutional interest)
• Volatility: 50%+ annualized (high beta, high reward/risk)
• Momentum: Satrong upward price action, typically near or at 52-week highs
• Holding period: 1-4 weeks (swing trading timeframe)
• Risk level: High

What triggers this signal:

• Stock breaking out or consolidating near resistance
• Explosive volume confirms buying pressure (not distribution)
• High volatility creates larger price swings
• Momentum indicators show acceleration

Best for: Aggressive traders comfortable with volatility seeking maximum momentum potential. Not a buy-and-hold strategy—these setups require active management with tight stops.

How We Ranked Today (Reader Version)

We ranked all 10 breakout signals by composite score (0-1 scale), which combines:

• Momentum strength (rate of change over 10, 21, and 63 days)
• Volume thrust (how much above average)
• Relative strength vs. S&P 500
• Volatility profile

We then overlaid three critical data points:

1. Volume Thrust: How many times above the 20-day average volume (e.g., 6.44x = 544% above normal)

2. % of 52-Week High: Proximity to recent peak (100% = at new high, <95% may indicate consolidation)

3. Insider Net Flow (last 90 days): Are executives buying or selling? We only count actual purchases (P) and sales (S), ignoring awards, exercises, and tax transactions.

Important: These signals are for educational use and backtesting. Always do your own due diligence. See disclaimer and FAQs.

📈 Breakout Signals (10 Total)

Ranked by composite score (highest = best setup):

Field Notes:

• Score: Composite quality metric (0-1). Scores above 0.5 indicate very strong setups; above 0.9 are exceptional.
• Volume Thrust: All signals show 2.0x+ volume, confirming institutional participation. NEOG's 6.44x is extreme—typically seen on major catalysts.
• @52w (% of 52-Week High): 8 of 10 stocks are at 100% (new highs). This shows momentum continuation, not reversal plays.
• Insider Net:
  • LC: -$768K in net selling
  • RVMD: -$3.1M in net selling (though takeover talks may explain timing)
  • KTOS: -$5.1M in net selling (CEO sold $536K in shares)
  • GMED: -$2.3M in net selling
• Days → Earnings: NEOG reports tomorrow (1 day)—extreme event risk. LC reports in 19 days.

Sector Breakdown: Healthcare (4), Industrials (2), Energy (1), Technology (1), Financial Services (1), Real Estate (1)

Recent Headlines

Healthcare (4 signals)

RVMD (Revolution Medicines) — Multiple takeover developments:

• Merck in talks to buy Revolution Medicines (Jan 8, FT): Pharma giant reportedly in acquisition talks
• AbbVie Near Deal for Revolution Medicines (Jan 7, WSJ): $16B market cap biotech in advanced talks
• AbbVie Denies It's in Talks (Jan 8, Barron's): AbbVie issued denial; both stocks fell
• FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation (Jan 8): Zoldonrasib granted designation for KRAS G12D-mutated NSCLC. First Breakthrough Therapy for this specific mutation.
• Stock action: Jumped 29% to record high on takeover rumors, then pulled back on AbbVie denial

Analysis: RVMD has legitimate catalyst (FDA Breakthrough designation) but is caught in M&A speculation whiplash. Volume thrust of 4.06x reflects this volatility. High-risk, high-reward if deal materializes.

GMED (Globus Medical) — Strong fundamental catalyst:

• Preliminary Q4 Results Beat (Jan 7): Q4 sales ~$823.2M, up 25.2% YoY. Full year 2025 sales ~$2.936B, up 16.5% YoY.
• 2026 Outlook Beats Estimates (Jan 8): Management guidance came in ahead of Street expectations
• Stock reaction: +9% after-hours, followed by continuation higher (now at $94.62)

ARDX (Ardelyx) — 2025 results and 2026 outlook:

• Preliminary 2025 Revenue (Jan 8): ~$378M in product revenue, reflecting "significant commercial progress"
• 2026 Strategic Outlook: Company provided forward guidance
• Earnings: Reports Feb 19 (42 days out)

NEOG (Neogen Corporation) — Reports earnings tomorrow (Jan 9):

• Extreme volume (6.44x average) likely positioning ahead of earnings
• Stock at 52-week high ($9.71)
• Estimated EPS: $0.08, Revenue: $208.5M
• High event risk: This signal carries overnight binary risk

Industrials (2 signals)

FTAI (FTAI Aviation Ltd.) — Power segment launch:

• FTAI Power Launch (Dec 29-Jan 2): New business segment announcement drove stock to top 10 large-cap gainer last week
• Stock up from $189 MA21 to $238.80 (score: 0.922, 2nd highest)
• Earnings Feb 25 (48 days out)

KTOS (Kratos Defense) — Analyst upgrade, insider selling:

• JonesResearch Initiates Buy (Jan 5): New coverage with bullish stance
• Insider selling: CEO Steven Fendley sold 7,000 shares at $76.57 in late Dec; net -$5.1M in recent activity
• Defense sector volatility: "Defense Stocks Whipsaw" headline reflects sector rotation uncertainty
• Stock at $104.04 (now 36% above CEO's sale price)

Real Estate (1 signal)

HOUS (Anywhere Real Estate) — Merger approval:

• Compass-Anywhere Merger Approved (Jan 7): Stockholders of both companies "overwhelmingly approved" merger
• Stock reaction: +17.9% jump on volume 3.78x average
• Regulatory waiting period passed without conditions
• Score: 0.411 (6th ranked)

Financial Services (1 signal)

LC (LendingClub) — No major catalysts:

• Earnings Jan 27 (19 days out)
• Estimated EPS: $0.34, Revenue: $262.7M
• Insider net: -$768K in recent selling
• At 52-week high despite lack of news—momentum-driven

Energy (1 signal)

PTEN (Patterson-UTI Energy) — No major catalysts:

• Earnings Feb 4 (27 days out)
• Score: 0.578 (3rd highest), suggesting technical setup
• Volume thrust: 2.00x (meets minimum threshold)

Technology (1 signal)

GDS (GDS Holdings) — No major catalysts:

• Chinese data center operator
• Earnings March 18 (69 days out—most runway)
• Volume thrust: 3.66x
• At 99.1% of 52-week high

Vlad's Take (EverHint)

Market Backdrop (Jan 8): Mixed session—S&P 500 +0.07%, Nasdaq -0.29%, Dow +0.85%. Large-caps barely green, tech slightly red, but small-caps (Russell 2000) surged +1.11%, signaling risk-on appetite beneath the surface. The VIX closed at 15.45 (down -1.53%), firmly in the low volatility zone. This creates an interesting tension: low overall market vol but we're targeting high-volatility individual names.

Treasury yields rose modestly (10Y at 4.181%), applying pressure to growth/high-beta stocks. Crypto mixed: BTC flat (-0.09%), ETH -1.62%. Crude oil +3.9% (geopolitical premium).

On Today's Signals:

We have 10 breakout signals—a compact, high-conviction list. The quality spread is wide: top 2 (NEOG 0.933, FTAI 0.922) are exceptional setups, while bottom 3 (KTOS 0.200, GMED 0.189, ARDX 0.078) are lower-quality but still meet our aggressive criteria.

Key observations:

1. Healthcare dominance (4 of 10): RVMD takeover drama, GMED earnings beat, ARDX 2026 outlook, NEOG tomorrow earnings. This sector clustering suggests either (a) real sector rotation or (b) momentum chasing off biotech M&A headlines. I lean toward (b)—RVMD's 29% pop pulled eyeballs to other healthcare momentum names.

2. Volume extremes: NEOG's 6.44x volume is absurd. That's not normal accumulation—it's either insider knowledge ahead of earnings or panic FOMO. With earnings tomorrow, this is a coin flip, not a trade. If you're in, you're gambling on the report.

3. Insider selling: 4 of 10 signals show recent insider selling (LC, RVMD, KTOS, GMED). This is a yellow flag. Insiders selling into momentum breakouts typically means they think it's overextended. KTOS is particularly egregious: CEO sold at $76.57 in December; stock now at $104.04 (+36%). Either he mistimed badly, or the stock is ahead of itself.

4. All at or near 52-week highs: 8 of 10 at 100%, 2 at 98-99%. This strategy is not buying dips—it's chasing breakouts. That works in trending markets but fails violently in reversals. With VIX at 15.45, there's no fear premium protecting you. One macro shock and these names gap down 10-15% overnight.

5. Event risk: NEOG reports tomorrow. LC in 19 days. PTEN in 27 days. If you hold through earnings on a momentum strategy, you're not swing trading—you're event gambling.

6. Trade structure: Given low VIX and insider selling, I'd use very tight stops:

   • For top-quality setups (NEOG, FTAI): 3-5% stop loss
   • For mid-tier (PTEN, GDS, LC, HOUS): 5-7% stop
   • For lower-quality (RVMD, KTOS, GMED, ARDX): 7-10% stop or skip entirely

   Position sizing: Half your normal size. Aggressive momentum in a low-VIX environment is a trap waiting to happen. You want exposure, not overexposure.

7. Watchlist (if I had to pick 3):

   • FTAI: Clean setup (0.922 score), 2.11x volume, FTAI Power catalyst, 48 days to earnings. Best risk/reward.
   • HOUS: Merger approval is binary catalyst (done deal), 3.78x volume, real estate potentially bottoming.
   • GDS: 69 days to earnings (most runway), China data center exposure (AI tailwind), 3.66x volume.

   Hard pass: NEOG (1-day earnings risk), RVMD (M&A chaos), KTOS (heavy insider selling).

Contrarian thought: This signal came on a day when Nasdaq was red (-0.29%) but small-caps ripped (+1.11%). That divergence matters. If small-caps (Russell 2000) continue outperforming, some of these names (especially PTEN, LC, ARDX—all under $10B market cap) could catch a rotation bid. But if large-cap tech reasserts, these momentum plays lose their fuel fast.

Final Word: Aggressive momentum strategies are not for passive investors. You're buying things that have already moved, hoping they move more. That works—until it doesn't. The VIX at 15.45 says "all clear," but low vol often precedes vol spikes. Use stops. Size small. Don't marry positions.

If you're going to play this, FTAI and HOUS have the cleanest catalysts with the least noise. Everything else is either earnings risk (NEOG, LC), insider-selling risk (KTOS, GMED), or M&A speculation (RVMD).

Momentum is a game of musical chairs. When the music stops, don't be the one standing.

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This is not financial advice. Do your own due diligence.
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