EverHint Signal — Momentum Swing: Breakout Standard — January 05, 2026

What This Signal Is (Quick)

The Breakout Standard strategy identifies stocks trading within 3% of their 52-week highs with elevated volume (1.5x+ average)—the classic momentum breakout setup that swing traders have used for decades.

Signal Requirements:

• Near 52-Week High: Within 3% of the 52-week high
• Volume Confirmation: 1.5x+ average daily volume—institutional participation
• Momentum Confirmation: Positive rate of change across multiple timeframes
• Holding Period: 1-4 weeks (swing trading timeframe)
• Risk Level: Medium

Why This Works: Stocks near 52-week highs with expanding volume are showing persistent institutional accumulation. When a stock breaks out to new highs, it enters "blue sky territory"—no overhead resistance from bag holders. This often leads to continuation moves as momentum begets momentum.

The Psychology: Stocks at 52-week highs attract attention from momentum scanners, technical breakout traders, and trend-following algorithms. Increased volume confirms the breakout is real (not a fake-out). The strategy captures the sweet spot between "already moved" and "exhausted"—stocks showing strength but not yet parabolic.

Best For: Swing traders who want cleaner setups than the Aggressive Momentum strategy (which requires 2.0x volume + 50% volatility). Standard Breakout offers more signals with lower volatility and better risk/reward for most traders.

This is an experimental scanner. Signals are for educational purposes and back-testing only. Always do your own due diligence.

How We Ranked Today (Reader Version)

We ranked signals by composite quality score (0-100 scale), which combines:

• Momentum strength across multiple timeframes (10, 21, 63 days)
• Relative strength vs. SPY (outperformance vs. broad market)
• Price position vs. moving averages (confirming uptrend)
• Volume quality and consistency

Higher scores indicate cleaner technical setups with better-defined trends and lower false breakout risk.

We've overlaid three additional data points for context:

• Vol Thrust: Volume multiplier vs. 20-day average. 1.5x is threshold; 2.0x+ shows strong institutional interest.
• % of 52W High: How close to the 52-week high. 100% = AT the high. Stocks at/near highs show persistent strength.
• Insider Net (USD): Net insider buying or selling over the last 90 days. Only open-market purchases (P) and sales (S) count—awards, exercises, tax transactions excluded.
• Days → Earnings: How many days until the next earnings report. Breakouts often accelerate into earnings.

Today we scanned 50 standard breakout signals—a robust list showing broad market participation across sectors.

🚀 Breakout Signals

These stocks triggered standard momentum breakouts on January 5, 2026—within 3% of 52-week highs with 1.5x+ volume.

Top 15 by Quality Score:

Field Notes:

Score Distribution:
The top 15 range from 99 (ESLT) to 81 (ERO)—all high-quality setups. Even the "lowest" score (81) indicates a strong technical breakout. Scores of 90+ (ESLT, PSLV, VICR, FOLD, FTAI, UBS, FCX) represent the cleanest momentum setups with multiple confirming factors.

% of 52-Week High Analysis:

• 13 of 15 at 100% (exactly at 52-week highs) - ESLT, VICR, FTAI, UBS, FCX, AA, HSBC, CENX, HROW, ERO
• Near highs: PSLV (97.3%), FOLD (99.9%), ZETA (98.1%), CEF (97.7%)
  This is extreme positioning—most signals are setting new highs RIGHT NOW. This shows broad-based strength but also increases exhaustion risk.

Volume Thrust Standouts:

• VICR (4.34x) - Absolutely explosive volume, highest in the group
• FTAI (3.09x), HROW (2.40x), DVAX (2.17x), FCX (2.11x), ERO (2.07x), FOLD (2.06x) - All showing 2.0x+ volume
• Even the "weakest" volume (ESLT 1.57x, UBS 1.61x) exceeds the 1.5x threshold

Sector Concentration:

• Basic Materials: 4 signals (FCX, AA, CENX, ERO) - Commodities/metals momentum
• Financial Services: 4 signals (PSLV, UBS, HSBC, CEF) - Banks and precious metal trusts
• Industrials: 2 signals (ESLT, FTAI) - Defense and aviation
• Healthcare: 3 signals (FOLD, DVAX, HROW) - Biotech/pharma
• Technology: 2 signals (VICR, ZETA) - Power components and AI/marketing tech

Insider Activity - Critical Observation:

• Heavy Selling: FOLD (-$1.52M from CEO, CFO, CLO, CDO), VICR (-$248K from VP-level officers)
• Zero Insider Buying: None of the top 15 show any insider purchases in the last 90 days
• Interpretation: Insiders are selling into strength at 52-week highs. This is common profit-taking behavior, but the absence of ANY buying is worth noting. Institutions are buying, insiders are selling—classic late-stage momentum pattern.

Earnings Proximity:

• Very Near-term (< 20 days): FCX (17 days - Jan 22)
• Near-term (20-30 days): AA (23 days - Jan 28), UBS (29 days - Feb 3)
• Mid-term (40-60 days): VICR (44), FOLD (44), DVAX (45), CENX (45), ZETA (50), FTAI (51), HSBC (51), ERO (59)
• Distant: ESLT (71 days), HROW (80 days)
• No Data: PSLV, CEF (ETF-like trusts, no earnings reports)

Most Liquid (Market Cap):

1. HSBC ($279.3B) - Global megabank
2. UBS ($153.0B) - Swiss megabank
3. FCX ($78.1B) - Copper/gold producer
4. ESLT ($29.1B) - Israeli defense contractor
5. FTAI ($23.2B) - Aviation leasing

Smallest (Higher Risk/Reward):

• DVAX ($1.8B), HROW ($2.0B), ERO ($3.1B), CENX ($4.1B), FOLD ($4.4B)

Recent Headlines

Top 15 Signals - News Highlights:

Defense & Industrials:

• ESLT - Elbit Systems: Israeli defense contractor. No major recent headlines. Trading at all-time highs amid Middle East tensions and global defense spending increases.

• FTAI - FTAI Aviation: Aviation leasing and maintenance company. Strong momentum in aviation recovery theme. No specific recent catalysts.

Precious Metals (Commodities Rally):

• PSLV - Sprott Physical Silver Trust: Physical silver ETF up 61% over 63 days. Silver rallying on safe-haven demand and industrial usage (solar, EVs).

• CEF - Sprott Physical Gold and Silver Trust: Gold/silver trust up 30% over 63 days. Commodities momentum continues.

Basic Materials (Metals/Mining Breakouts):

• FCX - Freeport-McMoRan: Copper/gold producer up 40% over 63 days. Copper prices surging on AI data center demand and supply constraints. Reports earnings in 17 days (Jan 22).

• AA - Alcoa: Aluminum producer surging +7.3% on Jan 5th alone. Zacks: "Alcoa Stock's Rally Could Still Have Legs" and "Alcoa's Aluminum Segment Gains Momentum: Can it Sustain?" Aluminum demand rising in key markets, higher prices lifting revenues. 4 High Earnings Yield Value Stocks article highlighted AA. Up 76% over 63 days. Earnings Jan 28 (23 days).

• CENX - Century Aluminum: Another aluminum play riding the same wave as AA. Up 47% over 63 days.

• ERO - Ero Copper: Brazilian copper producer. Up 45% over 63 days on copper rally.

Financials:

• UBS - UBS Group: Swiss megabank. Up 19% over 63 days. Benefiting from interest rate environment and wealth management flows.

• HSBC - HSBC Holdings: Global bank. Zacks: "HSBC Is Up 0.60% in One Week: What You Should Know" - momentum pick for technical traders. Up 15% over 63 days.

Technology:

• VICR - Vicor Corporation: Power component manufacturer. Also on Aggressive Momentum list. Up 173% over 63 days—most extreme momentum in top 15. 4.34x volume (explosive). No major news—pure technical breakout.

• ZETA - Zeta Global Holdings: AI-powered marketing platform. Forbes (Dec 30): "Why Is ZETA Stock Surging?" - 6-day winning streak, +19% in 6 days, market cap grew $736M to $4.6B. Up 13% over 63 days with recent acceleration.

Healthcare/Biotech:

• FOLD - Amicus Therapeutics: Also on Aggressive Momentum and EMA10 × Price × MACD lists—triple signal confirmation. Rare disease biotech. Up 73% over 63 days. Heavy insider selling (-$1.52M) is concern.

• DVAX - Dynavax Technologies: Also on Aggressive Momentum list. Vaccine company. Up 50% over 63 days. Clean setup (no insider selling).

• HROW - Harrow Health: Also on Aggressive Momentum list. Ophthalmic pharma. Up 15% over 63 days with 2.40x volume.

Cross-Strategy Confirmations:

• VICR, FOLD, DVAX, HROW all appear on BOTH Breakout Standard AND Aggressive Momentum lists
• FOLD appears on THREE strategies (Breakout Standard, Aggressive Momentum, EMA10 × Price × MACD)
  This multi-strategy confirmation strengthens conviction on these names.

Vlad's Take (EverHint)

Market Context: S&P 500 closed +0.14% at 6,902, Nasdaq -0.23% at 23,396, Dow +1.09% at 48,977 on January 5th. Mixed sentiment with defensive rotation—Dow leading (energy, financials strong), Nasdaq lagging. VIX at 14.9, just below the 15 threshold, indicating low-to-normal volatility environment—favorable for swing trades. Small-caps surged (Russell 2000 +1.24%), showing broad market participation—bullish for momentum strategies. Crypto rallied: Bitcoin +2.77% to $94K, Ethereum +3.07%. Overall: Constructive environment with good breadth, sector rotation in play, and low volatility supporting momentum continuation.

On These Signals: 50 standard breakout signals today is a healthy number—not too few (indicating weak market), not too many (indicating frothy conditions). The Breakout Standard strategy captures the "middle ground" of momentum—stocks showing strength but not the extreme parabolic moves of Aggressive Momentum.

The Positioning Paradox: 13 of the top 15 are AT their 52-week highs (100.0%). This is both bullish (persistent strength) and concerning (nowhere to go but down). In a healthy momentum environment, stocks break to new highs and keep going. In a topping environment, they stall and reverse. The key differentiator: breadth and volume. Today we have both—Russell 2000 +1.24% (broad participation) and robust volume across signals. This favors continuation over reversal, at least near-term.

Sector Rotation Story - Commodities Leading:
Basic Materials (4 of 15) and Financial Services (4 of 15, including precious metal trusts) dominate the top 15. This tells a clear story: commodities and metals are breaking out. FCX (copper), AA (aluminum), CENX (aluminum), ERO (copper), plus silver/gold trusts PSLV and CEF. This rotation into hard assets suggests:

1. Inflation hedging behavior
2. AI/infrastructure demand for copper and aluminum
3. Safe-haven flows into precious metals

Energy subtext: HAL (Halliburton) and SLB (Schlumberger) also triggered signals (not in top 15 but in full list). Energy headlines mention Michael Burry's Venezuela bet and energy sector strength. This is consistent with the broader commodities theme.

The Defense Angle: ESLT (Elbit Systems) at #1 with a 99 score is the highest-quality signal. Israeli defense contractor at all-time highs. Defense spending globally is accelerating. This is a longer-term structural theme, not just a momentum trade.

The VICR Outlier: Vicor Corporation at #3 (score 94) is the most extreme name—up 173% in 63 days with 4.34x volume. This is on both Breakout Standard and Aggressive Momentum lists. It's a power component maker with no major news—pure momentum. High risk, high reward. If you're going to trade it, use tight stops and small size. This could go to $150 or crash to $110 with equal probability.

The Banks Play: UBS and HSBC—two global megabanks at 52-week highs with 1.6x-1.9x volume. These are NOT high-volatility names. They're institutional-quality stocks with clean breakouts. If you want lower-risk exposure to this momentum wave, UBS ($153B market cap) and HSBC ($279B market cap) offer liquidity and stability. Both report earnings late Feb (UBS 29 days, HSBC 51 days), giving runway for momentum to play out.

The Biotech Wildcards: FOLD, DVAX, HROW all made both Breakout Standard and Aggressive Momentum lists. FOLD appears on THREE separate strategies—this is significant multi-strategy confirmation. However, FOLD has heavy insider selling (-$1.52M from CEO, CFO, CLO). This is a yellow flag. DVAX has NO insider selling—cleaner setup. HROW is the smallest ($2.0B market cap) and most volatile.

Best Setups from Top 15:

1. ESLT (Elbit Systems) - Score 99, #1 ranked

• Highest quality score in the entire scan
• Defense contractor benefiting from structural spending increases
• $29.1B market cap—substantial and liquid
• 1.57x volume (lowest in group, but quality matters more than quantity here)
• Earnings distant (71 days)—no near-term event risk
• Play: Institutional-quality momentum play. Consider on pullback to $615 (MA10 at $581 is too far). Stop below $600.

2. FCX (Freeport-McMoRan) - Score 91, copper/gold play

• $78.1B market cap—highly liquid
• Up 40% over 63 days on copper rally
• AI data center theme (copper demand)
• 2.11x volume shows institutional accumulation
• Risk: Earnings in 17 days (Jan 22)—very near-term. If you enter, be prepared for earnings volatility or exit before Jan 22.
• Play: If bullish on copper, this is the cleanest large-cap play. Watch copper futures for confirmation.

3. AA (Alcoa) - Score 89, aluminum breakout

• Up 7.3% on Jan 5th alone—strong momentum day
• Multiple Zacks articles highlighting earnings yield and momentum
• Up 76% over 63 days—extended but not exhausted
• Risk: Earnings Jan 28 (23 days)
• Play: Momentum continuation play into earnings. Take profits if it runs another 5-10% before earnings.

4. UBS - Score 92, megabank stability

• $153B market cap—extremely liquid
• 100% at 52-week high with 1.61x volume
• Lower volatility than small-cap names—more conservative play
• Earnings Feb 3 (29 days)—moderate runway
• Play: For traders who want momentum exposure without wild swings. Clean breakout, institutional quality.

5. PSLV (Sprott Physical Silver Trust) - Score 97, #2 ranked

• Pure silver exposure (physical trust, not futures)
• Up 61% over 63 days—silver momentum strong
• 97.3% of 52-week high (slight pullback from highs—entry opportunity)
• No earnings (ETF-like structure)—no event risk
• Play: If bullish on silver (industrial demand + safe haven), this is the cleanest exposure. More volatile than owning SLV, but better tracking.

Avoid or Trade Carefully:

VICR - Score 94, but up 173% in 63 days with 4.34x volume. This is late-stage parabolic. Only for aggressive day/swing traders with tight stops. Could gap down 10% on any selling pressure.

FOLD - Score 93, appears on 3 strategies (strong confirmation), BUT heavy insider selling (-$1.52M from CEO, CFO, CLO, CDO). When top executives are dumping at highs, that's a concern. If you trade it, keep size small and stops tight.

Trading This Strategy:

Entry Tactics:

1. Don't chase 100% of 52W high - Wait for 1-2% pullback intraday or next day. These stocks are already at highs; patience often rewards you with better entry.
2. Watch first hour - Many breakouts gap up, then fade in first 30 minutes. If you see that pattern, wait for re-test of prior high or MA10 support.
3. Scale in - Start with half position, add on strength if volume holds.

Position Sizing:

• Large-cap (FCX, UBS, HSBC): Up to 3-5% per position
• Mid-cap (ESLT, FTAI): 2-3% per position
• Small-cap (DVAX, HROW, ERO, CENX): 1-2% per position (higher volatility)
• Total Breakout Standard exposure: Max 15-20% of portfolio

Stop Loss Strategy:

• Initial stop: 5% below entry or below recent swing low, whichever is tighter
• Once profitable: Trail stop to breakeven after +5%, then trail at -3% from peak
• Moving average stops: If price breaks below MA10 on heavy volume, exit immediately

Profit Targets:

• Conservative: 8-12% gain over 1-2 weeks
• Aggressive: 15-20% gain, let winners run with trailing stops
• Key resistance levels: Previous consolidation zones or round numbers (e.g., ESLT $650, AA $65, FCX $60)

Exit Triggers:

1. Volume dries up - If volume drops below 1.0x average for 2+ days, momentum is fading
2. Break below MA10 - First warning sign; consider trimming 50%
3. Break below MA21 - Exit completely; breakout likely failed
4. Market-wide risk-off - If VIX spikes above 18-20, tighten all stops
5. Earnings approaching - Exit 2-3 days before earnings unless you're playing the event

Sector-Specific Notes:

Basic Materials (FCX, AA, CENX, ERO): These are commodity plays. Watch copper and aluminum futures for confirmation. If base metals weaken, these will follow regardless of chart patterns. Consider broader commodity trends (DBC ETF, CRB Index) as leading indicators.

Financials (UBS, HSBC): Interest rate sensitive. If Treasury yields spike higher (10Y above 4.3%), banks may face pressure despite momentum. Watch bond market for early warnings.

Precious Metals (PSLV, CEF): Inverse dollar plays. If DXY (dollar index) strengthens sharply, gold/silver will struggle. Monitor USD strength.

Defense (ESLT): Lower correlation to broader market. Geopolitical events drive this more than S&P 500. Longer-term hold candidate.

Biotech (FOLD, DVAX, HROW): Binary event risk from clinical trials or FDA decisions. These can gap 20%+ on news (up or down). Keep position sizes small. Set alerts for news releases.

Market Environment Impact: With VIX at 14.9 (low volatility) and Russell 2000 up 1.24% (broad participation), this is a favorable environment for momentum breakouts. The Breakout Standard strategy thrives in exactly these conditions—low fear, broad participation, sector rotation. If VIX spikes above 18 or small-caps start lagging, this changes the game—tighten stops and reduce exposure.

Final Word: The Breakout Standard strategy generated 50 signals with quality scores ranging from 99 down to 27. The top 15 (scores 81-99) represent the cream of the crop. Focus on these highest-quality setups rather than chasing the full list. Quality over quantity. The presence of 13 stocks at exactly 100% of 52-week highs suggests late-stage momentum—this environment rewards discipline, quick profits, and tight stops. Don't overstay your welcome.

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