EverHint Signal — Momentum Swing: Pullback Standard (9 stocks) — January 07, 2026

What This Signal Is (Quick)

Pullback Standard hunts for a specific technical pattern: stocks that briefly dipped below their 21-day moving average (MA21), then reclaimed it on increased volume. This is a classic "buy-the-dip" setup—the stock showed short-term weakness, buyers stepped in at support, and momentum is attempting to resume.

The logic: MA21 acts as dynamic support in uptrends. A dip below it tests conviction. If the stock bounces back on volume (1.5x+ average), it signals that the pullback was a shakeout, not a breakdown. The reclaim confirms buyers are defending the trend.

This is an experimental scanner focused on swing trading (1-4 week holding period). Signals are medium-risk: you're buying after a dip, not chasing breakouts, but you're betting the uptrend resumes. MA21 acts as your line in the sand—if the stock loses it again, the setup fails.

Best for: Swing traders looking for lower-risk entries in established uptrends after healthy pullbacks. Standard setup targets $1B+ market cap stocks with 1.5x+ volume thrust.

How We Ranked Today (Reader Version)

Signals are ranked by composite score (0-100 scale), which combines:

• Momentum strength (rate of change over 10, 21, 63 days)
• Relative strength vs SPY (outperformance = higher score)
• Volume quality (sustained buying pressure vs spikes)
• Volatility (lower volatility = more predictable)
• Price position (distance from 52-week high)

We overlay three critical data layers:

1. Insider flows (last 90 days): Net buying/selling by management—directional signal of internal confidence
2. Earnings proximity: Days until next earnings report—event risk gauge
3. News catalysts: Recent headlines explaining the pullback or bounce

Important: These signals are for educational use and back-testing. This is not financial advice. Do your own due diligence. See our disclaimer and FAQs.

📈 Pullback Signals

9 Signals Detected (Ranked by Composite Score)

Field Notes

Volume Thrust Analysis:
Volume thrusts range from 1.5x to 11.0x average—all signals meet the pullback threshold (1.5x+):

• HOUS (11.0x): Extreme volume surge—995% above average. Anywhere Real Estate (formerly Realogy) exploded on real estate sector strength. This is the highest volume in the batch.
• RVMD (4.7x): Strong volume confirmation—369% above average. Revolution Medicines bounced hard after dipping below MA21.
• UMC (2.9x): Solid volume—190% above average. Taiwanese foundry showing institutional interest.
• IONS (2.3x): Moderate volume—126% above average. Biotech pullback setup.
• BC, CVCO (1.8x): Above threshold but not explosive—80% above average.
• OR (1.7x): Minimal volume thrust—69% above average. Weakest volume confirmation in batch.
• AMGN, SNDX (1.5x): Barely met threshold—50% above average. Marginal volume support.

Score Distribution:
Scores range from 9 to 96 (out of 100):

• Top tier (90+): RVMD (96), BC (91)—strongest momentum/quality setups
• Mid tier (50-58): HOUS (58), OR (50)—moderate quality
• Low tier (<50): UMC (46), IONS (34), AMGN (21), CVCO (15), SNDX (9)—weaker momentum signals

52-Week High Proximity:
7 of 9 signals are at 100% of 52-week highs—buying at all-time highs after reclaiming MA21:

• 100%: RVMD, BC, HOUS, UMC, IONS, CVCO, SNDX—at 52W highs
• 98.9%: AMGN—near highs
• 93.9%: OR—slightly off highs (most room to run)

Sector Breakdown:

• Healthcare (5): RVMD, IONS, AMGN, SNDX—biotech/pharma dominance (56%)
• Consumer Cyclical (2): BC, CVCO—marine/RV manufacturers
• Real Estate (1): HOUS—real estate services
• Technology (1): UMC—semiconductor foundry
• Basic Materials (1): OR—gold royalties

Healthcare dominance (56%) signals sector rotation into biotech/pharma. RVMD's M&A speculation, IONS' Phase 3 results, AMGN's acquisition activity—all driving bounce setups. But insider selling across these names is a major red flag (see below).

Insider Activity:
Massive insider selling across 3 of 9 signals—total net outflow of -$16.68M over last 90 days:

• IONS: -$10.40M (EVP, directors sold heavily Oct-Nov)
• AMGN: -$3.17M (SVP, EVP sold in Nov)
• RVMD: -$3.11M (Director/officer sold Nov)
• Others: No P/S transactions detected

Zero insider purchases detected. This is a bearish signal—management is selling at/near 52W highs while these stocks reclaim MA21. Insiders know their businesses better than anyone; their selling suggests they view current prices as fully valued or overvalued, even after the pullback.

Earnings Proximity:

• UMC (13 days): Earnings Jan 20 (bmo)—high event risk. Closest to earnings in the batch.
• BC (22 days): Earnings Jan 29 (bmo)—moderate risk.
• CVCO (22 days): Earnings Jan 29 (bmo)—moderate risk.
• AMGN (27 days): Earnings Feb 3 (bmo)—moderate risk.
• HOUS (36 days): Earnings Feb 12 (bmo)—lower risk.
• IONS (42 days): Earnings Feb 18 (bmo)—lower risk.
• OR (42 days): Earnings Feb 18 (amc)—lower risk.
• RVMD (49 days): Earnings Feb 25 (amc)—safest from event risk.
• SNDX (54 days): Earnings Mar 2 (amc)—longest runway.

⚠️ UMC faces binary earnings risk in 13 days. If you enter, plan to exit before Jan 20 or accept volatility.

Recent Headlines: Pullback Signals

UMC (United Microelectronics) - 52W HIGH ON AI NARRATIVE:

• "Overlooked Stock: UMC's 'Value Play' in AI" (Jan 7, Schwab Network): UMC hit 52W high, rallying ~10% on Wednesday after posting 2.3% YoY growth. AI chip fabricator's positioning in tech trade gave bulls incentive to run.
• "UMC Reports Sales for December 2025" (Jan 7, Business Wire): December revenues NT$19.28B (+1.66% YoY). Full-year revenues NT$237.55B (+2.26% YoY).

AMGN (Amgen) - $840M ACQUISITION + JPM CONFERENCE:

• "Amgen Buys Dark Blue In $840 Million Bet On New Leukemia Drugs" (Jan 7, Benzinga): AMGN acquired Dark Blue Therapeutics, a biotech focused on precision oncology. Adds preclinical AML degrader to pipeline.
• "AMGEN TO PRESENT AT THE 44TH ANNUAL J.P. MORGAN HEALTHCARE CONFERENCE" (Jan 7, PRNewswire): AMGN will present at JPM Healthcare Conference.
• "Amgen Buys Dark Blue Therapeutics to Strengthen Oncology Pipeline" (Jan 7, Zacks): $840M buyout bolsters AMGN's oncology pipeline.

IONS (Ionis Pharmaceuticals) - PHASE 3 HEPATITIS B SUCCESS:

• "GSK/Ionis Partnered Investigational Drug Shows Strong Results In Large Hepatitis B Studies" (Jan 7, Benzinga): Partner GSK shared positive Phase 3 data (B-Well 1 and B-Well 2 studies) for bepirovirsen, an investigational antisense oligonucleotide for chronic hepatitis B. Studies included 1,800+ patients.
• "Ionis to present at 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference" (Jan 6, Business Wire): CEO Brett Monia will present Jan 13.

RVMD, BC, HOUS, OR, CVCO, SNDX: No recent news in provided data.

Vlad's Take (EverHint)

Today's market backdrop: S&P 500 -0.35%, Nasdaq +0.17%, Dow -1.04%. Mixed sentiment with tech showing relative strength while industrials dragged. The VIX closed at 15.38 (+2.88%), indicating normal volatility—not elevated, but ticking up from complacency. Small-caps underperformed (Russell 2000 -0.46%), suggesting some defensive positioning. Treasury yields rose (10Y at 4.138%, +0.15%), applying pressure to rate-sensitive sectors. Crypto sold off (Bitcoin -2.89%, Ethereum -4.60%). Overall: Mixed risk environment with sector rotation favoring tech over value.

Given this backdrop, pullback setups are conditionally attractive but require discipline. Here's the tactical playbook:

1. Healthcare dominance (56%) is a double-edged sword. RVMD, IONS, AMGN, SNDX are riding biotech sector strength, but insider selling of -$16.68M across 3 names is a massive red flag. When insiders sell at 52W highs while stocks reclaim MA21, it suggests:

• Management views current prices as peak valuations
• They're not confident in sustained upside post-pullback
• Risk/reward skews against retail buyers chasing the bounce

2. UMC is the only non-healthcare name with a catalyst + momentum. Taiwanese foundry hit 52W high on AI narrative (2.3% YoY growth, positioning in tech trade). But earnings in 13 days (Jan 20) create binary risk. Score of 46 (low) suggests weak momentum despite the rally. Trade-off: Enter for a quick 3-5% bounce before Jan 15, then exit. Don't hold through earnings.

3. HOUS's 11.0x volume is climax buying, not accumulation. Real estate services firm Anywhere Real Estate (formerly Realogy) exploded 995% above average volume. No news catalyst provided. This screams short squeeze or sector hype. Score of 58 (mid-tier) doesn't justify the volume spike. Skip it unless you're chasing momentum with tight stops.

4. RVMD (score 96) vs IONS (score 34) shows quality divergence. Both are healthcare pullbacks with insider selling, but RVMD's composite score is nearly 3x higher. RVMD has stronger relative strength, lower volatility, better momentum. If you're trading healthcare pullbacks despite insider selling, RVMD is the cleanest setup. But the -$3.11M insider selling still gives me pause.

5. AMGN's $840M Dark Blue acquisition is fundamentally bullish, but the stock scored only 21 (low tier). Why? Likely because the pullback below MA21 damaged momentum indicators. Acquisition adds AML drug to pipeline, but insiders sold -$3.17M in Nov. Mixed signal: Fundamental catalyst vs technical/insider weakness.

6. BC and CVCO (Consumer Cyclical) lack catalysts. Marine/RV manufacturers Brunswick and Cavco scored 91 and 15, respectively. BC's score is strong, but no news explains the pullback/bounce. CVCO scored terribly (15) despite 1.8x volume. Both face earnings Jan 29 (22 days out). Without catalysts, these are speculative bets on sector rotation.

7. OR (Basic Materials) scored 50 with 1.7x volume—weakest volume confirmation in the batch. Gold royalties play at 93.9% of 52W high (most room to run), but marginal volume support undermines conviction. Earnings in 42 days give runway, but lack of volume thrust suggests weak buying interest.

8. The insider selling (-$16.68M) across top healthcare names is the elephant in the room. IONS insiders dumped -$10.40M (Oct-Nov), AMGN insiders sold -$3.17M (Nov), RVMD insiders sold -$3.11M (Nov). These are open-market sales (S), not tax-related or exercise transactions. Management is lightening up at 52W highs. That's not a vote of confidence in the bounce.

9. 7 of 9 signals are at 100% of 52W highs. You're not buying pullbacks to support—you're buying after stocks reclaimed MA21 and ran back to all-time highs. The easy 10-20% move from MA21 to resistance is done. From here, you're betting on breakout continuation. Risk/reward is compressed.

10. Mixed market (S&P -0.35%, Nasdaq +0.17%, VIX 15.38) creates sector-specific opportunities. Tech outperformed (Nasdaq +0.17%), which favors UMC. Healthcare held up, which supports RVMD/IONS/AMGN. But Dow's -1.04% drop and Russell 2000's -0.46% lag suggest investors are fleeing cyclicals/small-caps. BC, CVCO, HOUS (cyclical/small-cap) face headwinds.

Trading Plan for Pullback Standard:

Entry Timing:

• RVMD: Best setup (score 96, 4.7x volume, 49 days to earnings). But -$3.11M insider selling is a yellow flag. Enter at current $102.71 or on any dip to $100-101. Target $110-115 (recent highs).
• UMC: Only enter if you can exit before Jan 15 (5 days before earnings). Target $9.20-9.50 (3-6% upside). Do NOT hold through Jan 20 earnings.
• BC: Strong score (91), but no catalyst and earnings in 22 days. Only enter if you see follow-through volume tomorrow. Target $88-90 (4-6% upside).
• IONS: Phase 3 results are bullish, but -$10.40M insider selling is a massive red flag. Score of 34 (low) confirms weak momentum. Skip unless you're speculating on biotech sector rotation with very tight stops.
• AMGN: $840M acquisition is positive, but score of 21 (lowest in top 7) and -$3.17M insider selling suggest caution. Earnings in 27 days add event risk. Skip or wait for pullback to $330-335.
• All others: Skip. HOUS (climax volume), OR (weak volume), CVCO (terrible score), SNDX (lowest score).

Position Sizing:

• RVMD: 2-3% of portfolio max. Highest conviction despite insider selling.
• UMC: 1-2% max, only if exiting before Jan 15.
• BC: 1-2% max, only on follow-through.
• All others: 0% allocation.

Stop Losses:

• MA21 is your line in the sand. If any stock loses MA21 again, the pullback setup failed. Exit immediately.
• RVMD: Stop below $98 (4.6% risk from current $102.71)
• UMC: Stop below $8.50 (4.8% risk from current $8.93)
• BC: Stop below $82 (3.1% risk from current $84.66)

Take Profit:

• Target 5-10% gains within 1-2 weeks. Pullback setups are mean reversion plays, not trend continuation. Take profits at resistance.

Risk Warning:

• $16.68M insider selling (3 stocks): Management is selling at 52W highs—bearish signal.
• 7 of 9 at 100% of 52W highs: Late-stage entries with limited margin for error.
• UMC earnings in 13 days: Binary event risk for the only tech signal.
• Mixed market (VIX 15.38): Normal volatility, but ticking up. Be ready for increased choppiness.
• No catalysts for BC, CVCO, OR, HOUS, SNDX: Speculative bets without fundamental drivers.

The market's telling you to be highly selective. RVMD is the cleanest setup despite insider selling. UMC is tradeable for a quick bounce before earnings. Everything else has red flags (low scores, weak volume, no catalysts, insider selling). When in doubt, sit on your hands.

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