From the Desk of Steve Strazza @Sstrazza and Ricardo Sarraf @nullcharts

When investing in the stock market, we always want to approach it as "a market of stocks."

Regardless of the environment, there are always stocks showing leadership and trending higher.

We may have to look harder to identify them depending on current market conditions. But there are always stocks that are going up.

The same can be said for weak stocks. Regardless of the environment, there are always stocks that are going down, too. 

We already have multiple scans focusing on stocks making all-time highs, such as Hall of Famers, Minor Leaguers, and the 2 to 100 Club.

We filter these universes for stocks that are exhibiting the best momentum and relative strength characteristics. 

Clearly, we spend a lot of time identifying and writing about leading stocks every week, via...

In today’s Daily Digest, we’ll review the following:

1. No new positions today.
2. Rolling XLV position to July options
3. No exits since the last report.
4. Current status of open campaigns.
5. Volatility Snapshot.

Let’s dig in!

I’m liking energy more and more with each passing day.

And the bull thesis couldn’t be simpler.

It’s a raging bull market for stocks around the world. It’s being led by offense. 

Internals continue to improve. 

And like any bull cycle, as time passes and the market grinds higher, it drags a growing list of non-performers higher with it.

Some call it rotation, but it’s really just a broadening of participation over longer timeframes. 

What I mean is that more groups join the party as the bull market progresses. The ones that had previously not been working, start working. We see it every time.

In bull markets, the laggards catch up to the leaders. And not vice versa.

And it’s happening now, isn’t it?

Look at international markets. Even the worst-performing regions, like Southeast Asia and South America, are now working. They’re actually outperforming in the short-term.

And in the US, look at old laggards like small-caps, speculative growth, and transports. They are working too,...

The gold bugs are getting louder.

And frankly, they should be. The weight of the evidence is stacking up in their favor.

We’re not just talking about price action here, although that’s been impressive on its own. 

The intermarket relationships and momentum dynamics are all confirming what the charts have been whispering for months.

This is an uptrend. A real one. And it’s just getting started.

Let’s walk through two key charts that tell the story.

The first time I opened a brokerage account, I didn’t know what the hell relative strength was.

I just bought dips.

In 2008…

And like clockwork, the market kept falling... and I lost everything in that little account.

Every damn dollar.

I remember thinking, “How do people actually learn to trade? Is this even possible?” It felt impossible at the time. But deep down, I knew I’d figure it out, I had to.

Fast forward a few years—I'd devoured every book, article, chart, and white paper I could find on relative strength (not to be confused with RSI—different beast).

Relative strength compares an asset’s performance to a broader index. If it drops less or climbs more, it’s showing strength. And strength attracts capital. Leaders lead. That’s the game.

But this flew in the face of everything I was ever taught…

Buy low, sell high... Where does that logic even...

While most of the heavyweights have already reported their quarterly earnings, there are still plenty of names left on the docket. And as always, earnings reports can be a powerful catalyst.

I used to fear earnings season. The old stock trader in me had it drilled in early: don’t hold into earnings. The risk of an overnight blow-up always loomed too large.

But now? I see it differently.

As an options trader, I can define my risk. And that’s a game-changer. I no longer automatically avoid stocks with earnings coming up. In fact, I often lean intothose setups now—especially when I see a trend that looks like it’s just waiting on a spark to resume.

Case in point: I’m putting on a new trade today in a stock from the global life sciences sector. It has earnings coming up, yes—but it also has a...

Today's trade is in a $39B leading provider of software solutions for the global life sciences sector that is on the verge of breaking multi-year highs with an eye towards making a run at all-time highs.

There is an earnings release coming up soon which I think will be the catalyst to get the move underway.

In today’s Daily Digest, we’ll review the following:

1. No new positions today.
2. Adjustment to XLC position.
3. No exits since the last report.
4. Current status of open campaigns.
5. Volatility Snapshot.

Let’s dig in!

From the Desk of Steve Strazza @Sstrazza

Welcome to The Minor Leaguers.

We've had some great trades come out of this small-cap-focused column since we launched it back in 2020 and started rotating it with our flagship bottom-up scan, Under the Hood.

For the first year or so, we focused only on Russell 2000 stocks with a market cap between $1 and $2B.

That was fun, but we wanted to branch out a bit and allow some new stocks to find their way onto our list.

We expanded our universe to include some mid-caps.

Nowadays, to make the cut for our Minor Leaguers list, a company must have a market cap between $1 and $4B.

And it doesn't have to be a Russell component — it can be any US-listed equity. With participation expanding around the globe, we want all those ADRs in our universe.

The same price and liquidity filters are applied. Then, as always, we sort by proximity to new...

Like the rest of the All Star Charts team, I spent last week in New Orleans. It was hot. It was muggy. But the food—oh man, the food—made it all worth it.

I think I hit all the cornerstones of New Orleans cuisine:

Crawfish. Muffuletta Sandwich. Gumbo. Jambalaya. Shrimp Ettoufee, Alligator Po-Boy sandwich. Lousiana Fried Catfish. Red Beans and Rice. Grilled Oysters. Andouille Sausage. Beignets. Bananas Foster.

I even enjoyed a non-alcoholic Hurricane. I was told it was a "Category 1". LOL

This trip was also a first for me: my first time visiting New Orleans sober. And let me tell you, it didn’t change my love for the city one bit. I still soaked in the music, the architecture, the culture, and that ever-present sense of celebration that pulses through every corner of the French Quarter.

But being clear-eyed did sharpen my awareness of some of the more absurd—and uniquely American—aspects of the experience. Lets just say I raised my eyebrow more than once at some of the things I observed...

The contrast was never more apparent than on the days we held our Portfolio Accelerator meetings in our hotel, right on Bourbon Street.

...

I have just returned to Kansas after spending a week in New Orleans with some of the brightest minds in finance at our Portfolio Accelerator event.

I had oysters for the first time, and they exceeded my expectations. 

And I had my first hurricane, a drink that New Orleans is known for. They put way too much sugar and vodka in it... I don't think I'll try it again.

I also spent some time at the jazz bars where the music was incredible. My favorite was Pat O'Brien's Dueling Piano Bar, which I highly recommend you visit if you ever get the chance.

It was great to spend time with my Stock Market Media family. 

Jason and Spencer were unable to attend, but everyone else was there. Mary, Alfonso, Steve, Sean, Grant, Rick, Louis, Patrick, Riley, and, of course, my loud and obnoxious Cuban friend, JC.

We also welcomed friends from around the world, and I’m incredibly grateful for the deep bench of talent and insight this community brings. It’s truly the best network in the business.

One highlight was hearing Brien Lundin speak Wednesday afternoon...