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...

We’re back from New Orleans, so I’m doing a lot of catching up this weekend.

When I was plowing through charts yesterday, I realized two appeal to me a lot more than the rest right now.

One of the things I always do at Portfolio Accelerator is share my best ideas for the coming months and quarters.

I’ll share some tactical opportunities and discuss the themes and areas of the market I’m interested in trading.

But I’ll also zoom out and talk about some of the fresh new uptrends I’m buying with a longer timeframe in mind.

I’ve been an Asia bull for some time now. China has already been the best idea at past conferences. BABA, BIDU, and TCEHY are currently conviction longs for this theme. 

Southeast Asia’s online retail giant, Sea Ltd $SE is another one I shared with our clients at one of last year’s events. It’s been a top international stock. It’s one of my largest long-term holdings...

The S&P GSCI Commodity Index just bounced from a critical level… again.

You don’t need to be a technician to see the importance of 500 on this chart. 

It was the top in 2018. It was the ceiling again in 2021. 

Since then, it’s become the most important shelf of support in the entire commodity complex.

Now, after retesting this level multiple times in the last two years, we’re once again sitting on the edge.

Support and resistance are not random. 

This 500-level has acted as a magnet for prices in recent years. 

If this shelf gives way, it opens the door to a much deeper reset in the commodities market.

However, for now, the level is holding steady.

Let’s talk about what this index is made of...

The S&P GSCI is primarily focused on one thing above all else: Energy.

• Energy makes up 57.4% of the index in 2025, led by:
  • WTI Crude Oil (15.3%)
  • Brent Crude Oil...

This is the weekly post that aggregates all the charts we put together throughout the week and organizes them all into one, easy to flip through deck.

The US Dollar Index $DXY continues to sit near the top of our macro checklist.

It’s been one of the more important tells of the cycle, not just for currencies—but for equities, commodities, and global risk assets.

Traditionally, the dollar moves opposite to US stocks. But as technicians, we know better than to marry intermarket correlations. These relationships ebb and flow, strengthen, weaken, invert, and sometimes go completely quiet. That’s normal.

Late last year, a big shift took place as stocks began to...