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Post-Market SA — 2026-02-17

February 17, 2026 3 min read
Tickers Mentioned
SASMAATRNOTGEVRVOLINSTVRTWELLATOM

# Post-Market SA — 2026-02-17

# WaveRider Post-Market Situation Awareness

February 17, 2026

1. Market Summary

Market showing mixed internals with defensive rotation. Breadth neutral at surface (Bull 4%: 129 vs Bear 4%: 119), but underlying weakness evident with only 31% above 20 SMA vs 51.43% above 40 SMA – suggesting recent deterioration. Bull Primary (25Q) at 954 vs Bear 702 shows longer-term structure intact but fraying. Sentiment: Cautiously Defensive – defensive sectors leading while growth lags.

2. Sector Analysis

Top 3 Momentum Leaders:

  • Utilities: 3.79 ATR%-M (95th percentile, rising) – Flight to safety
  • Energy: 2.92 (53rd percentile) – Stable but uninspiring
  • Industrials: 1.94 (26th percentile) – Moderate strength

Bottom 3 Laggards:

  • Communication Services: -1.74 (5th percentile) – Significant weakness
  • Technology: -1.68 (11th percentile) – PLASTICS sector failing
  • Healthcare: -0.56 (16th percentile) – PLASTICS sector weak

Rotation Alert: Utilities, Real Estate, Financials showing rising percentiles = defensive bid. Tech/Comm Services at bottom = growth rejection. This is NOT a PLASTICS-friendly environment.

3. Strategy Signals

Continuation (2LYNCH): 42 signals
Top picks: GEV ($819, 2.1%, RVOL 0.6, Energy, INST), VRT ($243, 3.8%, RVOL 1.0, Machine, INST), WELL ($215, 2.3%, RVOL 1.1, Real Estate, INST). Quality: Moderate – institutional names in defensive sectors.

Delayed 9M: 137 signals
MAGNA53 candidates: ATOM ($5.73, 46.2%, RVOL 17.4, Chips) – meets EP criteria but risky at 360% Risk. Better: AMAT ($359, INST, 4.4% ATR%-M, Chips), ON ($71.96, INST, 5.1% ATR%-M). Chips showing life despite sector weakness.

9M Catalyst: 11 signals
Notable volume events: ATOM (46.2%, RVOL 17.4x), MASI ($174.69, 34.2%, RVOL 20.2x, Medical), ZIM ($27.85, 25.4%, RVOL 14.4x, Transport). CMPS (31.3%, RVOL 27.6x) – extreme catalyst activity.

Darvas Box: 355 signals
High-quality: AMAT ($359, INST, Chips), ADI ($337, INST, Chips), ANET ($142, INST, Computer). Chip exposure dominates despite sector weakness = potential coiled spring.

EG100: 545 signals
STORY candidates: AAL ($14.40, 3.8%, Transport) – travel momentum theme. ACHR ($6.82, Aerospace) – speculative aerospace play.

Reversal Bullish: 425 signals
Not BTFD territory – market didn’t dip hard enough. Skip aggressive dip-buying.

4. Trade Ideas (Top 5)

| Ticker | Strategy | Entry Zone | Risk% | Thesis |
|——–|———-|————|——-|———|
| MASI | BBT/9M Catalyst | $174-176 | 4.3% | FFM – Medical device, 34% pop, RVOL 20x, institutional volume |
| ZIM | BBT/9M Catalyst | $27-28 | 17.6% | Transport catalyst, 25% move, 14x volume, shipping momentum |
| AMAT | 2LYNCH/Darvas | $359-362 | 66.4% | Chip leader, INST, appears in multiple scans, sector leadership |
| VRT | 2LYNCH/Delayed 9M | $243-246 | 81.3% | Machine sector, INST, 6.0 ATR%-M, defensive rotation play |
| GEV | 2LYNCH | $815-820 | 78.7% | Energy continuation, INST, sector leadership, 4.2 ATR%-M |

6. Action Codes of the Day

ABC – Always Be in Control
Evidence: 425 reversal signals, 355 Darvas signals = noisy/choppy environment. Tech/Comm at 5th percentile = whipsaw risk.
Action: Stick to FFM setups only (MASI, ZIM). Avoid chasing extended moves.

BBT – Big Bang Theory
Evidence: 11 catalyst plays with RVOL >2x (ATOM 17.4x, CMPS 27.6x, MASI 20.2x).
Action: Focus watchlist on MASI (4.3% risk) and ZIM (earnings/shipping catalyst). Volume preceded these moves – act on confirmation.

OLC – Organize Like Crazy
Evidence: 1,100+ total signals across all scans = overwhelming data.
Action: Pre-market tomorrow, filter to: (1) FFM risk ≤5%, (2) INST tag, (3) Rising sector percentiles (Utilities/Real Estate/Financial). Ignore the noise.

7. Tomorrow’s Prep

  • Key levels: Watch for defensive sector follow-through (Utilities/Real Estate). If Tech bounces from -1.68 ATR%-M, could signal reversal.
  • Momentum sectors: Utilities (95th percentile rising), Real Estate (74th rising), Financials (63rd rising) = tomorrow’s hunting grounds.
  • Forming setups: Chip names (AMAT, ADI, ON) coiling despite sector weakness – if Tech reverses, these lead. FISV ($63.45, 6.9%, INST) – 9M catalyst in rising Financial sector.

Market rewarding defense. Trade small, trade smart, wait for growth to stabilize.

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