Weekly Leaders (max 25%)
Weekly Leaders with a limit: no stock takes more than a quarter of the money.
How it works
Weekly Leaders (max 25%) holds 10 of the 500 most actively traded US stocks: those with the strongest price trends over the past year, among companies that generate cash and whose profitability is improving. It puts much more money in the strongest trends, never more than 25% in one stock, and rebuilds the portfolio every week. Each rule is listed below in the order it is applied.
The rules, step by step
- When it decides. After the market closes on the last trading day of each week (usually Friday), using that day’s closing prices and only information available by then.
- The stock pool. US-listed common stocks and ADRs, not traded over the counter, closing at $5 or more. Each must have traded at least $10 million a day on average over 20 trading days at this decision and one and two months (21 and 42 trading days) before it. Of those, the 500 with the highest 20-day average trading value form the pool.
- Cash flow. Keeps only companies whose latest quarterly report, filed by the decision day, shows positive free cash flow.
- Improving profitability. Keeps only companies whose gross margin in the latest filed quarter is higher than in the same quarter a year earlier (as first reported).
- No sudden spikes. Skips any stock that rose more than 40% over the last month (21 trading days).
- The ranking. Ranks the remaining stocks by 12-1 momentum: the price change from twelve months ago (252 trading days) to one month ago (21 trading days), using prices adjusted for splits and dividends. The latest month is left out on purpose.
- The selection. Takes the 10 highest-ranked stocks, with at most two from any one industry sector: when a sector is full, the next-ranked stock from another sector takes the place. Stocks already held get no preference; each rebuild starts from the ranking.
- How much in each. In proportion to each stock’s 12-1 momentum raised to the power 2 (squared): a stock up 80% gets four times the money of one up 40%. (Momentum below 1% counts as 1%.)
- A minimum per stock. No stock gets less than 3% of the portfolio; the difference is taken from the larger holdings in proportion to their size.
- A maximum per stock. No stock gets more than 25% of the portfolio; the excess is shared among the others in proportion to their size.
- The trades. Made at the next trading day’s closing price: stocks no longer selected are sold, new ones bought, and those that stay are resized to their new amounts. Every buy, sale and resize pays 0.10% of the amount traded.
- Between rebuilds. No trades. The holdings’ shares of the portfolio drift as their prices move until the next decision.
These rules are frozen (rules version 1) and are exactly what the record uses, every day since go-live and throughout the backtest. Changing any of them would make a new strategy with its own record. Key terms explained.
What to expect: Less riding on one or two stocks than Weekly Leaders, with smaller falls and a lower return.
What would your money have done?
$10,000 put in at the close of Nov 1, 2017, worth at the close of Oct 16, 2026:
Growth of $10,000 against SPY
Fall from the highest value so far
The Bull Rhythm Weekly · every Friday after the close
Follow the strategies as they run live
Eight strategies with fixed rules, every decision made at the day’s close. Each Friday, see where the record stands: what each one made, what it bought and sold, and why.
- This week’s result and the running total since going live, next to the S&P 500
- Every buy and every sale, with the reason in plain words
- What each one holds now, with charts
- The good weeks and the bad ones, reported the same way
Returns over set periods
| Strategy | 1 month | 3 months | This year | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2017 | Since go-live |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly Leaders (max 25%) | -4.4% | +13.1% (ahead of SPY) | +137.2% (ahead of SPY) | +121.5% (ahead of SPY) | +1,107.0% (ahead of SPY) | +873.7% (ahead of SPY) | +7,397.1% (ahead of SPY) | -10.2% |
| SPY (buy and hold) | +0.3% | +3.1% | +12.8% | +16.0% | +81.4% | +86.4% | +240.4% | -0.1% |
Year by year
Each calendar year on its own, newest first: the return (bold when ahead of SPY), the worst fall from a high within that year, how much the value swung (volatility, as a yearly figure), Sharpe, the best and worst month, the share of months that ended higher, and beta (how much it moved for each 1% SPY moved). The first and the current year are partial; years before going live are a backtest.
| Year | Return | SPY | Worst fall | SPY worst fall | Volatility | Sharpe | Best month | Worst month | Up months | Beta |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) · live from Sep 29, 2026 | +137.2% (ahead of SPY) | +12.8% | -32.9% | -8.9% | 60.0% | 2.13 | +49.7% | -24.1% | 70% | 2.71 |
| 2025 | +78.0% (ahead of SPY) | +17.7% | -40.8% | -18.8% | 50.9% | 1.40 | +27.8% | -14.6% | 67% | 1.84 |
| 2024 | +121.1% (ahead of SPY) | +24.9% | -19.4% | -8.4% | 39.4% | 2.21 | +32.5% | -12.0% | 67% | 2.08 |
| 2023 | +17.5% | +26.2% | -24.1% | -10.0% | 29.4% | 0.70 | +22.2% | -10.4% | 42% | 1.45 |
| 2022 | -10.4% (ahead of SPY) | -18.2% | -31.7% | -24.5% | 34.1% | -0.15 | +13.2% | -18.4% | 50% | 0.94 |
| 2021 | +41.4% (ahead of SPY) | +28.7% | -25.5% | -5.1% | 48.4% | 0.95 | +23.3% | -9.6% | 58% | 2.05 |
| 2020 | +159.3% (ahead of SPY) | +18.4% | -39.9% | -33.7% | 58.0% | 1.93 | +27.8% | -16.8% | 75% | 1.15 |
| 2019 | +83.4% (ahead of SPY) | +31.2% | -14.1% | -6.6% | 27.2% | 2.37 | +15.8% | -8.9% | 92% | 1.21 |
| 2018 | +12.7% (ahead of SPY) | -4.6% | -36.3% | -19.3% | 34.6% | 0.52 | +21.9% | -19.3% | 42% | 1.55 |
| 2017 (partial) | +0.6% | +4.2% | -11.0% | -1.0% | 28.2% | 0.27 | +6.6% | -5.6% | 50% | 2.31 |
The account, as a ledger
The strategy shown as one account that started with $10,000 on Nov 1, 2017 (change the amount above) and followed every trade. Shares are fractional; share counts include stock splits and reinvested dividends. Gains are measured on average cost. With a split chosen above, part of the account sits in BIL (a 1–3 month T-bill fund) and is put back to the split at every rebuild: each move is one BIL row below, and it buys or sells the same slice of every stock held.
What it holds now
At the close of Oct 16, 2026. It decides after the close on the last trading day of each week and trades at the next day's close. The weights drift with prices between rebuilds. This is the model’s position, published for education, not a recommendation to buy these stocks: a portfolio started today would differ in entry prices and results.
| Stock | Sector | Weight | Shares | Avg cost | Cost basis | Price | Value | Gain on cost | Since first bought | First bought | At | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNDK | Technology | 24.0% | 138.621 | $1,789.85 | $248,112 | $1,299.30 | $180,111 | −$68,001 | -36.6% | Jun 29, 2026 | $2,050.39 | new: ranked 1 of 10, 12-1 momentum +3265% |
| AXTI | Technology | 22.9% | 3,326.489 | $62.03 | $206,331 | $51.47 | $171,214 | −$35,116 | -17.0% | Oct 12, 2026 | $61.98 | new: ranked 2 of 10, 12-1 momentum +1118% |
| TXG | Healthcare | 10.8% | 1,155.273 | $75.25 | $86,930 | $69.86 | $80,707 | −$6,223 | -7.1% | Oct 12, 2026 | $75.19 | new: ranked 3 of 10, 12-1 momentum +450% |
| VLO | Energy | 6.3% | 106.647 | $330.70 | $35,269 | $444.71 | $47,427 | +$12,158 | +44.6% | Aug 3, 2026 | $307.54 | new: ranked 9 of 10, 12-1 momentum +98% |
| NUE | Basic Materials | 6.3% | 184.641 | $251.80 | $46,492 | $256.29 | $47,322 | +$830 | +1.9% | Oct 5, 2026 | $251.41 | new: ranked 8 of 10, 12-1 momentum +97% |
| TGT | Consumer Defensive | 6.2% | 302.683 | $157.17 | $47,574 | $154.26 | $46,692 | −$882 | -2.2% | Sep 21, 2026 | $157.71 | new: ranked 10 of 10, 12-1 momentum +86% |
| PBF | Energy | 6.2% | 546.908 | $73.11 | $39,985 | $84.52 | $46,225 | +$6,239 | +16.6% | Sep 21, 2026 | $72.48 | new: ranked 5 of 10, 12-1 momentum +149% |
| ATI | Industrials | 6.1% | 247.357 | $203.87 | $50,428 | $185.59 | $45,907 | −$4,521 | -10.5% | Sep 8, 2026 | $207.32 | new: ranked 4 of 10, 12-1 momentum +190% |
| ILMN | Healthcare | 5.9% | 168.060 | $216.06 | $36,312 | $262.54 | $44,123 | +$7,811 | +26.1% | Sep 14, 2026 | $208.21 | new: ranked 8 of 10, 12-1 momentum +102% |
| BE | Industrials | 5.2% | 177.284 | $258.58 | $45,842 | $221.31 | $39,235 | −$6,607 | -14.5% | May 18, 2026 | $258.71 | new: ranked 2 of 10, 12-1 momentum +937% |
Every trade
5,843 trades in all; the latest 50 below, newest first (up to 300 here; the download has them all). Download the full ledger (CSV). A trade is decided at one day’s close and made at the next day’s close.
| Date | Stock | Action | Weight | Shares | Price | Amount | Fee | Realized gain | Account value | Gain vs start | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 12, 2026 | VLO | trim | 7.5% → to 5.6% | 35.856 | $436.00 | +$15,633 received | $15.63 | +$3,784 | $824,703 | +$814,703 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | TXG | buy | 0.0% → to 10.5% | 1,156.141 | $75.19 | −$86,930 paid | $86.93 | $824,703 | +$814,703 | new: ranked 3 of 10, 12-1 momentum +450% | |
| Oct 12, 2026 | TGT | trim | 7.3% → to 5.6% | 87.897 | $153.62 | +$13,503 received | $13.50 | −$302 | $824,703 | +$814,703 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | SNDK | add | 23.0% → to 25.0% | 11.172 | $1,487.33 | −$16,617 paid | $16.62 | $824,703 | +$814,703 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Oct 12, 2026 | PBF | trim | 7.3% → to 5.6% | 163.108 | $85.02 | +$13,867 received | $13.87 | +$1,951 | $824,703 | +$814,703 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | NUE | trim | 7.3% → to 5.6% | 53.037 | $251.83 | +$13,356 received | $13.36 | +$12 | $824,703 | +$814,703 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | MU | sell | 19.6% → to 0.0% | 163.351 | $989.04 | +$161,560 received | $161.56 | −$12,375 | $824,703 | +$814,703 | Technology already has 2 stronger names |
| Oct 12, 2026 | ILMN | trim | 6.8% → to 5.6% | 35.391 | $276.67 | +$9,792 received | $9.79 | +$2,151 | $824,703 | +$814,703 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | CNC | sell | 7.6% → to 0.0% | 929.852 | $67.02 | +$62,319 received | $62.32 | +$2,482 | $824,703 | +$814,703 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 47) |
| Oct 12, 2026 | BE | trim | 6.6% → to 5.6% | 31.163 | $262.28 | +$8,173 received | $8.17 | +$121 | $824,703 | +$814,703 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | AXTI | buy | 0.0% → to 25.0% | 3,328.988 | $61.98 | −$206,331 paid | $206.33 | $824,703 | +$814,703 | new: ranked 2 of 10, 12-1 momentum +1118% | |
| Oct 12, 2026 | ATI | trim | 7.1% → to 5.6% | 62.103 | $187.98 | +$11,674 received | $11.67 | −$977 | $824,703 | +$814,703 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 5, 2026 | VLO | add | 6.3% → to 6.9% | 12.472 | $419.33 | −$5,230 paid | $5.23 | $869,486 | +$859,486 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | TGT | add | 5.6% → to 6.9% | 70.902 | $152.99 | −$10,847 paid | $10.85 | $869,486 | +$859,486 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | SNDK | add | 23.2% → to 25.0% | 9.185 | $1,704.16 | −$15,652 paid | $15.65 | $869,486 | +$859,486 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | PBF | add | 6.6% → to 6.9% | 29.024 | $84.16 | −$2,443 paid | $2.44 | $869,486 | +$859,486 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | NUE | buy | 0.0% → to 6.9% | 238.004 | $251.41 | −$59,837 paid | $59.84 | $869,486 | +$859,486 | new: ranked 8 of 10, 12-1 momentum +97% | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | MU | buy | 0.0% → to 20.0% | 163.479 | $1,063.96 | −$173,936 paid | $173.94 | $869,486 | +$859,486 | new: ranked 2 of 10, 12-1 momentum +426% | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | ILMN | add | 6.3% → to 6.9% | 17.160 | $293.69 | −$5,040 paid | $5.04 | $869,486 | +$859,486 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | HL | sell | 5.8% → to 0.0% | 2,982.436 | $17.01 | +$50,731 received | $50.73 | −$3,848 | $869,486 | +$859,486 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 42) |
| Oct 5, 2026 | CRL | sell | 6.2% → to 0.0% | 172.210 | $310.77 | +$53,518 received | $53.52 | +$2,778 | $869,486 | +$859,486 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 40) |
| Oct 5, 2026 | CNC | buy | 0.0% → to 6.9% | 930.585 | $64.30 | −$59,837 paid | $59.84 | $869,486 | +$859,486 | new: ranked 10 of 10, 12-1 momentum +88% | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | BE | add | 6.4% → to 6.9% | 15.755 | $286.65 | −$4,516 paid | $4.52 | $869,486 | +$859,486 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | AXTI | sell | 27.4% → to 0.0% | 2,754.512 | $86.66 | +$238,706 received | $238.71 | +$60,069 | $869,486 | +$859,486 | up more than 40% in the last month |
| Oct 5, 2026 | ATI | add | 6.2% → to 6.9% | 29.095 | $193.09 | −$5,618 paid | $5.62 | $869,486 | +$859,486 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Live forward test starts here: Sep 29, 2026. Above: decided each day from that day’s data. Below: backtest. | |||||||||||
| Sep 28, 2026 | VLO | trim | 6.4% → to 6.2% | 2.657 | $389.57 | +$1,035 received | $1.04 | +$181 | $811,700 | +$801,700 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 28, 2026 | TGT | trim | 6.5% → to 6.2% | 11.144 | $158.43 | +$1,766 received | $1.77 | +$7 | $811,700 | +$801,700 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 28, 2026 | SNDK | add | 25.0% → to 25.0% | 0.148 | $1,712.89 | −$253 paid | $0.25 | $811,700 | +$801,700 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 28, 2026 | PBF | trim | 6.6% → to 6.2% | 39.041 | $74.39 | +$2,904 received | $2.90 | +$73 | $811,700 | +$801,700 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 28, 2026 | ILMN | trim | 7.3% → to 6.2% | 32.242 | $271.90 | +$8,767 received | $8.77 | +$2,043 | $811,700 | +$801,700 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 28, 2026 | HL | add | 6.0% → to 6.2% | 134.615 | $17.01 | −$2,290 paid | $2.29 | $811,700 | +$801,700 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 28, 2026 | CRL | buy | 0.0% → to 6.2% | 172.237 | $294.59 | −$50,739 paid | $50.74 | $811,700 | +$801,700 | new: ranked 8 of 10, 12-1 momentum +97% | |
| Sep 28, 2026 | CNC | sell | 6.2% → to 0.0% | 804.220 | $62.53 | +$50,288 received | $50.29 | −$1,441 | $811,700 | +$801,700 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 35) |
| Sep 28, 2026 | BE | add | 6.2% → to 6.2% | 1.492 | $262.87 | −$392 paid | $0.39 | $811,700 | +$801,700 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 28, 2026 | AXTI | add | 23.7% → to 25.0% | 139.351 | $73.67 | −$10,266 paid | $10.27 | $811,700 | +$801,700 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 28, 2026 | ATI | add | 6.1% → to 6.2% | 4.533 | $180.67 | −$819 paid | $0.82 | $811,700 | +$801,700 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | WBD | sell | 5.9% → to 0.0% | 1,612.686 | $30.80 | +$49,671 received | $49.67 | +$5,863 | $836,260 | +$826,260 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 61) |
| Sep 21, 2026 | VLO | add | 5.6% → to 6.2% | 14.626 | $393.27 | −$5,752 paid | $5.75 | $836,260 | +$826,260 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | TGT | buy | 0.0% → to 6.2% | 331.555 | $157.71 | −$52,290 paid | $52.29 | $836,260 | +$826,260 | new: ranked 10 of 10, 12-1 momentum +86% | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | STLD | sell | 5.3% → to 0.0% | 193.223 | $229.99 | +$44,439 received | $44.44 | −$640 | $836,260 | +$826,260 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 47) |
| Sep 21, 2026 | SNDK | add | 24.7% → to 25.0% | 1.597 | $1,766.64 | −$2,822 paid | $2.82 | $836,260 | +$826,260 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | SCCO | sell | 5.7% → to 0.0% | 240.597 | $198.06 | +$47,653 received | $47.65 | −$2,479 | $836,260 | +$826,260 | left the 500 most traded (or under $5) |
| Sep 21, 2026 | PBF | buy | 0.0% → to 6.2% | 721.434 | $72.48 | −$52,290 paid | $52.29 | $836,260 | +$826,260 | new: ranked 5 of 10, 12-1 momentum +149% | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | ILMN | add | 6.2% → to 6.2% | 1.302 | $238.82 | −$311 paid | $0.31 | $836,260 | +$826,260 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | HL | buy | 0.0% → to 6.2% | 2,849.567 | $18.35 | −$52,290 paid | $52.29 | $836,260 | +$826,260 | new: ranked 9 of 10, 12-1 momentum +86% | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | CNC | add | 5.1% → to 6.2% | 151.698 | $64.99 | −$9,859 paid | $9.86 | $836,260 | +$826,260 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | BE | add | 5.8% → to 6.2% | 15.320 | $272.89 | −$4,181 paid | $4.18 | $836,260 | +$826,260 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | AXTI | trim | 30.3% → to 25.0% | 559.992 | $79.93 | +$44,760 received | $44.76 | +$8,728 | $836,260 | +$826,260 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 21, 2026 | ATI | add | 5.4% → to 6.2% | 35.577 | $189.16 | −$6,730 paid | $6.73 | $836,260 | +$826,260 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 14, 2026 | WBD | trim | 6.8% → to 6.2% | 145.532 | $28.10 | +$4,089 received | $4.09 | +$137 | $725,064 | +$715,064 | rebalance to target weight |