Weekly Leaders
Leans hardest into the very strongest trends, rebuilt weekly.
How it works
Weekly Leaders 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 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.
- 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: The highest returns in the backtest and the most concentrated: often two stocks make up most of it.
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 | -9.0% | +8.9% (ahead of SPY) | +257.2% (ahead of SPY) | +210.3% (ahead of SPY) | +1,850.6% (ahead of SPY) | +1,648.1% (ahead of SPY) | +29,896.0% (ahead of SPY) | -14.5% |
| SPY (buy and hold) | +0.3% | +3.1% | +12.8% | +16.0% | +81.4% | +86.4% | +240.4% | -0.3% |
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 28, 2026 | +257.2% (ahead of SPY) | +12.8% | -47.2% | -8.9% | 84.6% | 2.33 | +104.7% | -37.8% | 70% | 3.37 |
| 2025 | +62.0% (ahead of SPY) | +17.7% | -46.1% | -18.8% | 57.7% | 1.13 | +30.2% | -18.1% | 67% | 1.98 |
| 2024 | +117.1% (ahead of SPY) | +24.9% | -20.0% | -8.4% | 40.4% | 2.12 | +32.3% | -11.2% | 75% | 2.03 |
| 2023 | +54.7% (ahead of SPY) | +26.2% | -28.1% | -10.0% | 38.2% | 1.34 | +45.5% | -11.1% | 42% | 1.57 |
| 2022 | +2.3% (ahead of SPY) | -18.2% | -29.9% | -24.5% | 35.6% | 0.24 | +11.8% | -19.2% | 58% | 0.90 |
| 2021 | +35.2% (ahead of SPY) | +28.7% | -29.1% | -5.1% | 51.5% | 0.84 | +23.5% | -16.6% | 58% | 2.05 |
| 2020 | +274.9% (ahead of SPY) | +18.4% | -40.9% | -33.7% | 69.1% | 2.24 | +42.0% | -15.1% | 67% | 1.25 |
| 2019 | +123.7% (ahead of SPY) | +31.2% | -20.5% | -6.6% | 36.4% | 2.40 | +16.1% | -16.2% | 92% | 1.25 |
| 2018 | +33.1% (ahead of SPY) | -4.6% | -35.6% | -19.3% | 38.0% | 0.94 | +25.4% | -19.3% | 50% | 1.55 |
| 2017 (partial) | +0.1% | +4.2% | -10.8% | -1.0% | 28.1% | 0.16 | +5.5% | -5.1% | 50% | 2.26 |
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 | 38.4% | 884.796 | $1,801.21 | $1,593,702 | $1,299.30 | $1,149,615 | −$444,087 | -36.6% | Jun 29, 2026 | $2,050.39 | new: ranked 1 of 10, 12-1 momentum +3265% |
| AXTI | Technology | 32.6% | 18,964.868 | $62.03 | $1,176,389 | $51.47 | $976,122 | −$200,267 | -17.0% | Oct 12, 2026 | $61.98 | new: ranked 2 of 10, 12-1 momentum +1118% |
| TXG | Healthcare | 5.9% | 2,530.164 | $75.25 | $190,396 | $69.86 | $176,757 | −$13,639 | -7.1% | Oct 12, 2026 | $75.19 | new: ranked 3 of 10, 12-1 momentum +450% |
| VLO | Energy | 3.5% | 233.568 | $331.46 | $77,417 | $444.71 | $103,870 | +$26,453 | +44.6% | Aug 3, 2026 | $307.54 | new: ranked 9 of 10, 12-1 momentum +98% |
| NUE | Basic Materials | 3.5% | 404.382 | $251.83 | $101,835 | $256.29 | $103,639 | +$1,804 | +1.9% | Oct 5, 2026 | $251.41 | new: ranked 8 of 10, 12-1 momentum +97% |
| TGT | Consumer Defensive | 3.4% | 662.905 | $157.59 | $104,470 | $154.26 | $102,260 | −$2,210 | -2.2% | Sep 21, 2026 | $157.71 | new: ranked 10 of 10, 12-1 momentum +86% |
| PBF | Energy | 3.4% | 1,197.783 | $72.65 | $87,013 | $84.52 | $101,237 | +$14,224 | +16.6% | Sep 21, 2026 | $72.48 | new: ranked 5 of 10, 12-1 momentum +149% |
| ATI | Industrials | 3.4% | 541.736 | $204.45 | $110,758 | $185.59 | $100,541 | −$10,217 | -10.5% | Sep 8, 2026 | $207.32 | new: ranked 4 of 10, 12-1 momentum +190% |
| ILMN | Healthcare | 3.2% | 368.069 | $211.01 | $77,665 | $262.54 | $96,633 | +$18,968 | +26.1% | Sep 14, 2026 | $208.21 | new: ranked 8 of 10, 12-1 momentum +102% |
| BE | Industrials | 2.9% | 388.270 | $282.77 | $109,790 | $221.31 | $85,928 | −$23,862 | -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 | 3.4% → to 3.0% | 34.476 | $436.00 | +$15,031 received | $15.03 | +$3,613 | $3,394,517 | +$3,384,517 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | TXG | buy | 0.0% → to 5.6% | 2,532.202 | $75.19 | −$190,396 paid | $190.40 | $3,394,517 | +$3,384,517 | new: ranked 3 of 10, 12-1 momentum +450% | |
| Oct 12, 2026 | TGT | trim | 3.3% → to 3.0% | 71.756 | $153.62 | +$11,023 received | $11.02 | −$276 | $3,394,517 | +$3,384,517 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | SNDK | trim | 64.8% → to 38.8% | 594.679 | $1,487.33 | +$884,484 received | $884.48 | −$185,796 | $3,394,517 | +$3,384,517 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | PBF | trim | 3.3% → to 3.0% | 137.725 | $85.02 | +$11,709 received | $11.71 | +$1,712 | $3,394,517 | +$3,384,517 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | NUE | trim | 3.3% → to 3.0% | 42.679 | $251.83 | +$10,748 received | $10.75 | +$9 | $3,394,517 | +$3,384,517 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | MU | sell | 8.9% → to 0.0% | 307.299 | $989.04 | +$303,931 received | $303.93 | −$23,304 | $3,394,517 | +$3,384,517 | Technology already has 2 stronger names |
| Oct 12, 2026 | ILMN | trim | 3.1% → to 3.0% | 14.608 | $276.67 | +$4,042 received | $4.04 | +$962 | $3,394,517 | +$3,384,517 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | CNC | sell | 3.5% → to 0.0% | 1,749.261 | $67.02 | +$117,235 received | $117.24 | +$4,661 | $3,394,517 | +$3,384,517 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 47) |
| Oct 12, 2026 | BE | trim | 3.0% → to 3.0% | 3.803 | $262.28 | +$998 received | $1.00 | −$77 | $3,394,517 | +$3,384,517 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | AXTI | buy | 0.0% → to 34.6% | 18,980.139 | $61.98 | −$1,176,389 paid | $1,176.39 | $3,394,517 | +$3,384,517 | new: ranked 2 of 10, 12-1 momentum +1118% | |
| Oct 12, 2026 | ATI | trim | 3.2% → to 3.0% | 40.341 | $187.98 | +$7,583 received | $7.58 | −$658 | $3,394,517 | +$3,384,517 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 5, 2026 | VLO | trim | 3.0% → to 3.0% | 1.302 | $419.33 | +$546 received | $0.55 | +$115 | $3,749,250 | +$3,739,250 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 5, 2026 | TGT | add | 2.7% → to 3.0% | 72.493 | $152.99 | −$11,091 paid | $11.09 | $3,749,250 | +$3,739,250 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | SNDK | add | 39.3% → to 67.3% | 615.245 | $1,704.16 | −$1,048,476 paid | $1,048.48 | $3,749,250 | +$3,739,250 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | PBF | trim | 3.2% → to 3.0% | 75.097 | $84.16 | +$6,320 received | $6.32 | +$874 | $3,749,250 | +$3,739,250 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 5, 2026 | NUE | buy | 0.0% → to 3.0% | 447.772 | $251.41 | −$112,574 paid | $112.57 | $3,749,250 | +$3,739,250 | new: ranked 8 of 10, 12-1 momentum +97% | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | MU | buy | 0.0% → to 8.7% | 307.564 | $1,063.96 | −$327,235 paid | $327.24 | $3,749,250 | +$3,739,250 | new: ranked 2 of 10, 12-1 momentum +426% | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | ILMN | trim | 3.0% → to 3.0% | 3.200 | $293.69 | +$940 received | $0.94 | +$266 | $3,749,250 | +$3,739,250 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 5, 2026 | HL | sell | 2.8% → to 0.0% | 6,178.254 | $17.01 | +$105,092 received | $105.09 | −$8,099 | $3,749,250 | +$3,739,250 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 42) |
| Oct 5, 2026 | CRL | sell | 3.0% → to 0.0% | 356.740 | $310.77 | +$110,864 received | $110.86 | +$5,748 | $3,749,250 | +$3,739,250 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 40) |
| Oct 5, 2026 | CNC | buy | 0.0% → to 3.0% | 1,750.766 | $64.30 | −$112,574 paid | $112.57 | $3,749,250 | +$3,739,250 | new: ranked 10 of 10, 12-1 momentum +88% | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | BE | trim | 3.1% → to 3.0% | 7.064 | $286.65 | +$2,025 received | $2.02 | +$31 | $3,749,250 | +$3,739,250 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 5, 2026 | AXTI | sell | 36.9% → to 0.0% | 15,998.397 | $86.66 | +$1,386,421 received | $1,386.42 | +$320,470 | $3,749,250 | +$3,739,250 | up more than 40% in the last month |
| Oct 5, 2026 | ATI | add | 3.0% → to 3.0% | 1.335 | $193.09 | −$258 paid | $0.26 | $3,749,250 | +$3,739,250 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Live forward test starts here: Sep 28, 2026. Above: decided each day from that day’s data. Below: backtest. | |||||||||||
| Sep 28, 2026 | VLO | trim | 3.1% → to 3.0% | 9.883 | $389.57 | +$3,850 received | $3.85 | +$581 | $3,503,070 | +$3,493,070 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 28, 2026 | TGT | trim | 3.2% → to 3.0% | 34.004 | $158.43 | +$5,387 received | $5.39 | +$22 | $3,503,070 | +$3,493,070 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 28, 2026 | SNDK | add | 34.1% → to 42.4% | 169.286 | $1,712.89 | −$289,969 paid | $289.97 | $3,503,070 | +$3,493,070 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 28, 2026 | PBF | trim | 3.2% → to 3.0% | 104.635 | $74.39 | +$7,784 received | $7.78 | +$197 | $3,503,070 | +$3,493,070 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 28, 2026 | ILMN | trim | 3.6% → to 3.0% | 74.004 | $271.90 | +$20,122 received | $20.12 | +$4,536 | $3,503,070 | +$3,493,070 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 28, 2026 | HL | add | 2.9% → to 3.0% | 185.051 | $17.01 | −$3,148 paid | $3.15 | $3,503,070 | +$3,493,070 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 28, 2026 | CRL | buy | 0.0% → to 3.0% | 356.821 | $294.59 | −$105,116 paid | $105.12 | $3,503,070 | +$3,493,070 | new: ranked 8 of 10, 12-1 momentum +97% | |
| Sep 28, 2026 | CNC | sell | 3.0% → to 0.0% | 1,692.584 | $62.53 | +$105,837 received | $105.84 | −$3,119 | $3,503,070 | +$3,493,070 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 35) |
| Sep 28, 2026 | BE | trim | 3.0% → to 3.0% | 3.218 | $262.87 | +$846 received | $0.85 | −$62 | $3,503,070 | +$3,493,070 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 28, 2026 | AXTI | trim | 40.9% → to 33.6% | 3,454.029 | $73.67 | +$254,458 received | $254.46 | +$24,373 | $3,503,070 | +$3,493,070 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 28, 2026 | ATI | add | 3.0% → to 3.0% | 0.288 | $180.67 | −$52 paid | $0.05 | $3,503,070 | +$3,493,070 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | WBD | sell | 2.7% → to 0.0% | 3,159.011 | $30.80 | +$97,298 received | $97.30 | +$11,080 | $3,666,702 | +$3,656,702 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 61) |
| Sep 21, 2026 | VLO | add | 2.5% → to 3.0% | 48.015 | $393.27 | −$18,883 paid | $18.88 | $3,666,702 | +$3,656,702 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | TGT | buy | 0.0% → to 3.0% | 697.756 | $157.71 | −$110,043 paid | $110.04 | $3,666,702 | +$3,656,702 | new: ranked 10 of 10, 12-1 momentum +86% | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | STLD | sell | 2.4% → to 0.0% | 378.494 | $229.99 | +$87,050 received | $87.05 | −$1,285 | $3,666,702 | +$3,656,702 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 47) |
| Sep 21, 2026 | SNDK | add | 25.9% → to 33.6% | 159.125 | $1,766.64 | −$281,117 paid | $281.12 | $3,666,702 | +$3,656,702 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | SCCO | sell | 2.5% → to 0.0% | 471.294 | $198.06 | +$93,344 received | $93.34 | −$5,028 | $3,666,702 | +$3,656,702 | left the 500 most traded (or under $5) |
| Sep 21, 2026 | PBF | buy | 0.0% → to 3.0% | 1,518.256 | $72.48 | −$110,043 paid | $110.04 | $3,666,702 | +$3,656,702 | new: ranked 5 of 10, 12-1 momentum +149% | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | ILMN | add | 2.8% → to 3.0% | 34.439 | $238.82 | −$8,225 paid | $8.22 | $3,666,702 | +$3,656,702 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | HL | buy | 0.0% → to 3.0% | 5,996.903 | $18.35 | −$110,043 paid | $110.04 | $3,666,702 | +$3,656,702 | new: ranked 9 of 10, 12-1 momentum +86% | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | CNC | add | 2.3% → to 3.0% | 414.336 | $64.99 | −$26,928 paid | $26.93 | $3,666,702 | +$3,656,702 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | BE | add | 2.6% → to 3.0% | 57.917 | $272.89 | −$15,805 paid | $15.80 | $3,666,702 | +$3,656,702 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | AXTI | trim | 54.0% → to 42.4% | 5,307.054 | $79.93 | +$424,193 received | $424.19 | +$70,807 | $3,666,702 | +$3,656,702 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 21, 2026 | ATI | add | 2.4% → to 3.0% | 109.952 | $189.16 | −$20,798 paid | $20.80 | $3,666,702 | +$3,656,702 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 14, 2026 | WBD | trim | 3.4% → to 3.0% | 433.016 | $28.10 | +$12,168 received | $12.17 | +$351 | $2,958,940 | +$2,948,940 | rebalance to target weight |