Weekly Quality Momentum
Quality Momentum, rebuilt every week so it reacts faster.
How it works
Weekly Quality Momentum 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 more money in the stronger 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: a stock up 80% gets twice the money of one up 40%. (Momentum below 1% counts as 1%.)
- 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: Quicker to follow new leaders, and trades more often than the monthly strategies.
What would your money have done?
The amount you picture putting in. It only scales the dollar figures: the percentages are the same for $1,000 or $1,000,000.
How much of the account follows the strategy. The rest sits in BIL, a fund of US Treasury bills that mature in 1 to 3 months: close to cash, earning short-term interest. Every time the strategy rebuilds, the account is put back to your split. With 70/30, if the stocks have risen, some of the gain moves into T-bills; if they have fallen, some T-bills are used to buy stocks. A smaller strategy share means smaller falls and smaller gains.
Hindenburg ruleThe best rule from the Hindenburg research: when more than 2.5% of US stocks over $5 make a new 52-week high and more than 2.5% a new 52-week low on the same day, with SPY above its 50-day average, and the split also shows among companies worth more than $300 million (more than 3.0% at new highs and more than 2.0% at new lows) and in at least 3 sectors at each end (more than 2.0% of a sector's stocks), half of the strategy part moves into T-bills at the close six trading days later, and returns 31 trading days after the last such day. Every move appears in the ledger and pays 0.10%. Backtest before go-live, applied day by day after it.
The day your pretend account starts. “Since go-live” counts only the time the strategies have run live, each decision made at that day’s close with the rules unchanged. Earlier periods are a backtest: the same rules applied to past prices.
Any trading day from November 1, 2017, the earliest start the price history allows. The account buys at that day’s closing prices.
$10,000 put in at the close of Nov 1, 2017, worth at the close of Oct 16, 2026:
Weekly Quality Momentum$998,194+9,881.9% · +67.5% a year
SPY over the same time$34,044+240.4% · +14.7% a year
Worst fall on the way-44.7%$5,528 at the lowest point after a high
Sharpe (SPY 0.82)1.382250 trading day(s)
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
See a sample
issue →
Returns over set periods
| Strategy | 1 month | 3 months | This year | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2017 | Since go-live |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly Quality Momentum | -6.0% | +12.0% (ahead of SPY) | +183.3% (ahead of SPY) | +156.8% (ahead of SPY) | +1,269.5% (ahead of SPY) | +1,124.4% (ahead of SPY) | +9,881.9% (ahead of SPY) | -11.6% |
| 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 | +183.3% (ahead of SPY) | +12.8% | -44.7% | -8.9% | 77.8% | 2.08 | +80.6% | -34.9% | 70% | 3.21 |
| 2025 | +71.9% (ahead of SPY) | +17.7% | -40.0% | -18.8% | 48.7% | 1.37 | +24.9% | -15.5% | 67% | 1.78 |
| 2024 | +111.1% (ahead of SPY) | +24.9% | -18.4% | -8.4% | 36.6% | 2.23 | +28.3% | -10.4% | 67% | 2.05 |
| 2023 | +25.9% | +26.2% | -22.9% | -10.0% | 28.9% | 0.95 | +26.3% | -9.7% | 42% | 1.41 |
| 2022 | -2.0% (ahead of SPY) | -18.2% | -27.5% | -24.5% | 33.4% | 0.11 | +13.1% | -16.9% | 50% | 0.92 |
| 2021 | +35.2% (ahead of SPY) | +28.7% | -23.7% | -5.1% | 46.1% | 0.88 | +21.9% | -10.5% | 50% | 2.02 |
| 2020 | +180.7% (ahead of SPY) | +18.4% | -39.0% | -33.7% | 57.7% | 2.07 | +31.5% | -15.3% | 75% | 1.15 |
| 2019 | +77.6% (ahead of SPY) | +31.2% | -18.0% | -6.6% | 28.6% | 2.16 | +13.6% | -13.2% | 92% | 1.16 |
| 2018 | +15.5% (ahead of SPY) | -4.6% | -35.4% | -19.3% | 32.7% | 0.61 | +20.7% | -17.5% | 50% | 1.49 |
| 2017 (partial) | +1.0% | +4.2% | -9.4% | -1.0% | 25.2% | 0.38 | +6.1% | -4.8% | 50% | 2.23 |
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.
Account value today$997,195+$987,195 on the $10,000 put in
Realized gains (from sales)+$1,178,449
Unrealized gains (still held)−$191,250
Trading fees paid (0.10% a trade)$40,260already taken out of the account value
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 | 31.7% | 243.457 | $1,805.36 | $439,528 | $1,299.30 | $316,323 | −$123,205 | -36.6% | Jun 29, 2026 | $2,050.39 | new: ranked 1 of 10, 12-1 momentum +3265% |
| AXTI | Technology | 28.5% | 5,521.450 | $62.03 | $342,513 | $51.47 | $284,189 | −$58,324 | -17.0% | Oct 12, 2026 | $61.98 | new: ranked 2 of 10, 12-1 momentum +1118% |
| TXG | Healthcare | 12.8% | 1,831.042 | $75.25 | $137,794 | $69.86 | $127,917 | −$9,877 | -7.1% | Oct 12, 2026 | $75.19 | new: ranked 3 of 10, 12-1 momentum +450% |
| BE | Industrials | 5.1% | 227.658 | $267.65 | $60,933 | $221.31 | $50,383 | −$10,550 | -14.5% | May 18, 2026 | $258.71 | new: ranked 2 of 10, 12-1 momentum +937% |
| PBF | Energy | 5.0% | 595.710 | $77.75 | $46,319 | $84.52 | $50,349 | +$4,031 | +16.6% | Sep 21, 2026 | $72.48 | new: ranked 5 of 10, 12-1 momentum +149% |
| VLO | Energy | 4.5% | 99.964 | $381.07 | $38,093 | $444.71 | $44,455 | +$6,362 | +44.6% | Aug 3, 2026 | $307.54 | new: ranked 9 of 10, 12-1 momentum +98% |
| ATI | Industrials | 4.2% | 223.161 | $198.48 | $44,293 | $185.59 | $41,417 | −$2,877 | -10.5% | Sep 8, 2026 | $207.32 | new: ranked 4 of 10, 12-1 momentum +190% |
| ILMN | Healthcare | 3.1% | 117.048 | $236.44 | $27,674 | $262.54 | $30,730 | +$3,055 | +26.1% | Sep 14, 2026 | $208.21 | new: ranked 8 of 10, 12-1 momentum +102% |
| NUE | Basic Materials | 2.7% | 105.769 | $251.84 | $26,637 | $256.29 | $27,107 | +$471 | +1.9% | Oct 5, 2026 | $251.41 | new: ranked 8 of 10, 12-1 momentum +97% |
| TGT | Consumer Defensive | 2.4% | 157.690 | $156.39 | $24,662 | $154.26 | $24,325 | −$337 | -2.2% | Sep 21, 2026 | $157.71 | new: ranked 10 of 10, 12-1 momentum +86% |
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 | 5.4% → to 3.9% | 39.147 | $436.00 | +$17,068 received | $17.07 | +$2,163 | $1,121,132 | +$1,111,132 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | TXG | buy | 0.0% → to 12.3% | 1,832.611 | $75.19 | −$137,794 paid | $137.79 | $1,121,132 | +$1,111,132 | new: ranked 3 of 10, 12-1 momentum +450% | |
| Oct 12, 2026 | TGT | trim | 3.8% → to 2.2% | 122.875 | $153.62 | +$18,876 received | $18.88 | −$324 | $1,121,132 | +$1,111,132 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | SNDK | trim | 43.6% → to 32.3% | 85.373 | $1,487.33 | +$126,977 received | $126.98 | −$27,019 | $1,121,132 | +$1,111,132 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | PBF | trim | 6.8% → to 4.5% | 297.024 | $85.02 | +$25,253 received | $25.25 | +$2,178 | $1,121,132 | +$1,111,132 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | NUE | trim | 4.1% → to 2.4% | 76.676 | $251.83 | +$19,309 received | $19.31 | +$16 | $1,121,132 | +$1,111,132 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | MU | sell | 16.7% → to 0.0% | 189.741 | $989.04 | +$187,661 received | $187.66 | −$14,386 | $1,121,132 | +$1,111,132 | Technology already has 2 stronger names |
| Oct 12, 2026 | ILMN | trim | 4.3% → to 2.9% | 58.090 | $276.67 | +$16,072 received | $16.07 | +$2,349 | $1,121,132 | +$1,111,132 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | CNC | sell | 3.9% → to 0.0% | 652.028 | $67.02 | +$43,699 received | $43.70 | +$1,738 | $1,121,132 | +$1,111,132 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 47) |
| Oct 12, 2026 | BE | trim | 5.4% → to 5.3% | 5.248 | $262.28 | +$1,377 received | $1.38 | −$27 | $1,121,132 | +$1,111,132 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 12, 2026 | AXTI | buy | 0.0% → to 30.5% | 5,526.180 | $61.98 | −$342,513 paid | $342.51 | $1,121,132 | +$1,111,132 | new: ranked 2 of 10, 12-1 momentum +1118% | |
| Oct 12, 2026 | ATI | trim | 5.9% → to 3.7% | 127.748 | $187.98 | +$24,014 received | $24.01 | −$1,320 | $1,121,132 | +$1,111,132 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 5, 2026 | VLO | add | 2.9% → to 4.8% | 54.491 | $419.33 | −$22,850 paid | $22.85 | $1,212,995 | +$1,202,995 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | TGT | add | 2.3% → to 3.5% | 101.306 | $152.99 | −$15,499 paid | $15.50 | $1,212,995 | +$1,202,995 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | SNDK | add | 35.1% → to 46.2% | 79.281 | $1,704.16 | −$135,107 paid | $135.11 | $1,212,995 | +$1,202,995 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | PBF | add | 3.5% → to 6.2% | 392.056 | $84.16 | −$32,995 paid | $33.00 | $1,212,995 | +$1,202,995 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | NUE | buy | 0.0% → to 3.8% | 182.690 | $251.41 | −$45,930 paid | $45.93 | $1,212,995 | +$1,202,995 | new: ranked 8 of 10, 12-1 momentum +97% | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | MU | buy | 0.0% → to 16.6% | 189.901 | $1,063.96 | −$202,047 paid | $202.05 | $1,212,995 | +$1,202,995 | new: ranked 2 of 10, 12-1 momentum +426% | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | ILMN | add | 3.8% → to 4.2% | 20.165 | $293.69 | −$5,922 paid | $5.92 | $1,212,995 | +$1,202,995 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | HL | sell | 2.2% → to 0.0% | 1,601.957 | $17.01 | +$27,249 received | $27.25 | −$1,739 | $1,212,995 | +$1,202,995 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 42) |
| Oct 5, 2026 | CRL | sell | 2.6% → to 0.0% | 101.066 | $310.77 | +$31,408 received | $31.41 | +$1,630 | $1,212,995 | +$1,202,995 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 40) |
| Oct 5, 2026 | CNC | buy | 0.0% → to 3.5% | 652.579 | $64.30 | −$41,961 paid | $41.96 | $1,212,995 | +$1,202,995 | new: ranked 10 of 10, 12-1 momentum +88% | |
| Oct 5, 2026 | BE | trim | 5.9% → to 5.5% | 17.058 | $286.65 | +$4,890 received | $4.89 | +$332 | $1,212,995 | +$1,202,995 | rebalance to target weight |
| Oct 5, 2026 | AXTI | sell | 37.0% → to 0.0% | 5,181.392 | $86.66 | +$449,019 received | $449.02 | +$107,134 | $1,212,995 | +$1,202,995 | up more than 40% in the last month |
| Oct 5, 2026 | ATI | add | 4.7% → to 5.6% | 53.111 | $193.09 | −$10,255 paid | $10.26 | $1,212,995 | +$1,202,995 | 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 | add | 2.8% → to 2.9% | 3.928 | $389.57 | −$1,530 paid | $1.53 | $1,127,770 | +$1,117,770 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 28, 2026 | TGT | add | 2.1% → to 2.5% | 30.446 | $158.43 | −$4,824 paid | $4.82 | $1,127,770 | +$1,117,770 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 28, 2026 | SNDK | add | 37.0% → to 38.0% | 6.728 | $1,712.89 | −$11,524 paid | $11.52 | $1,127,770 | +$1,117,770 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 28, 2026 | PBF | trim | 3.7% → to 3.3% | 59.529 | $74.39 | +$4,428 received | $4.43 | +$112 | $1,127,770 | +$1,117,770 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 28, 2026 | ILMN | add | 2.9% → to 3.7% | 36.850 | $271.90 | −$10,020 paid | $10.02 | $1,127,770 | +$1,117,770 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 28, 2026 | HL | add | 1.9% → to 2.4% | 313.509 | $17.01 | −$5,333 paid | $5.33 | $1,127,770 | +$1,117,770 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 28, 2026 | CRL | buy | 0.0% → to 2.6% | 101.083 | $294.59 | −$29,778 paid | $29.78 | $1,127,770 | +$1,117,770 | new: ranked 8 of 10, 12-1 momentum +97% | |
| Sep 28, 2026 | CNC | sell | 2.4% → to 0.0% | 430.150 | $62.53 | +$26,897 received | $26.90 | −$844 | $1,127,770 | +$1,117,770 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 35) |
| Sep 28, 2026 | BE | add | 3.7% → to 5.8% | 90.446 | $262.87 | −$23,776 paid | $23.78 | $1,127,770 | +$1,117,770 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 28, 2026 | AXTI | trim | 39.5% → to 33.8% | 861.707 | $73.67 | +$63,482 received | $63.48 | +$6,633 | $1,127,770 | +$1,117,770 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 28, 2026 | ATI | add | 4.1% → to 4.8% | 44.415 | $180.67 | −$8,024 paid | $8.02 | $1,127,770 | +$1,117,770 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | WBD | sell | 2.1% → to 0.0% | 809.600 | $30.80 | +$24,936 received | $24.94 | +$2,492 | $1,180,621 | +$1,170,621 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 61) |
| Sep 21, 2026 | VLO | add | 1.9% → to 2.7% | 25.286 | $393.27 | −$9,944 paid | $9.94 | $1,180,621 | +$1,170,621 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | TGT | buy | 0.0% → to 2.0% | 149.262 | $157.71 | −$23,540 paid | $23.54 | $1,180,621 | +$1,170,621 | new: ranked 10 of 10, 12-1 momentum +86% | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | STLD | sell | 1.6% → to 0.0% | 81.022 | $229.99 | +$18,634 received | $18.63 | −$294 | $1,180,621 | +$1,170,621 | no longer in the top 10 (ranked 47) |
| Sep 21, 2026 | SNDK | add | 31.3% → to 36.4% | 34.356 | $1,766.64 | −$60,695 paid | $60.70 | $1,180,621 | +$1,170,621 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | SCCO | sell | 1.6% → to 0.0% | 95.418 | $198.06 | +$18,898 received | $18.90 | −$908 | $1,180,621 | +$1,170,621 | left the 500 most traded (or under $5) |
| Sep 21, 2026 | PBF | buy | 0.0% → to 3.4% | 561.731 | $72.48 | −$40,714 paid | $40.71 | $1,180,621 | +$1,170,621 | new: ranked 5 of 10, 12-1 momentum +149% | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | ILMN | add | 1.9% → to 2.4% | 25.924 | $238.82 | −$6,191 paid | $6.19 | $1,180,621 | +$1,170,621 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | HL | buy | 0.0% → to 2.0% | 1,289.115 | $18.35 | −$23,655 paid | $23.66 | $1,180,621 | +$1,170,621 | new: ranked 9 of 10, 12-1 momentum +86% | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | CNC | add | 1.7% → to 2.4% | 118.866 | $64.99 | −$7,725 paid | $7.73 | $1,180,621 | +$1,170,621 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 21, 2026 | BE | trim | 4.7% → to 3.7% | 43.222 | $272.89 | +$11,795 received | $11.80 | +$147 | $1,180,621 | +$1,170,621 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 21, 2026 | AXTI | trim | 50.1% → to 40.9% | 1,350.836 | $79.93 | +$107,972 received | $107.97 | +$18,882 | $1,180,621 | +$1,170,621 | rebalance to target weight |
| Sep 21, 2026 | ATI | add | 3.2% → to 4.1% | 51.650 | $189.16 | −$9,770 paid | $9.77 | $1,180,621 | +$1,170,621 | rebalance to target weight | |
| Sep 14, 2026 | WBD | trim | 2.6% → to 2.4% | 69.475 | $28.10 | +$1,952 received | $1.95 | +$26 | $958,749 | +$948,749 | rebalance to target weight |