Pocket Pivot Setup
Discovered by Gil Morales and Chris Kacher (former O'Neil portfolio managers). A volume surge off a key moving average where the up-day volume exceeds any down-day volume in the prior 10 sessions — institutional accumulation footprint inside an uptrend.
Target before stop: 17% reached +20% before −8% within 40 sessions. Sample: n=658 eligible setups. Average: +0.8% per setup (+0.10R).
Source-bar window: 2024-11-01–2026-10-26. Entry requires an executable breakout fill after the signal; unresolved setups receive the full replay window. Historical and illustrative, not predictive. No brokerage slippage, fees, taxes, or individualized sizing.
How this is measured →Setup Criteria
- › Stock is in a Stage 2 uptrend
- › Up day at or above the 10/21/50-day MA
- › Up day volume exceeds the highest down-volume in prior 10 sessions
- › Often a buy on the close or next morning
Buy at or near the close of the pocket pivot day.
Below the moving average where the pivot occurred.
Worked Example
ADP — flagged as a Pocket Pivot on Oct 27, 2026 (score 94). 26 weekly bars with the 10-week SMA.
Entry / stop / target annotations are drawn for Pro members. Unlock →
Historical detection shown for education — not a current recommendation.
What Happened Next
Forward returns after the scanner first flagged a Pocket Pivot (score ≥ 70, gatekeeper passed, one signal per base) — computed from stored daily bars, no lookahead. 78 historical signals.
| After | Median Return | % Positive | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 sessions | -0.4% | 48.7% | 78 |
| 10 sessions | -5.2% | 37.0% | 46 |
Median best move inside 40 sessions: +4.2% · median worst drawdown: -3.9%. Past scanner behavior does not guarantee future outcomes. Not investment advice.
Today's Pocket Pivot Setups — 15 found
| Ticker | Setup score | RS score | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADP Automatic Data Processing, Inc. | 94 | 80 | ✓ |
| BIIB Biogen Inc. | 89 | 92 | ✓ |
| APA APA Corporation | 70 | 95 | ✓ |
| WST West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. | 70 | 91 | ✓ |
| BBY Best Buy Co., Inc. | 55 | 89 | ✓ |
| BRK.B Berkshire Hathaway Inc. New | 55 | 65 | ✓ |
| CBOE | 55 | 78 | ✓ |
| CHD Church & Dwight Company, Inc. | 55 | 65 | — |
| CSX CSX Corporation | 55 | 78 | ✓ |
| CTAS Cintas Corporation | 55 | 71 | ✓ |
| DGX Quest Diagnostics Incorporated | 55 | 79 | ✓ |
| DVN Devon Energy Corporation | 55 | 85 | ✓ |
| EL Estee Lauder Companies, Inc. (The) | 55 | 80 | ✓ |
| EOG EOG Resources, Inc. | 55 | 89 | ✓ |
| FFIV F5, Inc. | 55 | 93 | ✓ |
All Pocket Pivot Matches — 28 in the latest scan
Every match from the latest run, annotated with the detector's rails. Click any card for the full chart and trade plan.
