VCP Setup
Minervini's signature setup. Three or more progressively tighter price contractions inside a base — each with a smaller range and declining volume. The stock is shaking out weak holders and building a tight coil before the breakout.
Target before stop: 12% reached +20% before −8% within 40 sessions. Sample: n=74 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
- › 3+ distinct contractions, each tighter than the last
- › Volume decreases through every contraction
- › Prior uptrend of 30%+ before the base began
- › Base depth typically 20–40% for growth stocks
- › Final contraction ideally 10–15% of the prior pivot high
Buy the breakout above the right side of the base on volume 40%+ above average.
Just below the lowest point of the final contraction.
Worked Example
MTD — flagged as a VCP on Oct 27, 2026 (score 55). 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 VCP (score ≥ 70, gatekeeper passed, one signal per base) — computed from stored daily bars, no lookahead. 49 historical signals.
| After | Median Return | % Positive | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 sessions | +0.5% | 53.1% | 49 |
| 10 sessions | -0.2% | 44.4% | 45 |
| 20 sessions | -0.4% | 48.7% | 39 |
| 40 sessions | -2.6% | 41.2% | 34 |
Median best move inside 40 sessions: +6.8% · median worst drawdown: -7.0%. Past scanner behavior does not guarantee future outcomes. Not investment advice.
Today's VCP Setups — 1 found
| Ticker | Setup score | RS score | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTD Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. | 55 | 82 | ✓ |
All VCP Matches — 1 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.
