Options AI Screener Desk

Session 2026-09-18 · Fri built 11:25 ET

Two names on a day the Federal Reserve raised rates. The regime reading still says risk-on, but every leading sector is decelerating, only seven of 39 sectors carry positive momentum — the narrowest reading this desk has taken — and the trend scan fired eight sells against five buys. A third candidate was dropped on new evidence of our own, explained below.

Data freshness

The core scan, the signal screener, the breakout list and the sector table all refreshed this morning. Two feeds are missing: the rotation gem list is completely empty today, and the options-income tables carry yesterday's data, which is also where the market-regime figure comes from. There are no spread structures on this page as a result.

Gates

Regime clears; leadership and breadth cap the list; RSI cut it further.
1 · RegimeFull list 70 · risk-onAt the 70 line. Sentiment still tagged fear, tide 30.
2 · LeadershipFired all top 5 negativeBOAT −25.2, SKYY −31.1, DBC −14.9, IGV −17.9, XLE −14.4. Fifth session running.
3 · Intraday heatHeld none >8%Quiet tape under the index move. TWST's +3.6% is the largest among candidates.
3b · EarningsHeld 53–69 daysNeither finalist reports inside three sessions.
3c · RSINow cutting names 65.8 / 76.1PSX dropped at 80.3. First clean ledger read: overbought-at-flag costs ~5 points. See below.
4 · BreadthRecord low 7 of 39 · 17.9%Narrowest reading this desk has recorded, below the 20.5% of September 15th.

Where money is moving

Everything decelerating; the Fed raised rates into it.
SectorMomentumAccel1DRead
Shipping · BOAT+9.71−25.24−0.72%Still first; momentum falling week over week
Cloud · SKYY+5.97−31.07−1.37%Fastest deceleration in the table
Commodities · DBC+5.87−14.91+0.39%Third
Software · IGV+4.82−17.92−1.67%Fourth
Energy · XLE+2.89−14.45−0.18%Back into the top five as others fade
Biotech · XBI−1.03−22.05−0.92%Negative momentum — today's top pick sits here

Only seven of 39 sectors carry positive momentum and all five leaders are decelerating. The Federal Reserve raised rates this week, which shows up across the healthcare names as profit-taking after 52-week highs. This is a narrow, defensive tape.

Finalists

Two. A third was dropped on the RSI evidence below.
ABCL$12.52 · AbCellera Biologics · Biotech

The cleanest profile in the scan: Mansfield RS +121 and rising 26.6 this week, 21 weeks into Stage 2, TipRanks smart score 10 with a Strong Buy from both the full and the best-analyst panels, and the only finalist that is not overbought (RSI 65.8). It is also the rare name here trading below its average analyst target rather than above it, and insider activity is strongly positive. Counter-evidence: it is up 241% this year; its sector has negative momentum and is decelerating hard (−22); and Phase 2 data for ABCL635 is presented September 30th to October 3rd — outside the three-session earnings window but still a dated event that can move it either way.

Stage2
SATA w/d10 / 8
Mansfield+121
RSI65.8
Smart score10
Earnings53d
RS +121 ✓Not overbought ✓Below target ✓Data event Sep 30
CMBT$20.25 · CMB.Tech · Tankers & marine

Sits in Shipping, still the highest-momentum sector, with Mansfield RS +43.4, 54 weeks into Stage 2, and it appears on the signal screener's buy list. It made a new 52-week high yesterday leading the Oslo index, on a Q2 earnings beat and firm freight rates. Daily SATA (10) is above weekly (9), which is the shape of a name still accelerating. Counter-evidence: RSI 76.1, which the evidence below now says is a real cost; it trades above its analyst target; it is up 104% this year; and its sector, while first, is decelerating faster than any other in the table (−25.2).

Stage2B
SATA w/d9 / 10
Mansfield+43.4
RSI76.1
Smart score7
Earnings69d
Leading sector ✓Catalyst ✓RSI 76

Neither has a fresh timing crossover; both sit outside the 157-name universe that scan covers. A third slot was available and left empty.

Options structures

None — the spread screener has not refreshed for two sessions.

No live spread data, so nothing is shown.

Dropped

Including one dropped on our own evidence.
PSXDropped on RSI 80.3. Refiner with Mansfield +51.7, a BMO target raise to $310 and a place on two lists — it would have been carried yesterday. The ledger read below changed that.
TWSTMansfield +136 and a genuine catalyst — an Eli Lilly AI drug-discovery agreement. But it is up roughly 16% in two sessions and was vetoed yesterday on intraday heat; buying the second day of that move is the same mistake one day later.
GH · NTRA · NEOAll three strong on the scan and all three carry negative catalysts today: insider selling at Guardant and Natera, a downgrade and a 52-week-high reversal at NeoGenomics.
ILMNStill rallying into its S&P 500 inclusion on Monday. Index-buying demand is a dated event, not a trend entry — same reason as yesterday.
SMTCRe-qualified with Mansfield +60.9, but it was flagged yesterday. Not re-flagged inside ten sessions.
RUSHB · TRVGRUSHB is on three lists but has no analyst coverage and smart score 5. TRVG fell 4% today with a Neutral consensus.

Thirty-four picks, nine flagging sessions

Alpha versus SPY from each flag-date close, re-priced at 11:15 ET.
CohortMean alphaMedianBeat SPYBestWorst
2026-08-31 · 7+5.72%−3.30%3/7CVI +29.8%ESTC −11.2%
2026-09-01 · 7−1.50%−0.38%3/7VLO +15.6%SLB −14.5%
2026-09-02 · 3−8.67%−10.42%0/3VET −4.1%HP −11.5%
2026-09-03 · 3−2.95%−3.18%1/3CRGY +2.4%ZYME −8.1%
2026-09-08 · 3−2.33%−1.44%0/3ELPC −0.6%MTDR −5.0%
2026-09-11 · 3+7.38%+4.48%3/3TEN +13.4%UROY +4.2%
2026-09-15 · 3−4.13%−2.37%0/3SUN −1.3%SM −8.7%
2026-09-16 · 2+0.61%+0.61%1/2MPC +3.0%LPG −1.8%
2026-09-17 · 3−0.28%+1.01%2/3TRMD +3.8%IOVA −5.7%
All 34−0.06%−1.60%13/34trimmed −0.77% · ex top two −1.59%

Still flat, still two names

Total alpha across 34 picks is −2.2 points; CVI (+29.8) and TRMD (+18.8) contribute +48.6. Without them the other 32 average −1.59%, median −2.07%. Thirteen of 34 beat the index. Yesterday's three are mixed after one session: TRMD +3.8%, SMTC +1.0%, IOVA −5.7% — the biotech with RSI 77 at flag is the one that fell, which is consistent with the finding below.