2026-02-20 · 3 min read
A qualitative run-through of every trade from 2026-02-20: setups, thought process, and outcomes.
The morning was particularly choppy, with ABTS catching my attention early on. I initially took a long position at 4.66, looking for a potential bounce off VWAP after it had pulled back. The setup was a sub VWAP trap, but once I was in, the stock didn't hold up. It quickly faded, and I had to exit for a loss at 4.23, with my best exit being at 4.29. The tape showed aggressive sellers right after my entry, which made it tough to stay in the trade. I was hoping for a reclaim, but it just continued to drop.
Moving into late morning, I jumped into NCI with an entry at 7.44. The idea here was a quick scalp as it had shown some strength earlier. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a tough trade, and I exited at 6.64 after realizing it wasn’t gaining any traction. The stock traded heavy, and I could see the bids weakening, which told me it was time to cut my losses. This one hit hard, resulting in a loss of about $1,150.
Next up was BDMD, where I saw an opportunity for a washout long. I entered at 1.86, but the stock didn’t cooperate. It had a sharp drop earlier and I was looking for a reversal. I ended up exiting at 1.53, with my best exit being at 1.81. The stock just didn’t have the buying support I anticipated, and it was clear the sellers were still heavy, keeping the price down.
After that, I revisited ABTS with a more favorable setup. This time, I entered at 4.23 during midday, aiming for a washout long again. It finally held some support, and I was able to sell into strength at 4.60, with a best exit at 5.02. It was nice to see the follow-through here, as the tape showed buyers stepping in, pushing the price up. This trade helped cushion the earlier losses, but the day was still leaning heavily negative.
Overall, the market felt particularly volatile today, with sectors like technology and healthcare showing mixed action. ABTS and BDMD both had moments of potential but were ultimately dragged down by aggressive selling. NCI’s lack of momentum also highlighted the choppy market conditions. I had a tough time with execution today, as it felt like the setups I was leaning on just weren’t materializing as expected.
What I did well: I recognized the need to cut losses quickly in NCI.
What I did poorly: I could have been more discerning with entries, particularly with ABTS and BDMD.
Trading grade: C — struggled with execution and timing on key trades.
Tomorrow’s another day to reset and refine my approach.
Trade charts
Selected notable trades (by P&L) with time-of-day vs price (entry → exit).
ABTS 13:46:13 – 13:46:59 — P&L $+197.37
ABTS 12:35:12 – 12:43:13 — P&L $+666.51
BDMD 11:44:46 – 11:55:10 — P&L $-1035.01
NCI 11:08:48 – 11:11:33 — P&L $-1149.72
ABTS 10:23:30 – 10:24:12 — P&L $-505.82