STRATEGY UPDATE | AUGUST 4, 2026
```18 System Portfolio Gains $44,315 as Nasdaq Rally Accelerates
The 18 System Portfolio NQ reached another equity peak for the second consecutive session, producing one of its strongest historical trading days as multiple long strategies captured the Nasdaq rally.
```End-of-Day Portfolio Result
```18 System Portfolio NQ: +$44,315
Hypothetical trading-system signal result for August 4, 2026.
```New Equity Peaks for the Second Consecutive Day
```The 18 System Portfolio NQ reached another hypothetical equity peak, marking two consecutive sessions at new highs and producing one of the portfolio’s strongest historical days.
The 3 System Portfolio NQ also reached a new hypothetical equity peak, led by a large trade from NQ Open Range 2026 that captured nearly 500 Nasdaq points.
The Diversified 57 NQ Only also captured 51.9K and had one of its best days ever and also hit new equity peaks.
It is rare to see two days in a row this strong. The Citadel "rescue" of the Situational Awareness Fund aligned with the technical support points that we discussed. The market loves to use margin calls and someone else's misfortune (Leopold Aschenbrenner) to perceive that a bottom is in. The 2700 point runup in 4 days in the Nasdaq is so powerful, another 1300 points to all time highs, looks like an easy move on the charts. Since the Dow and S&P 500 are at all time highs, whey shouldn't the Nasdaq also be at all time highs?
The portfolio had participated on both sides of the market during the past week. Several systems traded from the short side during Thursday’s weakness, bringing the portfolio close to its prior equity peak. The portfolio then shifted with the market, capturing long trades on Monday and a much larger continuation move on Tuesday.
```Nasdaq Rebounds From a Major Technical Support Zone
The Nasdaq’s recent correction was approximately 10%, but the decline did not stop at an arbitrary price. The market reached an area where several important technical reference points converged.The Support Confluence Included:
```- An approximately 50% Fibonacci retracement of the preceding advance
- A return to the previous Nasdaq futures highs established around October 2025
- A daily RSI reading near 31, close to the traditional oversold threshold of 30
- Significant institutional activity and changing market expectations near the correction lows
No single indicator guarantees that a market low is in place. However, when multiple independent price references align in the same area, they can create a technically significant zone that attracts buyers, short covering and systematic trading activity.
```The initial bounce quickly began to expand. Once the rally accelerated, traders and fund managers who had been waiting for a deeper decline faced the possibility that the market could move higher without giving them another favorable entry.
```The Market Is Trading the Expected Outcome
```Headlines involving Iran and the potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz added momentum to the rally. Reports surrounding the situation had changed several times, but the market continued to respond positively to the possibility of a more constructive outcome.
Comments attributed to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared to give the story additional credibility during the session. Whether every reported development ultimately occurs is less important to immediate price action than whether market participants believe it is likely to occur.
Markets frequently move on changing expectations before the underlying event is confirmed. In this case, the geopolitical narrative added fuel to a rally that had already begun from a technically significant support area.
```“The market does not have to prove that the bullish story is true before it rallies. It only needs enough participants to believe the story.”
Could the Nasdaq Return to Its All-Time High?
```During the session discussed in the video, Nasdaq futures were up approximately 883 points and remained roughly 1,400 points below the all-time high on the continuous futures contract.
That remained a meaningful distance, but it was not unreasonable in an environment where the S&P 500 and Dow were at or near record highs and the Russell was also approaching its previous high.
If the rally continues, performance chasing could become another catalyst. Fund managers who expected the Nasdaq to decline further may feel increasing pressure to add exposure as the market moves higher without them.
```Historical Comparison: April 9, 2025
```The video compares the current setup with the powerful Nasdaq relief rally on April 9, 2025. Based on the continuous back-adjusted Nasdaq futures contract used in the analysis, that session covered approximately 2,700 points from its intraday low to its high.
No two market events are identical. The comparison instead illustrates how quickly a rebound can expand when technical support, short covering, news catalysts and institutional performance pressure occur at the same time.
```Multiple Strategies Captured the Nasdaq Advance
```Last week, we discussed how the recent market environment had not been producing many extended “home-run” trades. That changed during the past two sessions as several strategies captured larger directional moves.
The approximate individual strategy results observed during the intraday video update included:
```| Trading Strategy | Approximate Intraday Result |
|---|---|
| Open Range | +$7,500 |
| Pulse | +$6,700 |
| Gap Continuation | +$4,400 |
| EVP | Approximately +$8,100 |
| TICK Reversal | +$4,700 |
| VSD Trender | +$1,975 |
| V-Reversal | −$980 |
Open Range 2026 Captures Nearly 500 Nasdaq Points
```NQ Open Range 2026 continues to stand out as one of the strongest strategies for participating in larger directional moves. The system captured nearly 500 Nasdaq points during the August 4 rally.
During slower or more rotational conditions, many systems may generate smaller wins, smaller losses or trades that fail to develop into sustained trends. Open Range is designed to participate when the market establishes a meaningful directional imbalance following the opening period.
Days such as August 4 demonstrate why maintaining exposure to differentiated strategies can matter. The larger trades may occur infrequently, but they can have a significant effect on portfolio-level results when they arrive.
```Why a Multi-System Portfolio Matters
```A diversified systematic portfolio does not need to maintain a permanent bullish or bearish market opinion. Individual strategies respond independently to price structure, momentum, volatility, market internals, opening behavior and intraday reversals.
Not every system will be aligned with the strongest market move on every trading day. During this session, nearly every highlighted strategy was profitable, while V-Reversal produced a comparatively small loss from the short side.
The objective is not to make every strategy profitable on every trade. The objective is to combine differentiated models so that the strongest signals can outweigh weaker trades when the market produces a sustained directional move.
```DAILY REPORT
```Hypothetical Trading System Signals for August 4, 2026
Results shown are hypothetical and do not represent actual client-account performance.
| Portfolio / System | Hypothetical Result |
|---|---|
| 18 System Portfolio NQ | +$44,315 |
| 7 System Portfolio NQ | +$13,175 |
| 3 System Portfolio NQ | +$8,300 |
| 2 System Portfolio NQ | −$1,480 |
| Diversified Portfolio 57, NQ Only | +$51,960 |
Key Takeaways
```- The 18 System Portfolio NQ produced a hypothetical gain of +$44,315.
- The portfolio reached another hypothetical equity peak for the second consecutive session.
- The Nasdaq rebounded from a confluence of technical support near a 50% retracement and an RSI reading near 31.
- Geopolitical headlines added momentum to an already developing technical rally.
- NQ Open Range 2026 captured nearly 500 Nasdaq points.
- Multiple independent systems participated in the rally, demonstrating the potential benefit of strategy diversification.
Learn More About the 18 System Portfolio NQ
```Review the portfolio structure, included trading systems, historical research, capital guidelines and available Micro E-mini Nasdaq options.
View the 18 System Portfolio NQ ```Learn more about NQ Open Range 2026 and its approach to capturing larger directional Nasdaq moves.