setup-recap
Whalor Setup Recap: August 21, 2026
6 resolved options setups, 4 profitable outcomes, 67% profitable, plus price action, alert rationale, and the complete contract-by-contract receipts.
Session price action
On August 21, 2026, the major indices and key individual equities displayed mixed intraday price action. $SPY opened at 766.05, fluctuated within a range of 764.17 to 767.85, and closed at 765.55, representing a -0.07% decline from the open while finishing below its session VWAP of 765.84. $QQQ opened at 715.23, traded between 709.20 and 715.67, and closed at 713.16. This was a -0.29% decrease from the open, though it closed above its session VWAP of 712.88. $IWM opened at 299.85, traded between 298.17 and 300.33, and closed slightly up at 299.92 (+0.02% from the open, above session VWAP of 299.64). Meanwhile, $INTC showed notable weakness, opening at 92.71, trading down to a low of 89.75 before closing at 90.00, a -2.93% drop from the open, closing below its session VWAP of 90.58.
Why the setups fired
Six setups triggered during the session based on technical price levels:
- $QQQ bearish ema_pullback_continuation: Fired near 710.70 as the index showed a supportive 15m trend, a 5m 21ema pullback rejection, and a 1m pullback rejection.
- $INTC bullish failed_breakout_breakdown_trap: Fired near 92.58, looking for a support trap reclaim, 5m failed breakdown, and 1m failed breakdown reclaim.
- $QQQ bullish prior_day_high_low_reclaim_rejection: Fired near 714.26 as the prior day's low was reclaimed, confirmed by 5m and 1m reclaim structures.
- $SPY bullish opening_drive_reversal: Fired near 765.28 following an early-session downward drive and subsequent 1m reclaim.
- $QQQ bullish failed_breakout_breakdown_trap: Fired near 712.20 as the index reclaimed support levels.
- $QQQ bullish vwap_reclaim_rejection: Fired near 712.45 as the index held its VWAP reclaim, confirmed by 5m and 1m retests.
What the outcomes showed
The day closed with 4 profitable setups and 2 losses from the 6 resolved setups, yielding a win rate of 66.7%. Despite the positive win rate, the modeled one-contract P&L ended at -$59. This brings the month-to-date record through this session to 90 resolved setups, 58 profitable, 32 losses, and a 64.4% win rate, with a one-contract modeled P&L of +$2,051.
The average tracked peak across today's setups was +72.9%, with 2 setups reaching a tracked peak of +100% or greater. Note that these tracked peaks represent the maximum theoretical move observed during the setup's duration and are not presented as achievable exits.
The winning trades were:
- $SPY $765 CALL (2026-08-21): +100% return (tracked peak +125%)
- $QQQ $712 CALL (2026-08-21): +100% return (tracked peak +184%)
- $QQQ $710 PUT (2026-08-21): +50% return (tracked peak +59%)
- $QQQ $714 CALL (2026-08-24): +50% return (tracked peak +68%)
The two losing trades both resulted in stop-outs:
- $INTC $94 CALL (2026-08-24): -65% return (tracked peak +5%)
- $QQQ $714 CALL (2026-08-24): -65% return (tracked peak -4%)
What traders can learn
Today's results highlight how contract pricing and stop-out magnitudes can influence net P&L even when a high percentage of setups are profitable. The two stopped-out trades (-65% each) offset the nominal gains of the four profitable setups under the modeled single-contract structure.
Additionally, relative weakness played a role. The bullish attempt on $INTC failed as the stock closed down -2.93% from its open, showing that attempting to play support reclaims on highly weak assets can carry elevated risk. Conversely, the setups aligned with $QQQ's intraday reclaims of key levels (such as the VWAP reclaim and support traps) yielded solid gains as the index closed above its session VWAP.
We invite you to review every setup and its stock-candle outcome replay in the Whalor app.
Month-to-date record
Through August 21, 2026, Whalor has recorded 58 profitable outcomes and 32 losses across 90 resolved setups (64.4% profitable). The one-contract modeled result is +2051 dollars under the published methodology below.
Every resolved setup
| Contract | Setup | Outcome | Return | Tracked peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $QQQ $710 PUT · 2026-08-21 | ema_pullback_continuation: 15m_trend_supportive / 5m_21ema_pullback_reject / 1m_pullback_rejection | PROFIT TAKEN | +50% | +59% |
| $INTC $94 CALL · 2026-08-24 | failed_breakout_breakdown_trap: support_trap_reclaim / 5m_failed_breakdown / 1m_failed_breakdown_reclaim | STOPPED OUT | -65% | +5% |
| $QQQ $714 CALL · 2026-08-24 | prior_day_high_low_reclaim_rejection: prior_day_low_reclaimed / 5m_prior_day_low_reclaim / 1m_prior_day_low_reclaim_high_break | STOPPED OUT | -65% | -4% |
| $SPY $765 CALL · 2026-08-21 | opening_drive_reversal: opening_drive_washout_reversing / opening_drive_down_reclaim / 1m_opening_drive_reversal_reclaim | PROFIT TAKEN | +100% | +125% |
| $QQQ $712 CALL · 2026-08-21 | failed_breakout_breakdown_trap: support_trap_reclaim / 5m_failed_breakdown / 1m_failed_breakdown_reclaim | PROFIT TAKEN | +100% | +184% |
| $QQQ $714 CALL · 2026-08-24 | vwap_reclaim_rejection: vwap_reclaim_held / 5m_vwap_reclaim_retest_hold / 1m_vwap_retest_high_break | PROFIT TAKEN | +50% | +68% |
Methodology: Modeled P&L assumes one contract per setup. A setup that reached +50% is counted at +50%; otherwise a setup that reached +30% is counted at +30%; all other resolved outcomes use the recorded exit return. Tracked peak is hindsight context, not an assumed exit. Educational only, not financial advice.