Whalor Setup Recap: August 31, 2026

Session price action

On August 31, 2026, the major tracked assets exhibited mixed performance relative to their opening prices, though all closed above their respective session Volume Weighted Average Prices (VWAP).

• $SPY opened at 767.33, traded within a range of 764.72 to 768.00, and closed flat at 767.32 (-0.00% from the open), finishing above its session VWAP of 766.39.
• $QQQ moved higher after opening at 715.17, trading between 713.16 and 717.58, and closing near its session high at 717.01 (+0.26% from the open, above session VWAP 715.04).
• $IWM showed relative weakness, opening at 295.09, trading between 292.70 and 295.35, and closing down at 294.06 (-0.35% from the open, above session VWAP 293.48).
• $NVDA demonstrated upward momentum, opening at 218.87, trading between 216.21 and 221.30, and closing near its high at 220.78 (+0.87% from the open, above session VWAP 219.36).

Why the setups fired

Three setups were triggered during the session based on specific intraday technical patterns:

• $IWM $294 PUT: Fired a bearish failed_breakout_breakdown_trap (resistance_trap_rejection / 5m_failed_breakout / 1m_failed_breakout_loss) near 294.43 as the index encountered overhead resistance.
• $QQQ $712 PUT: Fired a bearish ema_pullback_continuation (15m_trend_supportive / 5m_21ema_pullback_reject / 1m_pullback_rejection) near 713.23 as the price pulled back near the lower end of its intraday range.
• $NVDA $220 CALL: Fired a bullish failed_breakout_breakdown_trap (support_trap_reclaim / 5m_failed_breakdown / 1m_failed_breakdown_reclaim) near 220.19 as the asset reclaimed support during its upward move.

What the outcomes showed

Of the 3 resolved setups today, 1 was profitable and 2 resulted in losses, yielding a 33.3% daily win rate and a one-contract modeled P&L of -105 dollars.

The bearish $IWM $294 Put was highly successful, reaching "PROFIT TAKEN" at +100% with a tracked peak of +113%. Conversely, the bearish $QQQ $712 Put was stopped out at -65% (with a tracked peak of -8%) as QQQ moved upward to close positive on the day. The bullish $NVDA $220 Call was also stopped out at -65%, despite reaching a tracked peak of +19% during the session.

Across today's setups, the average tracked peak was +41.6%, and 1 setup reached the +100% threshold. Despite the daily loss, the Month-to-Date (MTD) record through this session remains highly positive, featuring 75 resolved setups, 59 profitable outcomes, and 16 losses, representing a 78.7% win rate and a one-contract modeled P&L of +2147 dollars.

What traders can learn

This session highlights how intraday direction and timing impact individual setup performance. The bearish $IWM setup successfully captured the asset's move lower. However, the bearish $QQQ setup failed to gain traction as the underlying index reversed and closed higher. Even the bullish $NVDA setup ended in a stop-out despite the stock's positive close, illustrating that intraday volatility can trigger risk thresholds before a broader daily trend sustains.

These outcomes underscore the importance of maintaining strict risk parameters, such as predefined stop-outs, to protect capital during challenging sessions. Over a larger sample size, as demonstrated by the strong MTD metrics, a disciplined approach helps maintain net profitability across multiple setups.

We invite you to review every setup and its stock-candle outcome replay in the Whalor app.

Month-to-date record

Through August 31, 2026, Whalor has recorded 59 profitable outcomes and 16 losses across 75 resolved setups (78.7% profitable). The one-contract modeled result is +2147 dollars under the published methodology below.

Every resolved setup

Contract	Setup	Outcome	Return	Tracked peak
$IWM $294 PUT · 2026-08-31	failed_breakout_breakdown_trap: resistance_trap_rejection / 5m_failed_breakout / 1m_failed_breakout_loss	PROFIT TAKEN	+100%	+113%
$QQQ $712 PUT · 2026-08-31	ema_pullback_continuation: 15m_trend_supportive / 5m_21ema_pullback_reject / 1m_pullback_rejection	STOPPED OUT	-65%	-8%
$NVDA $220 CALL · 2026-08-31	failed_breakout_breakdown_trap: support_trap_reclaim / 5m_failed_breakdown / 1m_failed_breakdown_reclaim	STOPPED OUT	-65%	+19%

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.