Whalor Setup Recap: September 3, 2026

Session price action

The major indexes presented divergent intraday dynamics during the September 3, 2026 session, though all three ultimately closed above their respective session Volume Weighted Average Prices (VWAP).

• $SPY opened at 767.90, established a session range of 767.45 to 774.03, and closed near its highs at 772.62. This represented a +0.61% gain from the open, with the final price remaining above the session VWAP of 771.66.
• $QQQ exhibited the strongest relative performance, opening at 710.85, trading between a low of 709.69 and a high of 718.91, and closing at 717.11 (+0.88% from the open, above its session VWAP of 715.61).
• $IWM diverged by closing in negative territory relative to its open. Opening at 295.79, it fluctuated between 293.43 and 296.18 before closing at 295.09 (-0.24% from the open), though it did manage to edge above its session VWAP of 294.88.

Why the setups fired

Four distinct setups triggered during the session based on localized price-action deviations:

1. $QQQ $710 PUT: Fired early near 711.28 as a bearish opening_drive_reversal (specifically an opening_drive_spike_reversing / opening_drive_up_rejection / 1m_opening_drive_reversal_rejection) when the index rejected its initial upward push.
2. $SPY $770 CALL: Triggered near 769.28 as a bullish failed_breakout_breakdown_trap (support_trap_reclaim / 5m_failed_breakdown / 1m_failed_breakdown_reclaim) after the index trapped sellers on a brief downside break before reclaiming support.
3. $IWM $295 PUT: Fired near 295.12 as a bearish failed_breakout_breakdown_trap (resistance_trap_rejection / 5m_failed_breakout / 1m_failed_breakout_loss) as the index failed to sustain a move above key resistance.
4. $QQQ $717 CALL: Triggered later in the day near 717.53 as a bullish zero_dte_ema13_reclaim (ema13_reclaimed / 5m_ema13_reclaim / 1m_ema_reaction_high_break) when the index reclaimed and held its 13-period exponential moving average.

What the outcomes showed

Today's session saw 4 resolved setups, all 4 of which were profitable, resulting in a 100.0% win rate and a one-contract modeled P&L of +138 dollars. This performance brings the month-to-date record through this session to 9 resolved setups, with 7 profitable and 2 losses, translating to a 77.8% win rate and +134 dollars in modeled P&L.

The individual contract outcomes were as follows:

• The $QQQ $710 PUT reached its profit target at +30% (tracked peak of +31%).
• The $SPY $770 CALL secured a +100% return, marking the single setup today to cross the +100% threshold (tracked peak of +459%).
• The $IWM $295 PUT reached its profit target at +30% (tracked peak of +42%).
• The $QQQ $717 CALL closed at +50% (tracked peak of +64%).

Across all trades, the average tracked peak was +149.1%. Note that tracked peaks represent theoretical maximum moves during the contract's life and are not presented as consistently achievable exits.

What traders can learn

This session highlights the value of trading index-specific setups rather than assuming uniform market direction. While $SPY and $QQQ pushed significantly higher from their opens, $IWM displayed relative weakness. By utilizing specific technical triggers—such as the resistance rejection on $IWM and the support reclaim on $SPY—the platform captured gains on both the long and short sides of the market.

Additionally, while today's 100% win rate represents an ideal session, the month-to-date metric of 2 losses serves as a reminder that risk management remains essential, as no strategy avoids losses entirely over a longer sequence.

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

Month-to-date record

Through September 3, 2026, Whalor has recorded 7 profitable outcomes and 2 losses across 9 resolved setups (77.8% profitable). The one-contract modeled result is +134 dollars under the published methodology below.

Every resolved setup

Contract	Setup	Outcome	Return	Tracked peak
$QQQ $710 PUT · 2026-09-03	opening_drive_reversal: opening_drive_spike_reversing / opening_drive_up_rejection / 1m_opening_drive_reversal_rejection	PROFIT TAKEN	+30%	+31%
$SPY $770 CALL · 2026-09-03	failed_breakout_breakdown_trap: support_trap_reclaim / 5m_failed_breakdown / 1m_failed_breakdown_reclaim	PROFIT TAKEN	+100%	+459%
$IWM $295 PUT · 2026-09-03	failed_breakout_breakdown_trap: resistance_trap_rejection / 5m_failed_breakout / 1m_failed_breakout_loss	PROFIT TAKEN	+30%	+42%
$QQQ $717 CALL · 2026-09-03	zero_dte_ema13_reclaim: ema13_reclaimed / 5m_ema13_reclaim / 1m_ema_reaction_high_break	PROFIT TAKEN	+50%	+64%

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.