setup-recap
Whalor Setup Recap: October 2, 2026
3 resolved options setups, 1 profitable outcomes, 33% profitable, plus price action, alert rationale, and the complete contract-by-contract receipts.
Session price action
Today’s tape was mixed intraday but ended weak across the major indices. $SPY opened at 770.58, traded between 767.14 and 772.65, and closed at 769.75, slightly below the open and below session VWAP at 769.89. $QQQ opened at 751.31, ranged from 747.53 to 754.54, and finished at 749.58, also below VWAP at 750.49. $IWM followed a similar pattern, opening at 282.33, trading 280.89 to 283.56, and closing at 281.56 below VWAP at 281.96.
Single names were more idiosyncratic. $AAPL opened at 333.26, traded 330.61 to 334.54, and closed at 333.49, slightly up from the open and above VWAP at 332.95. $TSLA was stronger in the session, opening at 360.08, trading as high as 374.60, and closing at 369.91, up 2.73% from the open, though still below VWAP at 371.19.
Why the setups fired
Three setups triggered today. $QQQ fired a bullish zero_dte_ema13_bounce near 752.58, based on an ema13 support reaction, a 5m ema13 bounce, and a 1m ema reaction high break. $AAPL fired a bullish 200 EMA Reclaim near 334.46. $TSLA fired a bearish TSLA 1m VWAP Return Reclaim Put setup near 371.05.
The direction of each trigger can be read against the day’s price action, but the session itself was not uniform: $QQQ and $IWM spent most of the day below VWAP, $AAPL held above VWAP into the close, and $TSLA moved sharply higher intraday before finishing back below VWAP.
What the outcomes showed
Of the 3 resolved setups, 1 finished profitable and 2 were losses. The day’s win rate was 33.3%, with one-contract modeled P&L of -$56. The average tracked peak across the three setups was +22.1%, and none of the setups reached +100%.
The receipts show that $QQQ $753 CALL closed with profit taken at +30% after a tracked peak of +46%. $AAPL $335 CALL stopped out at -65% after reaching a tracked peak of +10%. $TSLA $370 PUT also stopped out at -65% after a tracked peak of +11%.
Month to date through this session, Whalor has 6 resolved setups, 3 profitable and 3 losses, for a 50.0% win rate and one-contract modeled P&L of -$218.
What traders can learn
Today was a reminder that a valid trigger does not guarantee follow-through. The profitable $QQQ setup aligned with a session where the index ultimately closed below VWAP, but the trade still produced a gain before resolution. The $AAPL and $TSLA setups both saw some favorable tracked movement, yet still resolved as stopped out trades.
The main takeaway is to judge setups by both the trigger and the actual outcome path, not just the direction bias. Strong intraday range, VWAP location, and the distance between entry and the session’s closing behavior all mattered in how these setups developed, without implying any single factor caused the result.
Review every setup and its stock-candle outcome replay in the Whalor app.
Month-to-date record
Through October 2, 2026, Whalor has recorded 3 profitable outcomes and 3 losses across 6 resolved setups (50.0% profitable). The one-contract modeled result is -218 dollars under the published methodology below.
Every resolved setup
| Contract | Setup | Outcome | Return | Tracked peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $QQQ $753 CALL · 2026-10-02 | zero_dte_ema13_bounce: ema13_support_reaction / 5m_ema13_bounce / 1m_ema_reaction_high_break | PROFIT TAKEN | +30% | +46% |
| $AAPL $335 CALL · 2026-10-02 | 200 EMA Reclaim | STOPPED OUT | -65% | +10% |
| $TSLA $370 PUT · 2026-10-02 | TSLA 1m VWAP Return Reclaim Put | STOPPED OUT | -65% | +11% |
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.