Happy St. Patrick’s Day! ☘️ Whether you’re celebrating in Dublin or further afield, we hope you have a fantastic day. It’s a sea of green in more ways than one today, as the markets followed suit with a strong start to the week.

Yesterday, Monday, March 16, 2026, Wall Street saw its strongest performance in over a month as a sharp pullback in oil prices triggered a massive "relief rally." Investors cheered as WTI crude fell toward the $93 level, easing fears of an uncontainable energy shock and allowing the major indices to reclaim significant technical ground.

📉 Active Option Trade Tracker

Our strategy continues to smash the benchmark. While the broader market is struggling in negative territory for the year, our disciplined approach to high-probability trading is delivering exceptional results.

• US 500 Strategy (IG): Up +8.14% YTD.
• S&P 500 Index: Down -2.13% YTD.
• XSP/SPY Strategy (IBKR): Up +6.29% YTD.

US 500 Challenge Update: March 17, 2026

Current Trade Performance Our current US 500 short put trade swung into a profit of 1.2% yesterday. The combination of the index rising +1.01% and a significant contraction in volatility allowed our premiums to decay rapidly in our favor. We intend letting this trade run a little longer until we get to circa 2.3% ROI for this trade.

The Road Ahead We are beating the S&P 500 by a wide margin. Our ability to generate positive returns while the index is down over 2% for the year is a testament to the "Margin of Safety" we build into every trade. We are well on track to smash our 30% ROI challenge for this year.

📋 Long-Term Stock Buy & Hold Watchlist

We are remaining patient with our cash, as we are not fans of buying most stocks right now given the macro climate. However, our shopping list is finalized and we are waiting for the right moment to strike.

• Domestic Airlines (Value Play): High fuel costs have hit this sector hard, making domestic carriers like Alaska Air (ALK) look incredibly cheap on a fundamental basis.
• Tech Powerhouses: We are very close to pulling the trigger on NVDA, ORCL, and CRM. These three represent the "crown jewels" of AI and enterprise software.
• The "Off-Ramp" Catalyst: We are strictly waiting for a clear sign of a diplomatic off-ramp in the war with Iran before committing long-term capital. Once the geopolitical risk subsides, we expect a violent re-rating higher.

📅 Market Review for Monday, March 16, 2026

Overview: The "Oil Tax" on the economy eased yesterday, providing a much-needed lift to equities. The VIX Index saw a significant pivot, dropping from the 27–28 range toward 23.51, which served as the primary engine for yesterday's price recovery.

📈 Major Indices & Commodities

• S&P 500: Gained +1.01%, closing at 6,699.35.
• Nasdaq Composite: Jumped +1.20%, finishing at 22,374.18.
• Dow Jones Industrial Average: Added +1.16%, closing at 47,100.05.
• WTI Crude Oil: Fell -3.24% to settle at $93.88 per barrel.

📊 Specific Stock Performance (Closing Prices)

• CRM (Salesforce): Up +2.54% ($197.72).
• NVDA (Nvidia): Up +1.63% ($183.19).
• ALK (Alaska Air): Up +1.11% ($38.42).
• ORCL (Oracle): Up +0.55% ($155.97).

Strategy Assistance

If you require assistance with trade setup, risk management, or strategy review, please schedule a strategy call.

• PREMIUM Plan Members: Strategy calls are included in your plan.
• All Other Members: Strategy calls can be scheduled at a rate of €100 per half hour.

Happy Investing

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