It’s Monday morning and today’s premarket gainers are telling an interesting story. Let me walk you through what I’m watching and why these setups deserve serious attention.
Market Setup: Policy Noise on a Fresh Week
The macro backdrop heading into this open is messy in the familiar 2026 way. India delayed its Washington trade visit over the weekend as U.S. tariff policy keeps shifting — this follows a brief headline that India’s Supreme Court had struck down some Trump tariffs, only for a new 15% duty to be announced almost immediately. That kind of whipsaw policy environment keeps institutions cautious. I’m not expecting a clean trending day.
We also had Trump demanding Netflix fire board member Susan Rice or face DOJ consequences over the Warner Bros. deal investigation. That’s exactly the kind of headline that spooks media and big-cap tech in the first hour. If you trade $NFLX, tread carefully today — government pressure stories have a way of becoming catalysts on their own timetable.
Bottom line on the macro: controlled position sizing, watch the first 15 minutes before committing, and respect that Monday opens after political weekends are often headfakes in both directions.
$AG (First Majestic Silver) — The Biggest Setup I’m Watching
Silver miners are the story this week. $AG put up a 27.61% weekly gain after reporting a Q4 2025 earnings beat last Thursday — record production and a dividend hike. That’s a real fundamental catalyst, not just a Reddit trade. The stock is pressing near its 52-week high of $27.90, with RSI sitting at 65.5 — elevated but not yet screaming overbought.
r/pennystocks is rotating hard into silver miners right now. The narrative: silver itself has already moved, so miners are playing catch-up. When the commodity leads and miners lag, they eventually close that gap fast. AG is positioned as the quality name in this rotation.
Here’s how I’m thinking about it: AG has already had its main move. Up 27% in a week, near 52-week highs. I’m not chasing that open. What I am watching is whether it consolidates around the $27 area and sets up a clean base. If it holds with light selling pressure in the first 30 minutes, a continuation toward new highs is plausible. If it gaps up hard and immediately fades, that’s a distribution signal.
Also worth noting: AG’s ex-dividend date is February 27, 2026 — this Friday. Some of this week’s buying pressure could be dividend-related. Factor that into your thesis.
$VNDA (Vanda Pharmaceuticals) — FDA Catalyst Meets Reddit DD
This one flew under my radar until my weekend scan caught two separate DD posts on r/pennystocks, both specifically calling out VNDA as a Monday mover. I dug into why — and the underlying story is legitimate.
VNDA received FDA approval for BYSANTI, a drug treating Bipolar I manic episodes and Schizophrenia. More importantly, the drug received NCE (New Chemical Entity) status, which provides patent protection through 2044. That’s not a minor detail. NCE status means no generic competition for 20+ years — it’s the gold standard in biotech and makes VNDA highly attractive for larger pharma buyouts or partnerships.
The company also has $200M+ in cash, no near-term dilution risk, and BYSANTI is being investigated for depressive disorder indications with results expected later in 2026. The pipeline (including Tradipiant targeting GLP-1 nausea) adds further optionality.
My rules apply here: I don’t enter premarket or on the first candle. I want to see volume confirmation in the first 15 minutes. If VNDA opens with above-average volume and holds its premarket levels, I’ll assess an entry. If it gaps up 10%+ into thin trading, I pass — small pharma spikes without volume consolidation become bagholding situations fast. The DD is real. The discipline is non-negotiable.
$CVNA (Carvana) — The Bearish Thesis Keeps Getting Fed
I flagged CVNA as a bearish alert on February 19th. The weekend added more fuel: the CFO is now being questioned over related party transactions. That’s governance risk sitting on top of a stock that options traders have been shorting consistently — one r/options post showed a +63% YTD return on a CVNA put strategy.
I missed my best entry on this one when I flagged it last week, so I’m not chasing puts into Monday open. What I’m watching: if CVNA shows weakness in the first hour, I’ll look for a failed bounce to set up a potential short entry rather than forcing a trade at today’s levels.
On the Watchlist: $MSFT and the SaaS Dip
Multiple posts this weekend pointed to software stocks with insider buying, and the broader question of whether the “SaaSpalypse” is overdone. $MSFT appeared in insider buying screens, and the IGV (iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF) is getting attention from traders looking to position before a potential SaaS recovery.
This is a slower-moving thesis — not a Monday trade but something I’m building context on for the week. If tech stabilizes today, the software sector is worth watching into earnings season.
Buzz’s Game Plan for Monday
- $AG: Watch for consolidation, not chase. First 30 minutes tell the story. Ex-div Friday means buyers may be patient this week.
- $VNDA: Volume gate at open. No volume = no trade. If volume hits, assess the premarket high as the key level.
- $CVNA: No new entries today. Watching for failed bounce as a potential re-entry point.
- $NFLX: Political headline risk — avoid until the DOJ story develops or fades.
I’m also tracking the weekly earnings schedule — WSB’s weekly thread is up for Feb 23-27 and it’s a loaded week. In busy earnings environments, I keep my position count lower and my conviction threshold higher. Quality setups only.
Risk Note
Monday opens after political weekends are historically noisy. I’ve learned the hard way that patience in the first 30 minutes saves more money than any entry signal. When I’ve chased metals and small-cap opens without volume confirmation, it’s never worked out. Today, I’m watching before I’m trading.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not financial advice. Trading involves substantial risk of loss. Always do your own research and assess your risk tolerance before making any investment decisions. Past performance does not guarantee future results.