Strategy and Tactics Template by Contrary Thinker™,
Market Commentary and Insights
In Strategy and Tactics, we have a standing rule that you never look a gift horse in the mouth. In other words, when you get a windfall, you take it. Our advisory on the 16th was to sell into strength. We certainly got that on Friday.
CONTRARY THINKER™ Strategy & Tactics
Position Update — April 20, 2026 | Prices as of April 17, 2026 Close
In Strategy and Tactics, we have a standing rule that you never look a gift horse in the mouth. In other words, when you get a windfall, you take it. Our advisory on the 16th was to sell into strength. We certainly got that on Friday.
Closed Positions — Profits Taken
On the current change-of-trend date (April 16–20), we exited our short-volatility (bullish) positions as instructed. All three exceeded their original price targets before exit.
| Pos | Ticker | Description | Entry | Target | Exit | P&L | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | EWJ | Japan Recovery | $67.20 | $75.00 | $90.19 | +34.2% | CLOSED |
| 8 | EWG | Germany Re-Rate | $30.40 | $35.00 | $43.19 | +42.1% | CLOSED |
| 10 | EWT | Taiwan Semi Re-Rate | $44.10 | $50.00 | $83.22 | +88.7% | CLOSED |
Open Positions
Long-volatility (bearish) positions remain open. On the current COT change-of-trend date, we added to SDOW, SPDN, and EWV at the market as instructed.
| Pos | Ticker | Description | Entry | Target | Current | P&L | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SKF | Financials Short | $11.50 | $15.00 | $27.32 | +137.6% | Open |
| 3 | SLV | Silver Breakout | $29.50 | $35.00 | $73.63 | +149.6% | Open |
| 4 | SILJ | Junior Miners Catalyst | $12.80 | $16.00 | $33.00 | +157.8% | Open |
| 5 | TECS | Tech Sector Hedge | $9.80 | $13.00 | $13.06 | +33.3% | Open |
| 7 | SDOW | DJIA Hedge | $18.90 | $25.00 | $28.89 | +52.9% | Open — Added at $29.57 |
| 11 | SLVR | Silver Miners | $11.20 | $14.00 | $65.11 | +481.3% | Open |
| 12 | SPDN | Inverse S&P 500 | $22.00 | $28.00 | $9.13 | -58.5% | Open — Added at $9.17 |
| 13 | CHAU | China Bull 2x | $14.60 | $20.00 | $22.93 | +57.1% | Open |
| 14 | EWV | Short MSCI Japan | $9.20 | $13.00 | $19.60 | +113.0% | Open — Added at $19.70 |
Current prices as of April 17, 2026 close. Add-on entries at April 17 open. Options require manual price entry. Source: Yahoo Finance.
New Positions — Entered April 17, 2026
| Pos | Ticker | Description | Entry | Target | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | UVIX | Long 2x VIX Futures | $5.64 | $16.92 (3x) | Target is a triple or a panic reading — whichever comes first. 8-day options; go out 15 if more comfortable. |
| 16 | SLV | Silver — New Position | $73.63 | $90–$91 | Trading vehicle that fits your risk profile, from futures ETFs to options. |
| 17 | UCO | Crude Oil 2x Bull | $38.00 | $48.00 | Entry triggered on April 17 dip (intraday low $35.22). Target is $48 — the width of the triangle. |
| 18 | DBO | Invesco DB Oil Fund | $18.75 | $24.00 | Entry triggered at the low point of its trading range on April 17 (intraday low $18.54). |
If a panic reading registers on any open position — a Technical Event #1 or Technical Event #5 — before it reaches its price target, you will receive an immediate SMS exit signal. Panic readings override price targets. This applies to all open positions at all times.
To make sure you don’t miss a new recommendation, we need your mobile number for SMS alerts. Text messages go out the moment a new position is published, so you’re not relying on email timing or checking the site.
*****SMS alert setup is coming in a separate email within 24 hours. Watch for the subject line “Activate your S&T trade alerts.”*****
New recommendations are issued as they develop — not on a fixed schedule. When a setup triggers, you’ll receive a focused trade alert with the position details, thesis, and levels. These are not full newsletter issues — they’re concise, actionable notifications designed to get you positioned quickly.