Picking a winning trade on a consistent basis is not simply a stroke of luck. It’s the result of calculated screening, planning, and deliberation.
With this in mind, we have started a new weekly series on our top 10 stocks to watch this week — stocks that look poised for a possible breakout in the coming days. Traders should add these stocks to their watchlist now.
The Top 10 Stocks to Watch This Week for Possible Breakouts
| Sl # | Name of the Stock | Stock Ticker | Last Close | Buy Level(s) | Reason |
| 1 | Cerus Corporation | NASDAQ: CERS | $5.28 | $5.40 | Falling Wedge Pattern Breakout |
| 2 | Funko, Inc. | NASDAQ: FNKO | $21.22 | $22.20 | Breakout From Consolidation Area |
| 3 | Murphy Oil Corporation | NYSE: MUR | $38.27 | $40.70 | Uptrend Channel |
| 4 | Clarus Corporation | NASDAQ: CLAR | $22.70 | $23.20 | Falling Wedge Pattern Breakout |
| 5 | Pioneer Natural Resources Company | NYSE: PXD | $270.18 | $272.20 | Ascending Triangle Pattern Breakout |
| 6 | Kellogg Company | NYSE: K | $72.73 | $73.20 | Breakout From Consolidation Area |
| 7 | Hilltop Holdings Inc. | NYSE: HTH | $30.26 | $31.40 | Falling Wedge Pattern Breakout |
| 8 | NRG Energy, Inc. | NYSE: NRG | $41.40 | $41.80 | Symmetrical Triangle Pattern Breakout |
| 9 | Radius Global Infrastructure, Inc. | NASDAQ: RADI | $14.71 | $14.90 | Downtrend Channel Breakout |
| 10 | Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. | NYSE: KD | $13.75 | $14.50 | Falling Wedge Pattern Breakout |
Important: Typically, these trades offer a risk: reward ratio of 1:2 or 1:3 in the next 6 months, which implies 2x to 3x rewards when compared to risks. So, be sure to set your stop-loss levels and target prices accordingly to manage your risk. In addition, these trade ideas are triggered using daily closing prices, not intra-day pricing. So, if you participate in these trades, make sure that you only buy the stock once its daily close is above the recommended price level.
That said, here are the top 10 stocks to watch for a breakout, in no particular order.
#1 Cerus Corporation (NASDAQ: CERS)
Sector: Healthcare | Biotechnology
Reason: Falling Wedge Pattern Breakout
A falling wedge pattern is formed by joining two downward-sloping, converging trendlines having a contracting range. The pattern appears to be wide at the top and continues to contract as prices fall. A breakout from a falling wedge pattern can indicate either reversal or continuation depending on where the pattern appeared in the trend.
A stock that has broken out of a falling wedge pattern would have gained momentum and would have the potential to move higher.
Buy Level(s): The stock has currently broken out of a falling wedge pattern. However, the ideal buy level for CERS is above the nearest resistance level of $5.40. This is marked in the chart below as a green color dotted line.
Daily chart – CERS
CERS – Falling Wedge Pattern Breakout
#2 Funko, Inc. (NASDAQ: FNKO)
Sector: Consumer Cyclical | Leisure
Reason: Breakout From a Consolidation Area
A Consolidation Area is a price action contained between two parallel lines. It is formed by a lower line that connects the lows, and an upper line that joins the highs. A stock usually trades between the two lines of the consolidation area before finally breaking out from the upper rail.
Buy Level(s): Although the stock has currently broken out of a consolidation area, the ideal buy level for FNKO is above the near-term resistance area, which translates to a price of around $22.20. This is marked in the chart below as a green color dotted line.
Daily chart – FNKO
FNKO – Breakout From Consolidation Area
#3 Murphy Oil Corporation (NYSE: MUR)
Sector: Energy | Oil & Gas E&P
Reason: Formation of an Uptrend Channel
An uptrend channel or an ascending channel is the price action contained between upward sloping parallel lines. It is formed by a lower trend line that connects the swing lows, and an upper channel line that joins the swing highs. A stock usually trades between the two rails of the uptrend channel before finally breaking out from the upper rail.
Buy Level(s): The ideal buy level for MUR is if the stock breaks out of the uptrend channel and has a daily close above $40.70. This is marked in the chart below as a green color dotted line.
Daily chart – MUR
MUR – Uptrend Channel
#4 Clarus Corporation (NASDAQ: CLAR)
Sector: Consumer Cyclical | Leisure
Reason: Falling Wedge Pattern Breakout
A falling wedge pattern is formed by joining two downward-sloping, converging trendlines having a contracting range. The pattern appears to be wide at the top and continues to contract as prices fall. A breakout from a falling wedge pattern can indicate either reversal or continuation depending on where the pattern appeared in the trend.
A stock that has broken out of a falling wedge pattern would have gained momentum and would have the potential to move higher.
Buy Level(s): The stock has currently broken out of a falling wedge pattern. However, the ideal buy level for CLAR is above the nearest resistance level of $23.20. This is marked in the chart below as a green color dotted line.
Daily chart – CLAR
CLAR – Falling Wedge Pattern Breakout
#5 Pioneer Natural Resources Company (NYSE: PXD)
Sector: Energy | Oil & Gas E&P
Reason: Breakout from an Ascending Triangle Pattern
An ascending triangle pattern is a bullish pattern formed by drawing a horizontal line along the swing highs, and a rising trendline along the swing lows. These two lines result in the formation of a triangle. A breakout from this pattern is typically a strong bullish indication.
Buy Level(s): The daily chart shows that the stock has currently broken out of an ascending triangle pattern. The ideal buy level for PXD is if the stock has a daily close above $272.20. This is marked in the chart below as a green color dotted line.
Daily chart – PXD
PXD – Ascending Triangle Pattern Breakout
#6 Kellogg Company (NYSE: K)
Sector: Consumer Defensive | Packaged Foods
Reason: Breakout From a Consolidation Area
A Consolidation Area is a price action contained between two parallel lines. It is formed by a lower line that connects the lows, and an upper line that joins the highs. A stock usually trades between the two lines of the consolidation area before finally breaking out from the upper rail.
Buy Level(s): Although the stock has currently broken out of a consolidation area, the ideal buy level for K is above the near-term resistance area, which translates to a price of around $73.20. This is marked in the chart below as a green color dotted line.
Daily chart – K
K – Breakout From Consolidation Area
#7 Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HTH)
Sector: Financial | Banks – Regional
Reason: Falling Wedge Pattern Breakout
A falling wedge pattern is formed by joining two downward-sloping, converging trendlines having a contracting range. The pattern appears to be wide at the top and continues to contract as prices fall. A breakout from a falling wedge pattern can indicate either reversal or continuation depending on where the pattern appeared in the trend.
A stock that has broken out of a falling wedge pattern would have gained momentum and would have the potential to move higher.
Buy Level(s): The stock has currently broken out of a falling wedge pattern. However, the ideal buy level for HTH is above the nearest resistance level of $31.40. This is marked in the chart below as a green color dotted line.
Daily chart – HTH
HTH – Falling Wedge Pattern Breakout
#8 NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG)
Sector: Utilities | Utilities – Independent Power Producers
Reason: Symmetrical Triangle Pattern Breakout
A symmetrical triangle is a chart pattern formed by two converging trend lines connecting a series of sequential peaks and troughs. These two lines result in the formation of a triangle that appears to be symmetrical.
A symmetrical triangle pattern is usually formed when there is an indecision in the price movements and there is uncertainty among the buyers and sellers. This chart pattern represents a period of consolidation before the price breaks out or breaks down. In case a breakout occurs from the upper trend line, it is a strong bullish indication as it signifies the start of a new bullish trend.
Buy Level(s): The stock has currently broken out of a symmetrical triangle pattern. However, the ideal buy level for NRG is if the stock closes above the immediate resistance level of $41.80. This is marked in the chart below as a green color dotted line.
Daily chart – NRG
NRG – Symmetrical Triangle Pattern Breakout
#9 Radius Global Infrastructure, Inc. (NASDAQ: RADI)
Sector: Communication Services | Telecom Services
Reason: Downtrend Channel Breakout
A downtrend or descending channel is the price action contained between downward sloping parallel lines. It is formed by two lines that are drawn by connecting the lower highs and lower lows of a stock’s price. Even though this is typically a bearish pattern, a breakout from the upper rail of this pattern is considered a good bullish indication.
Buy Level(s): Although the stock has currently broken out of the downtrend channel, the ideal buy level for RADI is above the near-term resistance area, which translates to a price of around $14.90. This is marked in the chart below as a green color dotted line.
Daily chart – RADI
RADI – Downtrend Channel Breakout
#10 Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: KD)
Sector: Technology | Information Technology Services
Reason: Falling Wedge Pattern Breakout
A falling wedge pattern is formed by joining two downward-sloping, converging trendlines having a contracting range. The pattern appears to be wide at the top and continues to contract as prices fall. A breakout from a falling wedge pattern can indicate either reversal or continuation depending on where the pattern appeared in the trend.
A stock that has broken out of a falling wedge pattern would have gained momentum and would have the potential to move higher.
Buy Level(s): The stock has currently broken out of a falling wedge pattern. However, the ideal buy level for KD is above the nearest resistance level of $14.50. This is marked in the chart below as a green color dotted line.
Daily chart – KD
KD – Falling Wedge Pattern Breakout
Happy Trading!
Trades of The Day Research Team
Where to Invest $99 [sponsor]Motley Fool Stock Advisor's average stock pick is up over 350%*, beating the market by an incredible 4-1 margin. Here’s what you get if you join up with us today: Two new stock recommendations each month. A short list of Best Buys Now. Stocks we feel present the most timely buying opportunity, so you know what to focus on today. There's so much more, including a membership-fee-back guarantee. New members can join today for only $99/year.
Source: Trades of the Day