The Top Pick of the Week (TPOW) position in Intel (INTC) was closed on January 2, 2026, marking the first completed TPOW trade attributed to the 2026 performance year. The position was initiated on December 15, 2025, at an entry price of $38.33. The trade was closed at $39.85, resulting in a gain of $1.52 per share, or a 3.97% return.
While TPOW is designed as a weekly strategy, this position was held for approximately three weeks, extending beyond the typical one-week holding period. This extension was intentional and aligned with the rules of the strategy. Throughout the holding period, INTC maintained a StockCharts Technical Rank (SCTR) above 90, signaling continued relative strength versus the broader market. Under the TPOW framework, stocks that continue to meet strength criteria remain valid candidates, regardless of calendar week boundaries. In effect, INTC would have still qualified as a Top Pick even as the calendar turned, justifying the longer hold.
Market Context: Late December Into Early January
Market conditions during the final weeks of 2025 and the opening days of 2026 were influenced by holiday-thinned trading volume and modest sector rotation rather than broad-based selling pressure. Despite seasonal headwinds, the broader market remained resilient, allowing technically strong stocks to continue trending higher. Leadership remained concentrated in select large-cap and technology names, which supported continued participation from institutional buyers.
Within this environment, INTC exhibited steady price behavior, with buyers consistently defending higher levels rather than distributing shares aggressively. This constructive action aligned well with the broader market backdrop and reinforced the decision to remain in the trade while technical strength persisted.
SPY Technical Snapshot
On January 2, 2026, the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) closed at 683.17, maintaining its position above the Green Line. From a technical standpoint, this suggests that the primary trend remains intact, with no meaningful breakdown signals currently present. As long as SPY continues to hold this posture, the broader environment remains supportive for rules-based swing strategies such as TPOW.
Markets do not move in straight lines, but trend confirmation at the index level remains an important backdrop when evaluating individual stock setups. At present, that backdrop remains constructive.
Why This Trade Matters
A gain of 3.97% may not appear dramatic when viewed in isolation, but it reflects the core objectives of the TPOW strategy: alignment with market trend, disciplined execution, and consistent application of rules. Not every winning trade will produce outsized returns. Over time, however, steady gains combined with controlled risk are what drive compounding performance.
This trade also highlights an important principle within TPOW: rules take precedence over rigid timelines. When strength metrics remain intact, the strategy allows flexibility to stay aligned with favorable conditions rather than forcing exits solely based on the calendar.
Year-End Perspective: Closing Out 2025
With the close of the INTC position on January 2, 2025 TPOW performance is now officially complete. In accordance with ATGL’s performance reporting standards, trades are attributed to the year in which they are closed, not opened. As a result, this INTC trade is included in 2026 results and excluded from 2025 totals.
This approach ensures clean, auditable year-by-year performance reporting and avoids distortion caused by partial trades spanning calendar years. A full breakdown of all completed 2025 TPOW trades, including metrics and equity curves, is available on the TPOW Performance – 2025 Results page.
Looking Ahead
The start of a new year is not about predicting what comes next, but about continuing to execute a proven process in evolving market conditions. As long as stocks remain Above the Green Line, relative strength stays elevated, and volume confirms participation, TPOW will continue to focus on high-probability weekly opportunities, one trade at a time.
Final Thought
This INTC trade reinforces a core truth of rules-based investing:
Strong rules adapt better than rigid timelines.
When the market confirms strength, the job is to stay aligned—not to exit simply because the calendar changes.
