timothy sykes logo

Lessons From Supernovas and How They Top

Timothy SykesAvatar
Written by Timothy Sykes
Updated 7/23/2026 5 min read

I know the markets are down and the plays are choppy.

It’s also the middle of summer. You can’t expect too much (there’s definitely a seasonality to trading).

Summers are slower. Go outside.

Or, stay inside and study more.

Do whatever you can, but I would not be trading aggressively right now.

There are still plays.

But you have to be VERY meticulous.

You want potential plays and the first place to look is ALWAYS big percent gainers.

How do I find them?

StocksToTrade.

I use it every single day and focus on the big percent gainers because they have the most predictable patterns.

Not that you’re going to win every time. It’s just where the odds are better in your favor.

But even then you still have to be careful.

Because there’s one thing I’ve noticed recently with these Supernovas…

Watch Out For Double Tops

Lucas GC Limited (NASDAQ: LGCL) was a nice overnight play from Wednesday (July 23) to Thursday.

LGCL, 7-22 after-hours to 7/23/26, premarket double top
LGCL, 7-22 after-hours to 7/23/26, premarket double top

You can see the double top at $2.47.

I don’t care what kind of play it is, watch out for these double tops because…

Double Tops Are the #1 Indicator of a Failed Breakout

Post image

Get my weekly watchlist, free

Sign up to jump start your trading education!

It has been the number one, most consistent indicator for when a breakout fails lately.

China Pharma Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American: CPHI) is another example…

CPHI, 7/21/26, 1-min candles, intraday double-top
CPHI, 7/21/26, 1-min candles, intraday double-top

After the big spike and halt downs, CPHI tried to bounce from $9 to $13, came back down to the $10s and then double topped.

Keep your eyes out for potential double tops (on the initial run OR later).

You don’t want to be long when it drops all the way down to the $6s, like CPHI did on Tuesday (July 21).

Another thing about these double tops is…

Stocks Can Have a “Personality”

Once a stock shows it can trade a certain way, it can do it again.

For example, CPHI did another double top in after-hours trading on the same day…

CPHI, 7-21 after-hours double top to 7/22/26 offering craaaack
CPHI, 7-21 after-hours double top to 7/22/26 offering craaaack

As you can see, CPHI squeezed again in after-hours trading but it couldn’t get past $16 (it tried twice).

The double top marked the beginning of the scary drop.

Again, you don’t want to be long when the stock drops that fast and then fades like CPHI did.

Notice the steep drop to the far right on that chart? That’s where the company did an offering.

All the more reason to sell into strength and beware of Supernovas that double top.

Anyone still long got absolutely CRUSHED.

Let’s look at one more example but remember…

No Two Plays Are Exactly Alike

PN Smart Energy Limited (NASDAQ: PN) was a beautiful afternoon runner on Wednesday (July 22).

PN, 7-22-26, 1:00 PM through after-hours trading, double top
PN, 7-22-26, 1:00 PM through after-hours trading, double top

When PN started spiking in after-hours, shorts got scared it was going to do what CPHI did the day before.

It was a good 30% move in two minutes.

But then it double topped. And that was the kiss of death.

The key is to recognize that no two plays are exactly alike.

Look for patterns and try to see similarities, but recognize that each play will act a little different.

If you want to understand the patterns and strategies (and how to recognize them) better…

This is for you… …

The Millionaire Formula Conference

My FREE 2-Day Bootcamp Where You’ll

Discover The Battle Tested Trading Formula That 50

Everyday People Have Used To Crush The Markets And Make $1M+

Hurry, Registration Closes at 1:30 PM ET Today

Key Takeaway

The market was down yesterday and the plays are choppy.

But if you come at it with the right mindset, there are good opportunities.

Here’s the mindset I’m trying to have…

  • I’m going to ride this.
  • I’m going to watch out for double tops.
  • I’m going to watch out for plays that can’t get back to their highs.
  • I’m going to give them time but…
  • If it doesn’t get back to the highs I’ll cut it.

That’s a solid way to approach these Supernovas right now.

Cheers,

– Tim Sykes


How much has this post helped you?



Leave a reply

Author card Timothy Sykes picture

Timothy Sykes

Tim Sykes is a penny stock trader and teacher who became a self-made millionaire by the age of 22 by trading $12,415 of bar mitzvah money. After becoming disenchanted with the hedge fund world, he established the Tim Sykes Trading Challenge to teach aspiring traders how to follow his trading strategies. He’s been featured in a variety of media outlets including CNN, Larry King, Steve Harvey, Forbes, Men’s Journal, and more. He’s also an active philanthropist and environmental activist, a co-founder of Karmagawa, and has donated millions of dollars to charity.
Read More

* Results are not typical and will vary from person to person. Making money trading stocks takes time, dedication, and hard work. There are inherent risks involved with investing in the stock market, including the loss of your investment. Past performance in the market is not indicative of future results. Any investment is at your own risk. See Terms of Service here

The available research on day trading suggests that most active traders lose money. Fees and overtrading are major contributors to these losses.

A 2000 study called “Trading is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors” evaluated 66,465 U.S. households that held stocks from 1991 to 1996. The households that traded most averaged an 11.4% annual return during a period where the overall market gained 17.9%. These lower returns were attributed to overconfidence.

A 2014 paper (revised 2019) titled “Learning Fast or Slow?” analyzed the complete transaction history of the Taiwan Stock Exchange between 1992 and 2006. It looked at the ongoing performance of day traders in this sample, and found that 97% of day traders can expect to lose money from trading, and more than 90% of all day trading volume can be traced to investors who predictably lose money. Additionally, it tied the behavior of gamblers and drivers who get more speeding tickets to overtrading, and cited studies showing that legalized gambling has an inverse effect on trading volume.

A 2019 research study (revised 2020) called “Day Trading for a Living?” observed 19,646 Brazilian futures contract traders who started day trading from 2013 to 2015, and recorded two years of their trading activity. The study authors found that 97% of traders with more than 300 days actively trading lost money, and only 1.1% earned more than the Brazilian minimum wage ($16 USD per day). They hypothesized that the greater returns shown in previous studies did not differentiate between frequent day traders and those who traded rarely, and that more frequent trading activity decreases the chance of profitability.

These studies show the wide variance of the available data on day trading profitability. One thing that seems clear from the research is that most day traders lose money .

Millionaire Media 66 W Flagler St. Ste. 900 Miami, FL 33130 United States (888) 878-3621 This is for information purposes only as Millionaire Media LLC nor Timothy Sykes is registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser. No information herein is intended as securities brokerage, investment, tax, accounting or legal advice, as an offer or solicitation of an offer to sell or buy, or as an endorsement, recommendation or sponsorship of any company, security or fund. Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes cannot and does not assess, verify or guarantee the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of any information, the suitability or profitability of any particular investment, or the potential value of any investment or informational source. The reader bears responsibility for his/her own investment research and decisions, should seek the advice of a qualified securities professional before making any investment, and investigate and fully understand any and all risks before investing. Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes in no way warrants the solvency, financial condition, or investment advisability of any of the securities mentioned in communications or websites. In addition, Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes accepts no liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this information. This information is not intended to be used as the sole basis of any investment decision, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the investment needs of any particular investor. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future returns.

Citations for Disclaimer

Barber, Brad M. and Odean, Terrance, Trading is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors. Available at SSRN: “Day Trading for a Living?”

Barber, Brad M. and Lee, Yi-Tsung and Liu, Yu-Jane and Odean, Terrance and Zhang, Ke, Learning Fast or Slow? (May 28, 2019). Forthcoming: Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Available at SSRN: “https://ssrn.com/abstract=2535636”

Chague, Fernando and De-Losso, Rodrigo and Giovannetti, Bruno, Day Trading for a Living? (June 11, 2020). Available at SSRN: “https://ssrn.com/abstract=3423101”