The week ended with more geopolitical noise than market signal. A Republican-led China committee pushed for a harder line on Xi, while a Washington Post report revealed U.S. troop deaths in the Iran conflict running at least four above the Pentagon's official count. Neither headline moved the major indices much — the S&P 500 drifted, the Nasdaq chopped, and the 10-year yield held its range. Sometimes the most honest thing a market does is nothing.
Meanwhile, the Daloop portfolio closed four positions over the last seven days. All four were losses. That's the ledger: LLY -4.4% over 12 days, ED -2.8% over 33 days, HON -6.7% over 19 days, and TER -23.7% over 19 days. Average return: -9.4%. Average hold: 21 days. Zero wins.
The Week in Trades
Four exits. No winners. If you're new to systematic investing, that sentence probably stings. If you've done this long enough, you know it's just the cost of admission.
LLY stock analysis September 2026 shows the position closed Friday at a -4.4% loss after 12 days. Eli Lilly's weight-loss franchise remains the envy of pharma, but the tape didn't cooperate — the setup that triggered entry lost its edge, and the system stepped aside. That's the LLY trading signal doing what it's designed to do: admit when the probability shifts and preserve capital for the next opportunity.
ED stock analysis September 2026 tells a similar story over a longer horizon. Consolidated Edison drifted -2.8% across 33 days. Utilities are supposed to be boring — that's the feature, not the bug — but even defensive names can chop sideways in a rising-rate backdrop. The ED trading signal exited Thursday alongside LLY, part of the same end-of-week clearing.
HON stock analysis September 2026 posted the second-largest loss of the batch at -6.7% over 19 days. Honeywell's conglomerate restructuring narrative has been a slow burn, and the market's patience ran thin before our stop discipline kicked in. The HON trading signal recognized the deterioration and exited Wednesday, one day ahead of the other three.
Then there's Teradyne. TER -23.7% in 19 days. That one hurts. Semiconductor test equipment is cyclical by nature, and the downcycle arrived faster than the setup anticipated. The position was closed Monday, September 14 — the earliest exit of the four. A loss of that magnitude is never comfortable, but it's also exactly why position sizing and stop discipline exist. The system doesn't argue with the tape. It exits, resets, and moves to the next signal.
Context: The Portfolio Is Still Here
Here's what doesn't show up in the closed-trade list: 148 open positions across a 307-name qualified pool drawn from a 422-ticker universe. The majority of those positions are currently profitable. The portfolio is net positive despite this week's four losses. That's not spin — that's math.
Systematic strategies survive because they cut losers short and let winners run. The four trades above are the "cut losers short" part in real time. The "let winners run" part is happening quietly in the other 148 open positions. You don't get the second without accepting the first.
This week's losses are the cost of being in the game — the small price paid to capture the larger winners that drive the bulk of returns over a full cycle. The risk overlay that governs position sizing and exit discipline is the reason a -23.7% loss on one name doesn't become a portfolio crisis. It's doing its job.
What to Watch
DuPont (DD)
The materials giant got a specific shout-out on CNBC this week: "What it will take for us to buy the dip in DuPont." The commentary centered on the company's post-split portfolio — electronics, water, and specialty materials — and whether current multiples reflect the earnings power of the new entity. Watch for volume on any pullback toward the $70–$72 zone; institutional interest appears to be waiting there.
McDonald's (MCD)
"McDonald's is the new Value Meal," said trader Mike Khouw on CNBC, framing the stock as a defensive play with pricing power intact. The $5 Meal Deal rollout has been stickier than skeptics expected, and same-store sales data next month will test whether traffic holds. Franchisee cash flows remain the cleanest read on the thesis.
Nike (NKE) / On Holding (ONON)
Nike parted ways with Kylian Mbappé after a brief, odd partnership; the soccer star immediately signed with On. For Nike, it's a minor endorsement shuffle. For On, it's a statement — Mbappé joins a roster that already includes Federer and Zendaya, signaling the Swiss brand's push from running specialist to global lifestyle competitor. Watch On's direct-to-consumer metrics next quarter; that's where the Mbappé effect shows up first.
Disney (DIS)
Disney named its first-ever Chief Technology Officer this week, a role created to unify streaming, parks tech, and advertising stacks under one roof. The hire signals Iger's second act is less about content spend and more about platform efficiency. Disney+ profitability inflected positive last quarter; the CTO's mandate is to keep that margin expanding while the parks business normalizes.
Apple (AAPL)
The iPhone 18 launch drew the usual flagship-store lines in New York. Early reviews highlight the new camera control button and on-device AI features as the real upgrades — not the chassis. Carrier upgrade cycles and China sell-through data over the next 30 days will matter more than launch-weekend hype.
Wendy's (WEN)
A major franchisee filed Chapter 11 this week, citing labor costs and remodels mandated by corporate. Wendy's has been aggressive pushing franchisees to reinvest; the bankruptcy is a stress test of that model. Watch same-store sales and franchisee health commentary on the next earnings call — the system only works if the operators stay solvent.
Air France–KLM (AF.PA / AFLYY)
Reuters profiled the carrier's luxury pivot: caviar, champagne, and La Première suites on refitted 777s. The strategy is working — premium leisure demand has held even as the Iran conflict reroutes Middle East flights. The airline's transatlantic joint venture with Delta and Virgin Atlantic gives it pricing power peers lack. Q3 load factors and yield data will confirm whether the upmarket shift sticks.
Cybersecurity Sector (CRWD, PANW, ZS, FTNT)
CNBC noted "profit-taking hits cyber stocks" after a strong first half. The group isn't breaking down — just digesting. Earnings season starts next month; the bar is high after multiple quarters of beat-and-raise. Focus on net new ARR and platformization metrics (cross-sell rates) rather than headline revenue.
If you want to see the full trade ledger — every win and every loss — it's on the dashboard.