Halfway through Q1 2026, the question is no longer theoretical: Did the year-end institutional momentum and ST-IM Alpha themes actually guide investors effectively? With the updated February 13, 2026 Stock Trends dataset now in hand, we can measure the outcome directly — not against headlines, but against trend structure, relative strength, and momentum persistence. The short answer: the framework largely held — but leadership rotated exactly where the model suggested it might.

The final trading week of the year is often dismissed as inconsequential. Liquidity thins, participation narrows, and many investors assume that meaningful signals will wait until January. Yet history shows that year-end positioning—especially in hard assets—often reveals more about institutional conviction than about seasonal noise. The Stock Trends framework does not speculate on holiday effects. It classifies what is happening beneath the surface. As holiday trading unfolds, the precious metals complex offers a clear case study in why disciplined trend analysis matters most when markets appear quiet. Earlier this month, we examined silver’s resurgence and the discipline required to participate without emotion. Today’s update allows us to ask a more important question: Has silver leadership expanded into a broader precious-metals regime, or is this still a narrow trade vulnerable to reversal?