StockPicker Report — FTSE 100

Today's Market Mood

Cautious Normal choppiness · VIX 15.5

The FTSE 100 is in the grip of a severe, broad-based one-day selloff — the large majority of constituents (financials, miners, housebuilders, insurers) are down 5-26% with negative 5- and 30-day returns, suggesting an index-wide risk-off event rather than isolated stock news. Against that backdrop only a narrow set of names show genuine relative strength: stocks sitting near 52-week highs with positive 5-day and 30-day momentum, or sectors (crude-linked oil majors, defensive utilities, select industrials on earnings beats) that are diverging from the crash. Given how poor overall conditions are, candidates are limited to this smaller resilient cohort rather than the full 20-30 range.

Broad index-wide risk-off selloff masking a small pocket of relative strengthDefensive utilities and investment trusts holding near 52-week highsOil majors and select industrials diverging higher on crude strength and earnings beats

Today's Actionable List

Which of today's picks to actually take, and at what size, given what you are already holding. Each pick's own Suggested Allocation sizes it in isolation; this table applies the portfolio limits — at most 20 open positions and 60% of the portfolio committed in total. Run with --capital 25000 to see these sizes as order amounts rather than percentages.

Take today0 of 0

New exposure0%

Already open56 · 154.2%

Total after today154.2% / 60%

Slots left0 of 20

Nothing new to buy today — hold the positions you already have.

Already open: ITRK.L (to Oct 8), SDR.L (to Oct 9), VOD.L (to Oct 9), TSLA (to Oct 9), HCA (to Oct 11), SHEL.L (to Oct 14), TSCO.L (to Oct 14), WMT (to Oct 14), BBY (to Oct 15), PM (to Oct 16), SWKS (to Oct 17), TMO (to Oct 17) … and 44 more. Symbols you already hold were excluded from this run's candidates rather than re-picked.

Position-sizing guidance only — half-Kelly per pick, bounded by the limits above. Not personal investment advice.

Behind the scenes: how each AI analyst did

Aria

3 picks

Blaze

3 picks

Nova

2 picks

Orion

1 pick

Quinn

3 picks

No Qualifying Picks Found

All five agents analyzed the candidates but did not find any stocks meeting the probability threshold for this target.

What Each Agent Evaluated

No stock cleared the bar this run. Below is what each analyst selected and why it did not make the final report, plus the candidates each one passed over.

Aria — Momentum & Technical

Stocks this agent selected

IMI.LIMI plc · 75% · Very High
Average probability across the 3 agent(s) that selected it was 63% raw (55% after calibration), below the 58% minimum to qualify.
SVT.LSevern Trent PLC · 75% · Very High
Average probability across the 5 agent(s) that selected it was 61% raw (55% after calibration), below the 58% minimum to qualify.
PSON.LPearson plc · 75% · Very High
Average probability across the 4 agent(s) that selected it was 62% raw (55% after calibration), below the 58% minimum to qualify.

Candidates passed over

BEZ.L
Shares cleared the basic momentum screen but strength readings are near 80 (deeply overbought) and the price-trend indicator (MACD) has just turned slightly negative, with an unusually tight trading range that makes a 5% move within 30 days unlikely without a fresh catalyst.
AAL.L
Despite a strong recent 5-day bounce, the stock is still down slightly over the full 30-day period, failing the overall positive-trend requirement.
ANTO.L
Despite a strong recent 5-day bounce and a tightening price range that could signal a breakout, the stock is still down over the full 30-day period, failing the overall positive-trend requirement.

Blaze — Fundamental & Earnings

Stocks this agent selected

SVT.LSevern Trent PLC · 56% · Medium
Average probability across the 5 agent(s) that selected it was 61% raw (55% after calibration), below the 58% minimum to qualify.
PSON.LPearson plc · 56% · Medium
Average probability across the 4 agent(s) that selected it was 62% raw (55% after calibration), below the 58% minimum to qualify.
IMI.LIMI plc · 53% · Medium
Average probability across the 3 agent(s) that selected it was 63% raw (55% after calibration), below the 58% minimum to qualify.

Candidates passed over

BEZ.L
Shares are overbought (RSI near 80) right at a 52-week high with momentum already stalling, leaving little room for a fresh 5% move
AAL.L
Despite a sharp 5-day bounce, the stock is still down over the past 30 days with a bearish volume signal, and it's a miner — the sector at the center of today's FTSE sell-off
ANTO.L
A copper miner still down over the past month and 14% below its 52-week high, in a sector leading today's broad market decline, with no catalyst to offset the negative trend

Nova — News Catalyst & Event-Driven

Stocks this agent selected

SVT.LSevern Trent PLC · 53% · Medium
Average probability across the 5 agent(s) that selected it was 61% raw (55% after calibration), below the 58% minimum to qualify.
PSON.LPearson plc · 53% · Medium
Average probability across the 4 agent(s) that selected it was 62% raw (55% after calibration), below the 58% minimum to qualify.

Candidates passed over

IMI.L
Today's price jump was sharp but 5-day momentum is nearly flat and volume came in below average, so there's little evidence of sustained buying behind it
BEZ.L
Shares are deeply overbought (RSI near 80) on only a tiny 30-day gain and unusually thin volume — this looks stretched rather than freshly breaking out
AAL.L
Despite a decent 5-day bounce, the 30-day return is still negative and today's price barely moved, failing the fresh-move test
ANTO.L
Price fell today and the 30-day return is negative — the opposite of the positive price confirmation needed to support a pick

Orion — Macro & Sector Rotation

Stocks this agent selected

SVT.LSevern Trent PLC · 58% · Medium
Average probability across the 5 agent(s) that selected it was 61% raw (55% after calibration), below the 58% minimum to qualify.

Candidates passed over

IMI.L
Industrials are a cyclical sector that doesn't clearly fit a risk-off rotation, and there's no confirmed recent earnings beat to justify treating it as one of the resilient 'earnings-beat industrial' exceptions.
BEZ.L
Insurance isn't a sector favored by the current risk-off backdrop, and the stock's daily trading range is so narrow (barely 0.15% average daily move) that a 5% move in 30 days is statistically unlikely.
PSON.L
Despite decent momentum, education/publishing is a consumer-discretionary type sector that isn't aligned with the defensive rotation favored in the current risk-off environment.
AAL.L
Mining is a growth/commodity-cyclical sector that typically underperforms in a risk-off regime; its recent bounce looks idiosyncratic rather than sector-supported, and no sector tailwind could be confirmed.
ANTO.L
Same sector mismatch as other miners in a risk-off regime - cyclical, commodity-driven business without a confirmed sector tailwind, despite a recent price bounce.

Quinn — Quantitative / Statistical

Stocks this agent selected

PSON.LPearson plc · 60% · Medium
Average probability across the 4 agent(s) that selected it was 62% raw (55% after calibration), below the 58% minimum to qualify.
SVT.LSevern Trent PLC · 60% · Medium
Average probability across the 5 agent(s) that selected it was 61% raw (55% after calibration), below the 58% minimum to qualify.
IMI.LIMI plc · 60% · Medium
Average probability across the 3 agent(s) that selected it was 63% raw (55% after calibration), below the 58% minimum to qualify.

Candidates passed over

BEZ.L
RSI at 79.6 signals overbought conditions and the MACD histogram has turned slightly negative — no qualifying technical setup, and volatility is near zero, leaving no realistic path to a 5% move.
AAL.L
Price is bouncing but trading volume isn't confirming the move (OBV divergence), a distribution warning sign that drags the calculated probability down to the 50% floor.
ANTO.L
Technical setup technically qualifies, but it has the weakest relative strength of the group and a much larger volatility-based downside (-8.3%), giving a worse reward-to-risk than the selected picks.

Every stock Scout considered — and why each was discarded

Scout scanned 100 FTSE 100 constituents and short-listed 19 candidates for deep analysis by the five analysts. Here is what happened to each one.

SMIN.LSmiths Group plcAlready held
Scout: Up over 10% on the day while the index craters, 30-day return +9.2% and only 1.5% off its 52-week high — likely earnings-driven breakout with momentum intact.
Already held: a position opened 2026-09-28 runs until 2026-10-28 (23 day(s) left). Re-picking it would concentrate the portfolio, not diversify it.
DPLM.LDiploma PLCAlready held
Scout: Up 10.5% today, 30-day return +9.4%, just 0.5% off its 52-week high — one of the few names showing a genuine earnings-driven breakout during the crash.
Already held: a position opened 2026-09-28 runs until 2026-10-28 (23 day(s) left). Re-picking it would concentrate the portfolio, not diversify it.
SMT.LScottish Mortgage Investment TrustAlready held
Scout: Up 8% today, 5-day +3.5%, 30-day +9%, just 0.4% off its 52-week high — tech-heavy trust decoupling from the broader UK selloff.
Already held: a position opened 2026-09-21 runs until 2026-10-21 (16 day(s) left). Re-picking it would concentrate the portfolio, not diversify it.
PCT.LPolar Capital Technology TrustAlready held
Scout: Up almost 10% today with 5-day +4.8% and 30-day +9.4% — consistent multi-window momentum in a tech-exposed vehicle insulated from the domestic equity rout.
Already held: a position opened 2026-10-02 runs until 2026-11-01 (27 day(s) left). Re-picking it would concentrate the portfolio, not diversify it.
ALW.LAlliance Witan OrdAlready held
Scout: Sitting at its 52-week high with steady positive 5-day (+1.6%) and 30-day (+2.4%) returns — rare unbroken uptrend amid the broader crash.
Already held: a position opened 2026-10-02 runs until 2026-11-01 (27 day(s) left). Re-picking it would concentrate the portfolio, not diversify it.
IMI.LIMI plcDropped at merge
Scout: Up 3.5% today, positive across 5-day and 30-day windows, only 1.3% off its 52-week high — industrial name showing resilience.
Average probability across the 3 agent(s) that selected it was 63% raw (55% after calibration), below the 58% minimum to qualify.
ITRK.LIntertek Group plcAlready held
Scout: Trading essentially at its 52-week high with flat-to-positive short-term returns — one of the only constituents not pulled down by today's rout.
Already held: a position opened 2026-09-08 runs until 2026-10-08 (3 day(s) left). Re-picking it would concentrate the portfolio, not diversify it.
SPX.LSpirax Group plcLiquidity filter
Scout: Up 4.5% today, 5-day +1.9%, 30-day +4.3% — steady industrial outperformer bucking the market-wide decline.
20-day average daily volume 198,063 shares is below the 500,000-share liquidity floor.
BEZ.LBeazley plcPassed over
Scout: Essentially flat-to-up through the selloff and just 0.1% off its 52-week high — insurer showing unusual stability while peers (AV, PRU, SDLF) are down double digits.
Aria: Shares cleared the basic momentum screen but strength readings are near 80 (deeply overbought) and the price-trend indicator (MACD) has just turned slightly negative, with an unusually tight trading range that makes a 5% move within 30 days unlikely without a fresh catalyst.
Blaze: Shares are overbought (RSI near 80) right at a 52-week high with momentum already stalling, leaving little room for a fresh 5% move
Nova: Shares are deeply overbought (RSI near 80) on only a tiny 30-day gain and unusually thin volume — this looks stretched rather than freshly breaking out
Orion: Insurance isn't a sector favored by the current risk-off backdrop, and the stock's daily trading range is so narrow (barely 0.15% average daily move) that a 5% move in 30 days is statistically unlikely.
Quinn: RSI at 79.6 signals overbought conditions and the MACD histogram has turned slightly negative — no qualifying technical setup, and volatility is near zero, leaving no realistic path to a 5% move.
UU.LUnited Utilities Group PLCAlready held
Scout: Up 3.5% today with 30-day return +5.4% — defensive utility attracting a flight-to-safety bid during the broader equity stress.
Already held: a position opened 2026-09-30 runs until 2026-10-30 (25 day(s) left). Re-picking it would concentrate the portfolio, not diversify it.
SVT.LSevern Trent PLCDropped at merge
Scout: Up 4% today, 5-day and 30-day returns both positive (+1.0%/+5.4%) — regulated utility benefiting from defensive rotation.
Average probability across the 5 agent(s) that selected it was 61% raw (55% after calibration), below the 58% minimum to qualify.
SSE.LSSE plcAlready held
Scout: Up 2.7% today with a positive 30-day return (+2.7%) — utility holding up as a defensive haven against the broader market decline.
Already held: a position opened 2026-09-21 runs until 2026-10-21 (16 day(s) left). Re-picking it would concentrate the portfolio, not diversify it.
KGF.LKingfisher plcAlready held
Scout: Up nearly 6% today and 30-day return +7.5%, the strongest monthly momentum among retailers despite today's broad market stress.
Already held: a position opened 2026-09-23 runs until 2026-10-23 (18 day(s) left). Re-picking it would concentrate the portfolio, not diversify it.
PSON.LPearson plcDropped at merge
Scout: Up 4.3% today, 5-day +2.3%, 30-day +5.9% — consistent positive momentum across all windows, unusual strength given the sector-wide selloff.
Average probability across the 4 agent(s) that selected it was 62% raw (55% after calibration), below the 58% minimum to qualify.
BP.LBP p.l.c.Already held
Scout: Up 4.4% today and positive on both 5-day and 30-day windows, tracking firmer crude prices — one of the few blue-chips rising while the index falls.
Already held: a position opened 2026-10-02 runs until 2026-11-01 (27 day(s) left). Re-picking it would concentrate the portfolio, not diversify it.
SHEL.LShell plcAlready held
Scout: Up 5.7% today, only 3.4% off its 52-week high, benefiting from the same crude-price tailwind lifting BP — energy majors diverging from the broad decline.
Already held: a position opened 2026-09-14 runs until 2026-10-14 (9 day(s) left). Re-picking it would concentrate the portfolio, not diversify it.
AAL.LAnglo American plcPassed over
Scout: 5-day return +5.4%, the strongest short-term momentum of any miner, and only 3.9% off its 52-week high despite the market-wide rout.
Aria: Despite a strong recent 5-day bounce, the stock is still down slightly over the full 30-day period, failing the overall positive-trend requirement.
Blaze: Despite a sharp 5-day bounce, the stock is still down over the past 30 days with a bearish volume signal, and it's a miner — the sector at the center of today's FTSE sell-off
Nova: Despite a decent 5-day bounce, the 30-day return is still negative and today's price barely moved, failing the fresh-move test
Orion: Mining is a growth/commodity-cyclical sector that typically underperforms in a risk-off regime; its recent bounce looks idiosyncratic rather than sector-supported, and no sector tailwind could be confirmed.
Quinn: Price is bouncing but trading volume isn't confirming the move (OBV divergence), a distribution warning sign that drags the calculated probability down to the 50% floor.
ANTO.LAntofagasta plcPassed over
Scout: 5-day return +5.1% on copper strength, a standout among miners even as the broader index sells off hard.
Aria: Despite a strong recent 5-day bounce and a tightening price range that could signal a breakout, the stock is still down over the full 30-day period, failing the overall positive-trend requirement.
Blaze: A copper miner still down over the past month and 14% below its 52-week high, in a sector leading today's broad market decline, with no catalyst to offset the negative trend
Nova: Price fell today and the 30-day return is negative — the opposite of the positive price confirmation needed to support a pick
Orion: Same sector mismatch as other miners in a risk-off regime - cyclical, commodity-driven business without a confirmed sector tailwind, despite a recent price bounce.
Quinn: Technical setup technically qualifies, but it has the weakest relative strength of the group and a much larger volatility-based downside (-8.3%), giving a worse reward-to-risk than the selected picks.
VOD.LVodafone Group Public Limited CompanyAlready held
Scout: Up 1.3% today and positive across 5-day/30-day windows, just 3.7% off its 52-week high — defensive telecom holding steady against the crash.
Already held: a position opened 2026-09-09 runs until 2026-10-09 (4 day(s) left). Re-picking it would concentrate the portfolio, not diversify it.

Agent Analytical Approaches

Aria

Momentum & Technical

Checks 30-day price history for every candidate before making any selection. Requires positive period return and positive 5-day momentum as mandatory gates. Ranks picks by proximity to their period high and adjusts probability based on volume. Uses news only to rule out major negative catalysts.

Blaze

Fundamental & Earnings

Searches earnings results, analyst upgrades, and revenue trends before checking price data. Requires at least one verifiable fundamental catalyst — earnings beat, analyst upgrade, or revenue acceleration — within the last 60 days. Favours stocks with strong fundamentals trading below recent highs (value entry).

Nova

News Catalyst & Event-Driven

Hunts for specific events within the last 21 days: FDA approvals, major contract wins, product launches, earnings surprises, or significant analyst upgrades. Requires a positive price reaction confirming the market is recognising the catalyst. Also scans for upcoming events that could drive further gains.

Orion

Macro & Sector Rotation

Maps the macroeconomic regime (risk-on / risk-off / neutral) and identifies sectors benefiting from current conditions before looking at individual stocks. Only selects stocks from macro-aligned sectors with confirmed sector tailwinds. Adjusts for interest rate sensitivity and geopolitical factors.

Sage

Devil's Advocate

Reviews the final picks after all four analysts agree and actively challenges each bull thesis. Searches for bearish technical signals, negative news, insider selling, and elevated short interest that the agreeing agents may have underweighted. Produces evidence-based counter-arguments shown on each pick card.

Quinn

Quantitative / Statistical

Pure-quant analyst: no news, no narrative, only numbers. Identifies mean-reversion setups from RSI extremes (<35) with momentum turning, Bollinger squeeze breakouts, and multi-factor quant scores using RSI, MACD, OBV, short interest, and insider transaction data. Counterbalances narrative bias across the four analyst agents.