Forgotten Profits Trade Setup Archive

Below you'll find Ian's setups stacked up and ordered chronologically. As this service once resided at another home, the alerts only go back to mid July. For a full track record, see the portfolio.

Polaris Stock Soars on Indian Motorcycle Sale

Polaris Stock Soars on Indian Motorcycle Sale — What It Means for Harley-Davidson

TraderInsight • October 2025 • Industrials / Consumer Goods

Deal at a Glance

Polaris (PII) announced it will spin off its **Indian Motorcycle** business, with private equity firm **Carolwood** acquiring a majority stake. The move is expected to lift Polaris’ EBITDA by **$50 million annually**.Indian Motorcycle contributed about **$478 million**, or **7%** of Polaris’ trailing-12-month revenue.

Polaris also preannounced guidance: Q3 top-line in the range of **$1.6B to $1.8B**, with adjusted EPS between **$0.31 and $0.41** — above consensus expectations. The deal is expected to close in early 2026.

Why the Market Loves It

  • Indian has long weighed on Polaris’ margins. Separating it frees management to refocus on the core powersports business.
  • It crystallizes value through an external valuation, which could support multiple expansions in the remaining business.
  • The move gives Polaris flexibility and cleaner earnings leverage, which investors tend to reward.
  • Spillover: Harley-Davidson (HOG) reacted positively, climbing ~2.8% intraday, as valuation comparisons and industry optics shift.

Trading Implications & Key Levels

PII (Polaris)

  • Price action: Stock rallied ~13.9% on the news to $69.87. Sharp reversal and volume confirm strong interest.
  • Support / Resistance: Support zone near **$63–$65**. Resistance in the near term around **$75–$78**. A sustained breakout above $78 could aim toward $90+, depending on spin-off multiples.
  • Trade setups: Intraday, look for dip-buy setups into $66–68 with tight stops. Swing trades: holding above $65 keeps bias bullish toward the upper resistance zones.

HOG (Harley-Davidson)

  • Harley often trades as a comparator in the motorcycle sector. A firm valuation assigned to Indian could influence multiple tweaks in HOG.
  • Resistance near **$28.50**, support near **$24–$25**. Watch for momentum spills: HOG above $28.50 on relative strength vs PII could signal rotational flows.

Sector & Macro Context

The powersports and motorcycle segment has been under pressure due to rising interest rates and soft discretionary spending. This deal injects a catalyst and reorients the narrative toward value extraction and operational focus.

A well-executed spin-off and independent valuation of Indian could reset how the market views “niche motors” in the U.S. recreational vehicle category. For Harley, perception could shift from legacy brand to undervalued name relative to its peers.

Bottom Line

The Polaris Indian Motorcycle sale is a clean slate move that could drive multiples higher. For traders, PII is the name to watch — especially if the spin-out narrative gains traction. HOG’s reaction is worth following for sector spillover moves.

For educational use only. Not investment advice.

 

Dow Marks Biggest Comeback Since April

Dow Marks Biggest Comeback Since April as China Tensions Roil Markets

 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up +203 pts (+0.4%) after rebounding from an early slide of more than 600 pts, its most significant low-to-close reversal since April. The S&P 500 slipped -0.2% and the Nasdaq Composite fell -0.8% as renewed U.S.–China trade tensions eclipsed otherwise solid earnings from major banks.

What Sparked the Whipsaw

  • Morning hit: Beijing sanctioned several U.S. shipping subsidiaries, pressuring cyclicals and global transport names.
  • Midday headline: President Trump posted about potential restrictions on Chinese cooking oil exports and labeled China’s soybean stance “economically hostile,” reigniting risk-off flows.
  • Buyers step in: Value sectors and defensives led a sharp afternoon recovery; tech lagged into the close.

Market Internals & Psychology

The Dow’s swing from -1.3% to green reflects robust dip demand at recent support. The S&P’s late fade underscores lingering headline risk and an embedded geopolitical risk premium. As 22V Research’s Dennis DeBusschere put it, “de-escalation should be the base case longer term,” but the China overhang won’t vanish without concrete talks on the calendar.

Trader’s Take — Levels & Setups

  • S&P 500 (cash): Support 5,560 (intraday low). Reclaim/hold above 5,640 = potential continuation toward 5,675–5,690. Lose 5,560 and the door opens to 5,520.
  • Dow: Momentum support 39,850. Above that, upside magnets 40,300–40,450. Failure = retest 39,500.
  • Nasdaq 100: Watch 18,900 as pivot; below favors growth de-risking toward 18,650.
  • VIX: Closed sub-16 but sensitive to tape bombs; consider tactical long vol on pops in tariff rhetoric.

Sector Rotation — Who Led the Rebound?

  • Leaders: Financials, Industrials, Energy, Staples (defensive bid + value rotation).
  • Laggards: Mega-cap Tech & Semis on geopolitical risk and multiple compression worries.
  • Wildcard: Ag/food chain (soybeans, processors, edible oils) on trade headlines; watch for outsized single-name moves.
Pro tip: On headline days, anchor decisions to VWAP and prior-day high/low. Fades back to VWAP after impulse moves often present higher-probability entries than chasing the first spike.

What to Watch Next

  • De-escalation signals: Any scheduling of bilateral talks = risk-on impulse; lack thereof keeps a premium on defensives.
  • Earnings tape: Money-center banks’ beats can stabilize breadth if geopolitics quiets.
  • Rates: 10-year yield easing supports equities; a push back above 4% could cap rallies.

Bottom Line

The Dow’s outsized reversal shows buyers remain active, but the S&P’s late drift lower says uncertainty still rules the tape. Expect choppy ranges and headline-driven opportunities: trade smaller, respect levels, and let VWAP guide bias until China-related risk clarifies.

Educational only. Not investment advice.