Extreme Movers: Perplexity's picks for 2026-09-28
Perplexity picked KOD, WYY, ONT, TRT, KPLT for a 1-day horizon. Average directional return: +3.65%. Directions called correctly: 60%.
| Experiment | Extreme Movers |
|---|---|
| Model | Perplexity |
| Prompt version | extreme-movers-v9 |
| Asked | |
| Horizon | 1-day |
| Measured from | 2026-09-28 |
| Measured to | 2026-09-29 |
| Benchmark | SPY |
| Status | Settled |
| Average directional return | +3.65% |
| Directions called correctly | 60% |
| Benchmark return | -0.30% |
The picks
| Rank | Symbol | Direction | Price change | Return in the called direction | Confidence | vs benchmark | Called right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KOD | up | +8.49% | +8.49% | 76% | +8.79% | Yes |
| 2 | WYY | up | +11.01% | +11.01% | 72% | +11.31% | Yes |
| 3 | ONT | up | -0.90% | -0.90% | 68% | -0.60% | No |
| 4 | TRT | up | +2.03% | +2.03% | 64% | +2.33% | Yes |
| 5 | KPLT | up | -2.35% | -2.35% | 60% | -2.05% | No |
The model's market view
US equities closed higher on Friday with the S&P 500 up 0.5% and Nasdaq up 0.5%, supported by falling oil prices and optimism around US-China talks despite elevated Treasury yields. Technology and AI-related stocks led gains, with semiconductors and mega-cap software names showing relative strength into Monday's session. The 1-day horizon favors momentum names with near-term catalysts, strong institutional flows, and exposure to the ongoing AI infrastructure build-out. Extreme movers today are dominated by binary clinical readouts and sharp selloffs in small-cap names, creating high-volatility continuation and reversal opportunities.
Why each pick
KOD
Thesis: Kodiak Sciences reported positive topline Phase 3 DAYBREAK results for Zenkuda and tabirafusp-ted in wet AMD on September 28 at 8:30 AM EDT, meeting primary endpoints. The stock closed at $32.35 on September 25, down 2.62% for the source session, but surged over 50% in pre-market trading on September 28 on the news. This is a REVERSAL play (previous_change_percent negative, direction up) based on substantive clinical data validation. The $2.03B market cap and high institutional interest support sustained momentum. Risks: Profit-taking after the large pre-market gap could trigger intraday volatility; the stock is precommercial with no approved products, leaving execution and commercialization risk. Catalyst is substantive—positive Phase 3 data in a large indication.
WYY
Thesis: WidePoint crashed 50.59% on September 25 on heavy volume (3.9M shares, ~40x average), closing at $5.47. The selloff appears driven by dilution concerns or a failed contract, but the stock is holding above $5 in after-hours/overnight trading, suggesting capitulation may be complete. This is a REVERSAL play (previous_change_percent negative, direction up) on a speculative bounce from oversold conditions. The $110M market cap and extreme volume spike create a high-risk, high-reward setup. Risks: Fundamental deterioration could drive further downside; the stock has declined over 70% year-to-date. Catalyst is speculative—no clear positive newsflow, just technical oversold bounce potential.
ONT
Thesis: Montrose Environmental Group (now Onterris Inc) fell 16.35% on September 25, closing at $14.07, on what appears to be profit-taking or sector rotation. The stock is trading at $14.00 on September 28, down slightly from the prior close, but the $491M market cap and environmental services tailwinds support a stabilization. This is a REVERSAL play (previous_change_percent negative, direction up) on mean reversion after an outsized single-day decline. Risks: Continued weakness in environmental consulting demand or margin pressure could extend the downtrend. Catalyst is speculative—no specific positive news, just technical bounce potential from oversold RSI levels.
TRT
Thesis: Trio-Tech International fell 14.39% on September 25, closing at $6.22, on heavy volume (1.18M shares). The stock is a small-cap semiconductor equipment name with a $64M market cap, making it highly sensitive to sector rotation. After-hours trading shows a modest +0.72% bounce, suggesting some stabilization. This is a REVERSAL play (previous_change_percent negative, direction up) on technical oversold conditions and potential short-covering. Risks: Low liquidity and small market cap increase volatility; the company's exposure to cyclical semiconductor capex is a headwind. Catalyst is speculative—no specific news, just mean reversion from an oversold print.
KPLT
Thesis: Katapult Holdings fell 12.65% on September 25, closing at $5.04, continuing a multi-month downtrend. The $427M market cap and fintech exposure make it sensitive to rate expectations and credit concerns. The stock is trading at $5.12 on September 28, up modestly from the prior close, suggesting a potential bottoming process. This is a REVERSAL play (previous_change_percent negative, direction up) on speculative bounce from deeply oversold levels. Risks: Fundamental challenges in the lease-to-own consumer finance model persist; the company has not demonstrated consistent profitability. Catalyst is speculative—no positive newsflow, just technical bounce potential.
Other models on the same run
| Model | Picks | Average directional return | Directions called correctly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 1.5 Pro | BE, CRDO, PS, TWLO, OKTA | +1.24% | 60% |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | MCHP, MSGY, INLF, META, WYY | +4.28% | 40% |
| Muse Spark 1.1 | VIAV, AKAM, CRNX, HTZ, OPEN | -0.41% | 20% |
| Grok 4 | AESI, BE, AKAM, GEN, WYY | -0.84% | 40% |
| GPT-6 | BE, MXL, ZS, GENI, TWLO | -3.95% | 40% |
| DeepSeek | AKAM, PPLI, FFAI, GEN, CHTR | -1.53% | 40% |
Written up on ForecastNest Insights: Extreme Movers: Perplexity's picks for 2026-09-28.
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