We’re assured extra volatility this week.
Don’t waste it.
It’s options expiration week, also known as OPEX, or chopex as I like to call it…
Most monthly options contracts expire on the third Friday of every month.
This month, the third Friday is April 17, which makes this OPEX week. And during OPEX week, we usually see more volatility in the market.
That’s why I call it chopex.
If you don’t know what you’re doing, this volatility can translate to bigger losses. It chops up your account.
But for my students and me, the larger percent change means more opportunities for gains.
Right now, I’m staring at an A+ setup that’s following support and resistance, and it’s ready to bounce.
Don’t waste this volatility!
This stock is ready to rally…
Two for the Price of One
The two biggest catalysts in the market right now are the war in Iran and AI.
And the stock I’m watching for a bounce has a foot in both camps.
I’m talking about Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE: PLTR).
PLTR started as a defense and intelligence contractor. Its business is built on data analytics that governments use to make battlefield decisions. Which means their technology is front and center when conflicts break out in the Middle East.
At the same time, PLTR has spent the last two years aggressively repositioning itself as a commercial AI platform. Their AIP product (Artificial Intelligence Platform) is being adopted by major corporations across healthcare, finance, and manufacturing.
- When geopolitical tension drives defense spending, PLTR benefits.
- When the market rips higher on AI optimism, PLTR is at the front again.
Two tailwinds. One stock.
That’s worth paying attention to.
Support and Resistance
Let’s talk about what the chart is telling us, because the technicals here are as clean as they come.
Look at the chart below:
The white horizontal line is sitting around $125.
That level acted as resistance as far back as February 2025. It was a ceiling PLTR couldn’t break until the stock soldiered through it during May, and bounced off the level in June and July, identifying it as new support.
The stock bounced off support again in February 2026. And now it’s consolidating around that level.
Resistance can become support and vice versa.
Buyers fought to break through the $125 ceiling, and they’re not about to let the price fall back down without a fight.
When prices come back to test support, we tend to see buyers step back in.
That’s exactly what I’m watching on PLTR.
OPEX week volatility, plus a multi-month support level, plus a stock sitting at the intersection of two of the hottest macro themes in the market right now…
This is a really exciting setup.
Chopex creates a lot of noise. But underneath the noise, clean setups still exist.
PLTR is one I’m watching closely this week. Set some alerts and look for a good entry.
Be good (and be good to others),
Ben Sturgill
*Past performance does not indicate future results. Not typical.
