The Year Ahead: Rotation, Renewal, and Real Tools for Retail Investors

The next twelve months are not about sitting still. They’re about rotation, in portfolios, in strategy, and maybe even in how we think about money.

I’ve spent the last year tracking small-cap stories from their earliest financings through the grind and into their rerates. Some exploded faster than I expected. Some are still climbing. And a few have reached the point where it’s time to take some gains and push that capital forward into the next thing.

This isn’t about “selling out.” It’s about staying in motion, harvesting wins, redeploying into the next conviction play, and repeating the cycle while most people are still waiting for permission to move.

The Shift Ahead

2026 will not reward passive conviction. It will reward agility.

Here’s what that looks like:

• Laddering out of winners instead of bailing all at once. (Example: selling 25% of your shares on a double, 25% on a triple….)

• Getting into new sectors before the crowd even notices them.

• Rotating between themes like energy, tech, critical materials, and a few areas that haven’t hit anyone’s radar yet.

I’m doing the same thing in my own portfolio. It’s the same cycle every time: harvest, replant, repeat.

That doesn’t mean I sell everything that’s up. When I believe the story still has many multiples ahead, I stay in. Aduro (Nasdaq: ADUR) is a great example. It was up about 8x from my average, and instead of selling, I added another 5,000 shares. My conviction grew, so my position did too.

I sort my positions into three buckets:

• Swing or momentum trades – short-term, event-driven plays

• Mid-term investments – 12 to 18 months

• Long-term conviction holds

Most of what I share here falls in the mid to long-term range. If it’s a shorter-term swing, I’ll always make that clear.

A Bigger Playing Field

You’re going to see a broader range of ideas from me this year. I’m still focused on small-cap growth and clean tech, but I’m also exploring corners of the market I’ve never shared here before.

One example: I’ve been digging into a litigation play for six months, and I’ll be introducing it here soon. It’s completely different from anything I’ve covered, and that’s intentional. Diversification isn’t just about safety. It’s about firepower.

Private Placements: Getting In Before the Crowd

Most of the companies I cover here or in Discord are ones I first bought through private placements. I’m willing to lock up capital for four to six months to get a better entry point and a more asymmetric setup. It’s not a guaranteed win, but the risk-reward profile is often far better than chasing in the open market.

Going forward, whenever I participate in a placement, I’ll let you know. Not as a solicitation, but as a sign that my money is in the same place as my mouth. I want you to have the option to enter at the same levels I do.

If you want to learn how placements work or join future intro calls, email me directly at [email protected]. I’m putting together a small private list of readers who want access to that side of the market.I will never receive fees or commissions from these placements.

I’m currently going into a placement at a deep discount to the market, but it is closing in 10 days, reach out if you are so inclined.

Building Tools for the Next Wave

This Substack started as a conversation. It’s becoming a platform.

Over the next year, you’ll get free access to tools I’m integrating that I believe every retail investor should have. This will be a fully functional investor platform with all the usual tools, amazing community (I promise) and a place for you to share your ideas. While I’m busy working on the backend integrations here is a sneak peek of the features I’m working on right now:

• AI-powered research that distills complex data into valuation metrics and trend signals you can actually use.

• A customizable push notification system that tracks everything from insider buys to new updates on the companies you follow.

All of it will be free to readers here. Because information shouldn’t be paywalled.

Swing Trades I’m Buying Now

Here are a few swing trades I’m accumulating right now. These are shorter-term ideas, so I won’t go deep unless one graduates to a full portfolio position. They’re widely followed, so it’s easy to dig in and do your own due diligence:

• LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners (US OTC: VLTLF | TSXV: LIB) – Pulling valuable resources out of oilfield brine. I’ve spoken with management a few times, and this could become a portfolio position, it needs more investigating. 27 cents USD.

• Cardiol Therapeutics (Nasdaq: CRDL | TSX: CRDL) – Just closed a $10 million bought deal. Developing therapies for pericarditis and myocarditis. $1.04 USD

• Digital Brands Group Inc. (Nasdaq: DBGI) – A pure chart play. Trading around ~$8.25 with a 52-week range of $1.03 to $30.34.

Rotation

Some of last year’s picks have been rotated out of my personal portfolio. I have taken advantage of Charbone’s new pricing and shed some shares, I have a little bit of LODE left, but I will wait for a catalyst for re-entry, I don’t have a good idea of the timelines here. I will be selling all of my King Global shares.

Where We Go From Here

I’ll be publishing about one Substack a week for the next few months as I dig deeper into existing positions and uncover new ones.

But this next chapter is about more than just stock picks. It’s about strategy, early access, and real tools that give retail investors an edge in a market built to leave them behind.

I want to hear from you. What do you want more of? What do you want less of? Reply here or email me, I read every message.

We’re just getting started.

XO,Penny

As always, this is not investment advice, I am not an investment advisor, and you should do your own due diligence. Investing is risky, so protect your capital at all times.