I almost spit out my coffee when I saw this chart (courtesy Marlin Capital) come across my timeline yesterday.

It shows that the highest beta names have been reeling since July. And the bears are coming back for more action this week.

In other words, the red-hot momentum run from earlier this year has turned into an outright dumpster fire.

The financial media has no idea who’s to blame for the selling.

Asian markets trended lower heading into Thursday’s session. There’s also been a lot of fear about cyberattacks this week. Then, we have the ever-popular “rising tensions in the Middle East.”

If you’re feeling frustrated, you aren’t alone. No one likes the stock market right now.

Fortunately, there are still ways you can avoid the worst areas of the market. While the Nasdaq Composite tumbled 2.5% yesterday, the equal-weight S&P stayed strong, gaining more than 0.25%.

Simply put, there’s a huge gulf between the “haves” and the “have-nots” right now. You just have to know where to look.

Before we dig into some ideas, let’s start with our market framework:

• For now, I’m trading on the assumption that the AI boom has not peaked. The semiconductors and other dominant AI trades are stuck below their summer highs. But they have not broken down to the point that signals a major change in trend. I will avoid trying to catch these falling knives at the moment. But I’m not totally writing off these stocks yet. More information needed!
• Seasonality remains favorable. Remember, this is still a midterm election year. The seasonal trends are very bullish from here through the end of the fourth quarter. While this does not guarantee the market will rally, it’s a helpful roadmap that can keep us grounded through these tough moments. On the flip side, we’ll know the market has deeper problems if it continues to break down during a period where it’s usually rallying. Seasonality data is most useful as a contrarian indication when the market moves against it.
• I don’t have to trade when the market is in flux. There’s no hard and fast rule that says I have to continue trading through choppy or difficult markets. If I continue to run into trouble, I can simply move to the sidelines and wait for conditions to change. Cash is a position!

Now that we have our market thoughts in order, it’s time to find some places where we can hide from the momentum carnage.

1. Tractor Supply Co. (TSCO)

Tractor Supply has not been a great performer in 2026. The stock is down more than 30% year-to-date and has remained near its lows for the better part of the past six months.

The company reported strong earnings Thursday morning, beating both top- and bottom-line estimates. Traders were unimpressed during the pre-market session.

But something changed after the opening bell…

TSCO didn’t stay down for long. After opening down 8%, buyers rode in and pushed the stock into the green, creating this beautiful reversal candle. By mid-afternoon, the stock was up more than 4%. That’s a double-digit reversal since the open.

I love these earnings reversal plays. The early sellers got it all wrong and the stock ripped, breaking out above its early October swing highs.

TSCO is a nice hiding spot from the AI correction as traders turn back to these old-fashioned retail names. Over the next several weeks, a $40 target (the green tractor) back to the 200-day moving average is a solid target for this reversal play.

2. Amplify Cybersecurity ETF (HACK)

Cybersecurity stocks have managed to buck the AI drop. And artificial intelligence fears are likely the reason these names have flourished since the software sector bottomed out in April.

This week, we’ve seen several stories about AI agents disrupting banks, as well as multiple major hacking scares across the internet. In fact, I’m guessing that these worries are partly responsible for the moves lower we’ve seen in the tech space heading into the weekend.

While AI stocks are reeling, we can get involved with the one group that’s been trending higher during the chaos.

There’s no need to pick a specific stock when the entire industry looks so strong. Just look at how HACK has perfectly bounced off its 50-day moving average in September and October (the green arrows).

HACK has now posted four straight constructive days in a row while the Nasdaq Composite has slipped lower. We can participate in this bounce here in the low $120s, with a conservative upside target of $135 over the next several weeks.

3. Altria Group Inc (MO)

Markets can be difficult at times, but I wouldn’t recommend taking up smoking to deal with the stress.

Nevertheless, tobacco is one of those stalwart safety trades that can thrive when the market gets messy. And as you can see from the chart, MO is heating up with a beautiful breakout to new 2026 highs this week:

This safety trade is now up more than 30% year-to-date, easily besting the Nasdaq. Its latest run began after a picture-perfect retest of its 200-day moving average near $67 at the start of the month. Perhaps it has another momentum run in it following this breakout above $75. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it top triple-digits at some point in Q1 2027.

Remember, you don’t have to trade right now. But if you do, stick to setups like these in this tumultuous tape.

If and when the momentum trade switches back on, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get back into the tech names that are getting slaughtered right now.

The market will reward your patience.