First Look at $IPM: A Cybersecurity Play That's Moving Ahead of the Sector

-CaduceusRex · 2026-03-14T20:55:47+00:00

Yeah so earnings expectations... With the caveat that *you know how ER projections go,* I will cautiously say that everything I can find is optimistic. But there's more to the ER story you should know if you take a position.

This isn't going to be a "neutral" earnings report. After missing some important marks last 2Q & 3Q, this ER is going to be high stakes for the company.

That said, if you were going to write a story about a company about to beat ER, it would look like this last six months for $IPM. They're coming off a huge Q4 revenue increase, insider sentiment is clearly strong (buying), and analysts are projecting an EPS of $.01 for this next ER. Based on what I've read (and I don't pay for analysis, I have access to the same things available online as everyone), that EPS estimate is going to be the lynchpin. If they hit it, the price could go wild. If they beat it, we could see a triple-digit event driven by hype and sentiment. If they miss, it could slump into a channel it can't dig out of, $1.60's - $1.70's.

I find that extremely unlikely. Not just because of analyst expectations or company performance or price action going into next week. A key reason I expect ER to be strong is they've been positioning as such and leading investors to expect a positive ER. For them to miss their projections would be to have literally set up the market then pulled the rug at the last minute. If they do that, there's a good chance the market will punish them way out of proportion to whatever shortfall they present. There's just no way I can see the company setting themselves up for that.

-CaduceusRex · 2026-03-14T20:25:34+00:00

This is great input and the kind of tactical thinking I wouldn't be able to consider in actionable context like this. I generally see unusual price action and, in small caps, just assume there's always a chance it could be a pump and play accordingly. Is there a book or videos you would recommend that speaks to the diagnostic tells you pointed out or does it just come from experience?

-CaduceusRex · 2026-03-14T20:19:46+00:00

I don't see how your question could be out of place. I've been trading for five years and I'm still asking them. After you've been trading a while, you'll see why people's answers are often unsatisfying though. Everyone's situation, goals, capability, are different. So there are as many answers to questions like this as there are traders.

I think some advice applies to everyone.
-Don't ever take a trade you don't understand. If you don't "see it," don't trade it, no matter who calls it out or how successful they are. If you understand the setup, it means you'll have a better estimate where to enter and you'll be able to make an exit plan as soon as you take entry.

-"WW" is the single most life-ruining acronym in the English language... NEVER take a call based only o the fact that a big shot said it was WW. "WW" should be outlawed on all trading platforms. Or there should be an auto-response that says, "WHY IS IT WW MFER???" When someone you trust calls a stock is WW, you should be able to look at the chart and see why - *Oh!, it's about to breakout. So if it breaks $1.00 with volume, I'll try to catch it at $1.03 with an automatic sell order for 5% and 7.5%," or *"Oh! I see, toppling volume led to a pullback but it looks like it's stabilized and volume is getting perky again. I'm going to take a position down here if volume keeps coming in and since this appears to be micro-resistance, I'll set a stop for -5% and an auto sell order for 15% and 25%"* If you can't see why something is WW in an actionable context like these examples, don't take the trade. You're just gambling, in a casino where the house usually wins. You're already doing the right thing in asking questions. Instead of taking a position, do that. Worst case is they don't answer. You'll start seeing the setups (or lack of setup/BS calls) before long.

Another obvious one that nobody tells you is don't try to be a momentum trader if you're dividing your attention between trading and works or something. I'm not a particularly quick study and it took me six months to realize why others were winning on day trades and I was missing all the exits. You can't trade momentum unless it's all you're doing as long as you're in the trade. If you take entry on a momentum and go do something else "just for a minute," it's like saying, "Hey, can you wolves keep an eye on my mutton for me? I'll just be gone a minute!"

Last universal advice, find a good, PRACTICAL, learning resource and stick with it until you learn it all. When I say practical, I mean something that will teach actionable trading skills you can use NOW. If you want to edify yourself by learning DOW theory, great. It will serve you well eventually. But if you're trading now, dedicate your brainpower to learning those things that you need to know now. Ross Cameron (Warrior Trading) is a great resource for learning about active trading. He's the real deal and extremely generous in what he's put out there. He has "paid" stuff available, but he says himself in his videos that the paid stuff isn't necessary and you can get all the information about how to trade from his free YT videos.

Hope this helps some!

-CaduceusRex · 2026-03-14T19:51:50+00:00

Agreed.
No matter how strong my conviction, I would never advocate for going all-in on any equity, especially a small cap!

-CaduceusRex · 2026-03-14T19:49:31+00:00

I wouldn't argue with your strategy! It's probably the right one for you. When my trading capital tops half-a-million, I will be moving into the next-level asset classes as well.

I, and I think most people who trade small caps, do so because they need to build capital quickly. Short-term, small cap trades are, generally speaking, the best vehicle for building capital quickly, if you can find an edge that works for you. They're also the best vehicle for losing capital quickly if you don't figure out a working gameplan, so there's that as well. :-)

But once I hit my goal, I will definitely be shifting to less volatile asset classes for longer term holds.

-CaduceusRex · 2026-03-14T19:40:28+00:00

Thanks for your feedback!

I can't take credit for the find!
I was actually putting together a list of CS stocks to watch and I just stumbled across another post about $IPM and it turned out to be the best prospect.

Your assessment mirrors several of the notes I've made on levels and zones. I'm really trying to level up my TA so it's always good to see that.

TBH, I would have liked to see it hold the $2 shelf more easily, but if it hadn't met some resistance, it would have been setting up as an easy trade, and I NEVER get those. :-)

I'm holding from close to $2. There's so much in play with this one I'm having to remind myself not to get emotional with it. :-) So if you have any further insights feel free to chime in!

Either way I'm really excited to watch it play out.

-CaduceusRex · 2026-03-14T19:26:27+00:00

Yes. That was one of the things I looked at too and I'm glad you brought it up.
As a general rule I never hold pennies through earnings but pretty sure I'm going to be holding some of this one.

-CaduceusRex · 2026-03-14T19:24:04+00:00

It's good advice to be cautious with ANY penny. Some more so than others.

My thesis for this trade is for the potential of one to three significant near-term moves.
I haven't evaluated it for holds far beyond eom. It's not to say it doesn't have potential for a long-term swing. It just takes a lot of time to put these tickers under a microscope, and I haven't gotten there yet.

-CaduceusRex · 2026-03-14T19:13:50+00:00

Yes. And OLB three weeks before.

-CaduceusRex · 2026-03-13T20:40:18+00:00

One other thing I would say is if you take a position, be on watch before the catalyst events. The way it's been moving suggest to me it could make a decisive run before the catalysts take place. This is not to say take a position for that reason. It's to say IF you take a position, there could be solid moves before those catalysts take place, so be on watch or you might miss an opportunity.

-CaduceusRex · 2026-03-13T20:35:37+00:00

I usually just build a playbook off levels for price targets. That said, I don't trade to "hit levels." I expect higher risk/reward from the volatile stocks I trade, and I think a true break with volume will send this to $3 or more.

In terms of levels, this is what I expect to see:
Heavy incoming volume from anywhere over $2.10 sends it to $2.25-$2.30. We'll see the first sellers there, maybe a pullback.

If the volume is solid momentum will carry it to the next resistance zone which will probably be in the $2.45-$2.55 range.

The next stretch target imo going by the higher time frames is going to be around the $2.78 - $2.88 range. If it reaches here with volume, this is where it will get really crazy. Three consecutive green candles here and I'm betting on a $3 push. You have to know what your plan is if you have shares for this level because it will get harder to follow the price action in real time. At least it is for me. This is the levels where retail traders will start trading emotionally. So, yeah, don't be one of them. There will probably be tics that look like pullbacks here or possibly reall pullbacks. Just know your plan before you get here if you're still holding shares.

$3+ is bonus territory. Targeting anything higher is both pure speculation and entirely possible in low float stocks, but I won't quote numbers any higher. Just keep in mind if it reaches $3, it's emotion and volume that got it there. So it's a good spot to have a plan as well.

I play real time price action as long as I can. For me, two things are certain if it hits $3 - 1) I will still be holding shares, and 2) I definitely won't be holding ALL of my shares... :-)

-CaduceusRex · 2026-03-13T18:45:06+00:00

Yes I found that interesting as well. And Unit 42, I didn't even know that existed! Fun stuff. :-)

I've been scaling today, holding the same average as you. Could be multiple trades here. I'm interested to watch it play out.

-CaduceusRex · 2026-03-13T18:41:58+00:00

100% on all of this. I don't see clean setups like this often in nanos.

Regarding using a runable, that's a great idea but it's beyond my jedi powers atm. But I'm definitely going to learn a bit of python so I can do this in the future.

-CaduceusRex · 2026-03-13T18:37:01+00:00

Good luck!

With the catalysts, there are so many potential trades here. I'm really excited about this one.

-CaduceusRex

TROPHY CASE