One of the most important things traders can do during a weak market session is identify stocks showing true relative strength

Today, while the broader market spent most of the session under pressure, two names kept standing out in my Large Cap Gainers Race — $ACI and $KR.

Albertsons and Kroger were doing something most stocks simply could not do today: holding near the highs of the day while the market was selling off.

That immediately gets my attention.

My Large Cap Gainers Race is designed to find stocks up at least 2% and trading close to their intraday highs. When the market is red and certain stocks continue climbing, it often signals underlying institutional buying or sector rotation.

$ACI was particularly aggressive today, absolutely ripping higher throughout the session. Kroger showed the same type of steady strength and momentum. These are the kinds of stocks traders should have on their radar when the tape is weak.

Now, admittedly, I did attempt a short on ACI near VWAP, but ultimately the bigger takeaway wasn’t the trade itself — it was the relative strength these grocery names displayed against a difficult market backdrop.

On down days, finding leaders matters.

When most stocks are fading, the names refusing to go down can become tomorrow’s biggest opportunities.