Dragonfly Systems by Skylar

Our Investment Theses — Verified Track Record

Every thesis we track, back to the moment it became publicly documentable.
Winners and losers both shown. Updated May 04, 2026.

+322%
Avg Return
Since Entry
+92%
S&P 500
Same Periods
-144%
Average
Alpha
61%
Theses That
Beat Market
67
Tickers
Tracked
Best Thesis
VRT+2376.9%
Vertiv Holdings — data center power+cooling infrastructure; every hyperscaler building AI clusters is a Vertiv customer

Dragonfly Systems monitors government grants, patent filings, procurement contracts, and regulatory signals across pre-discovery sectors — before they reach mainstream financial media.

Methodology note: We cannot replay our live data feeds against 5-year-old history. What we can do: identify the first date a verifiable public document (DOE grant, SEC filing, NRCan announcement, EU Horizon award) contained one of our tracked signal keywords, then measure what happened to the stock from that date. Each row shows the specific keyword that would have triggered our system (HIGH or MED) and the catalyst event it was tied to. All tracked tickers included — winners and losers.
Signal scoring guide
HIGH Government grant ≥50M, prime defense/federal contract ≥$100M, exclusive regulatory approval creating a market moat, or a named Congressional budget line item. Price-moving potential is high and the catalyst is specific.
MED Grant $5M–50M, secondary contractor in a major program, or policy document naming the technology as a national strategic priority. Direction is clear; timing is less certain.
The same signal strength does not mean the same return — a HIGH on a niche uranium contract behaves differently from a HIGH on a liquid-cooling mandate from every major hyperscaler. Context is everything.

Exit Strategy Comparison

Same portfolio, same entry dates — but what if you had used a different exit strategy? Each strategy is simulated against actual price history for every thesis position. This shows which approach has historically captured the most profit across all 67 tracked positions.

Strategy Avg Return (all positions) Win Rate Best Result Wins Most
🏆 Buy & Hold
+322.4%
79% beat 0%Best: VRT +2377%Wins most: 42 positions
Sell 50% @2x, re-enter on 35% pullback
+223.9%
82% beat 0%Best: VRT +1431%Wins most: 6 positions
1/3 @100% + 1/3 @200% + 20% stop
+101.4%
87% beat 0%Best: LITE +430%Wins most: 8 positions
Sell 1/3 @100%, 1/3 @200%, hold rest
+99.2%
87% beat 0%Best: LITE +430%Wins most: 2 positions
Trailing Stop 40%
+60.0%
37% beat 0%Best: NVDA +1288%Wins most: 0 positions
Sell 25% @50%, @100%, @200%, hold 25%
+56.5%
91% beat 0%Best: NVDA +239%Wins most: 3 positions
Trailing Stop 25%
+14.2%
37% beat 0%Best: NVDA +602%Wins most: 4 positions
Exit on 3M Momentum Flip
+8.5%
46% beat 0%Best: GOLD +306%Wins most: 2 positions

Top positions — what each one's best strategy was vs. buy & hold:

Ticker Buy & Hold Best Strategy Difference
VRT+2376.9%Buy & Hold → +2376.9%
MOD+2165.1%Buy & Hold → +2165.1%
LITE+1701.2%Buy & Hold → +1701.2%
NVDA+1287.8%Buy & Hold → +1287.8%
GOLD+1276.5%Buy & Hold → +1276.5%
ASTS+1165.9%Buy & Hold → +1165.9%
BE+964.6%Buy & Hold → +964.6%
CCJ+963.5%Buy & Hold → +963.5%
OKLO+733.1%Buy & Hold → +733.1%
UEC+604.7%Buy & Hold → +604.7%
PWR+565.5%Buy & Hold → +565.5%
UUUU+449.7%Buy & Hold → +449.7%

Strategy simulation uses actual daily close prices from Yahoo Finance. "Best strategy" is determined per-position, not portfolio-wide. Results are hypothetical — assumes perfect execution at trigger prices with no slippage.

Trailing stop column: If our exit signal system had triggered a 40%-from-peak stop on any underperformer, this is what the exit return would have been. Blank = stop never triggered (still holding at a gain).

TickerThesis / KeywordEntry HoldReturnvs S&P 500With Stop
Advanced Data Center Infrastructure
VRTHIGHVertiv Holdings — data center power+cooling infrastructure; every hyperscal…
keyword: liquid cooling
2023-013y 4m+2376.9%+2279.5% vs SPY+585.6%
MODHIGHModine Manufacturing — thermal management for AI data centers; pivoted from…
keyword: liquid cooling
2022-063y 11m+2165.1%+2079.2% vs SPY+607.6%
SMCIHIGHSuper Micro Computer — AI server infrastructure; liquid-cooled GPU rack systems for every hyperscaler AI cluster
keyword: liquid cooling + AI server
2022-014y 4m+16.0%-8.5% vs SPY+2970%
stop saved ~2954pp
CRWVHIGHCoreWeave — GPU cloud infrastructure; hyperscalers pay for priority H100/H200 access; AI compute is the new oil
keyword: GPU cloud · AI compute · IPO Mar 2025
2025-031y 2m+217.6%+212.2% vs SPY
Carbon Capture / CCUS
OXYMEDOXY acquired Carbon Engineering — largest direct air capture plant in const…
keyword: direct air capture
2023-013y 4m+1.5%-95.9% vs SPY-31.4%
NPWRMEDNET Power — oxy-combustion power generation with inherent carbon capture, n…
keyword: carbon capture
2023-062y 11m-86.4%-160.6% vs SPY-32.8%
saved +54pp
ETF Baskets
NUKZHIGHETF: Range Nuclear Renaissance — pure nuclear energy exposure; CCJ, NLR, OK…
keyword: small modular reactor
2023-013y 4m+192.7%+95.3% vs SPY
COPXMEDETF: Global X Copper Miners — diversified copper exposure; FCX, SCCO, HBM, …
keyword: copper
2021-015y 4m+179.5%+69.6% vs SPY-13.5%
UFOMEDETF: Procure Space — diversified space sector exposure; RKLB, ASTS, LMT, RT…
keyword: launch vehicle
2022-014y 4m+103.7%+43.8% vs SPY-40.2%
SILMEDETF: Global X Silver Miners — diversified silver producer exposure; WPM, PA…
keyword: silver
2021-015y 4m+91.7%-18.2% vs SPY-39.8%
Gold / Silver / Mining
GOLDMEDBarrick Gold — world's #2 producer; Nevada JV with Newmont maximizes margin…
keyword: mining
2020-016y 4m+1276.5%+1133.8% vs SPY+630.2%
WPMMEDStreaming model — royalty-based gold/silver exposure with no mining cost ri…
keyword: mining
2020-016y 4m+353.9%+211.2% vs SPY+12.1%
AGAG.VMEDArgenta Silver Corp — Canadian silver junior; leveraged play on silver supp…
keyword: silver
2024-012y 3m+340.0%+288.1% vs SPY+108.0%
AEMMEDAgnico Eagle — low-cost senior gold miner, Canada-focused, strong ESG profi…
keyword: mining
2020-016y 4m+248.0%+105.3% vs SPY-38.5%
NEMMEDGold bull market — monetary policy + debt supercycle; mine tailings signal …
keyword: mining
2020-016y 4m+200.1%+57.4% vs SPY+10.6%
Graphene / Advanced Materials
GMG.AXHIGHFirst commercial graphene lubricant — measurable fuel savings in independen…
keyword: graphene
2021-035y 2m+84.6%-14.1% vs SPY-6.6%
Grid Infrastructure
PWRHIGHQuanta Services — builds transmission lines, substations, fiber, renewable …
keyword: transmission infrastructure
2022-014y 4m+565.5%+505.6% vs SPY
EOSEHIGHEos Energy — zinc battery grid storage; no lithium, no cobalt, no thermal r…
keyword: grid storage
2022-063y 11m+416.0%+330.1% vs SPY+3.2%
Lithium / Battery
SQMMEDWorld's #2 lithium producer; Atacama brine lowest-cost source globally
keyword: direct lithium extraction
2021-015y 4m+122.5%+12.6% vs SPY+40.1%
SGMLMEDLow-carbon Brazilian hard-rock lithium — battery grade concentrate at scale
keyword: lithium
2022-044y 1m+41.5%-26.6% vs SPY+59.4%
saved +18pp
LITMEDLithium supply chain ETF — broadest battery sector exposure
keyword: lithium
2021-015y 4m+39.0%-70.9% vs SPY-14.3%
ALBMEDLithium demand to triple — Albemarle dominant low-cost producer of battery-…
keyword: lithium
2021-015y 4m+35.1%-74.8% vs SPY+28.6%
LACMEDLithium Americas — Thacker Pass, largest known lithium deposit in North Ame…
keyword: lithium
2021-035y 2m-43.6%-142.3% vs SPY-31.3%
saved +12pp
Mine Tailings / Critical Mineral Reclamation
PPTAHIGHPerpetua Resources — Stibnite Gold project with active EPA mine remediation…
keyword: mine tailings
2021-064y 11m+243.8%+159.9% vs SPY-30.3%
NVRO.VHIGHEnviroGold Global — proprietary tech to reclaim gold, copper, silver, and R…
keyword: mine tailings
2022-014y 4m+30.8%-29.1% vs SPY
Natural Hydrogen
GHY.AXHIGHGeological hydrogen — zero-cost fuel if flow tests confirm commercial extra…
keyword: natural hydrogen
2023-043y 1m-13.8%-96.0% vs SPY-40.0%
Neuromorphic / Photonic Compute
LITEHIGH800G fiber optic transceivers — AI clusters need 10-100x more optics bandwi…
keyword: optical computing
2023-013y 4m+1701.2%+1603.8% vs SPY-30.0%
NVDAHIGHAI accelerator — ChatGPT makes GPU demand visible; 'neuromorphic' in DOE AI…
keyword: neuromorphic
2023-013y 4m+1287.8%+1190.4% vs SPY
COHRHIGHCoherent optics for AI data center bandwidth — 'photonic computing' fires H…
keyword: photonic computing
2022-014y 3m+363.8%+299.4% vs SPY-37.4%
BRN.AXHIGHNeuromorphic edge AI chip — 1000x lower power than GPU for inference
keyword: neuromorphic
2021-045y 1m-73.5%-166.1% vs SPY-35.9%
saved +38pp
New Energies / Geothermal
ORAMEDAlways-on geothermal baseload — 'enhanced geothermal' in DOE GeoVision gran…
keyword: geothermal
2021-015y 4m+27.9%-82.0% vs SPY-18.9%
New Energies / Hydrogen
BEHIGHFuel cells for data centers + microgrids — hydrogen-ready, 24/7 clean power
keyword: hydrogen fuel cell
2021-015y 4m+964.6%+854.7% vs SPY-7.2%
MAXX.CNMEDMAXX Power Mining Corp — Canadian clean energy, EV charging + hydrogen powe…
keyword: hydrogen fuel cell
2022-063y 11m+185.2%+99.3% vs SPY-10.2%
PLUGHIGHGreen hydrogen economy — SK $1.5B validates commercial scale
keyword: hydrogen fuel cell
2021-015y 4m-90.3%-200.2% vs SPY+34.7%
saved +125pp
Quantum Computing
IONQMEDFirst pure-play publicly traded quantum computing company — trapped ion arc…
keyword: quantum computing
2021-104y 7m+402.2%+325.7% vs SPY+101.8%
RGTIMEDRigetti superconducting quantum computers — cloud-accessible quantum API
keyword: quantum computing
2021-124y 5m+67.1%-3.1% vs SPY-39.4%
Rare Earths / Critical Minerals
UUUUHIGHDual uranium + REE producer; White Mesa Mill sole operating US REE processo…
keyword: rare earth
2021-015y 4m+449.7%+339.8% vs SPY+57.6%
NICU.VHIGHPower Nickel — nickel+cobalt+copper+PGM Quebec; NICU deposit hits all criti…
keyword: nickel
2022-063y 11m+436.6%+350.7% vs SPY-36.6%
MPHIGHOnly US rare earth mine + processor — direct play on China supply chain ris…
keyword: rare earth
2020-115y 5m+363.0%+247.4% vs SPY+105.1%
SCCOMEDSouthern Copper — world's lowest-cost copper producer, massive Peruvian/Mex…
keyword: copper
2021-015y 4m+231.8%+121.9% vs SPY-28.5%
HBMMEDHudbay Minerals — Canadian copper+zinc+gold; Copper Mountain + Arizona copp…
keyword: copper
2021-015y 4m+212.4%+102.5% vs SPY-27.7%
NEO.TOHIGHNeo Performance Materials (Toronto) — processes rare earth oxides into NdFe…
keyword: permanent magnet
2021-015y 4m+133.7%+23.8% vs SPY-1.2%
FCXMEDCopper — the metal of electrification; every EV, grid upgrade, and data cen…
keyword: copper
2021-015y 4m+123.7%+13.8% vs SPY+10.4%
TTDKYMEDTDK Corporation (ADR) — world's largest NdFeB magnet maker; also MLCC capac…
keyword: permanent magnet
2021-015y 4m+80.3%-29.6% vs SPY-29.8%
REMXHIGHRare earth ETF — broadest exposure to critical mineral supply chain buildou…
keyword: rare earths
2021-015y 4m+73.4%-36.5% vs SPY+16.9%
SBSWMEDSibanye-Stillwater — world's largest PGM producer; platinum + palladium + r…
keyword: platinum group
2021-015y 4m-9.1%-119.0% vs SPY-24.5%
NBHIGHNioCorp Developments — niobium+scandium+titanium Nebraska; all three are Do…
keyword: critical mineral
2022-014y 4m-20.1%-80.0% vs SPY-42.1%
Robotics / Automation
TERMEDTeradyne — owns Universal Robots (world leader in cobots) + semiconductor t…
keyword: collaborative robot
2021-015y 4m+195.8%+85.9% vs SPY-15.6%
SERVMEDServe Robotics — NVIDIA-backed sidewalk delivery robots; early commercial d…
keyword: autonomous mobile robot
2023-072y 10m-60.5%-128.6% vs SPY-77.6%
Semiconductor Chokepoints
ASMLHIGHASML Holding — monopoly on EUV lithography machines; if ASML stops, AI chip…
keyword: chip manufacturing
2022-014y 4m+86.8%+26.9% vs SPY-40.9%
MUHIGHMicron Technology — memory chokepoint; HBM in every AI GPU; $6.1B CHIPS Act award
keyword: HBM · CHIPS Act
2022-082y 9m+1077.0%+1029.5% vs SPY
ARMHIGHArm Holdings — AI chip design chokepoint; every GPU, CPU, mobile, and edge AI processor uses ARM architecture
keyword: chip architecture · AI chokepoint · IPO Sep 2023
2023-091y 8m+306.9%+272.8% vs SPY
AMDHIGHAdvanced Micro Devices — AI accelerator competitor; MI300X GPU for AI workloads; powers DOE Frontier, world's first exascale supercomputer
keyword: exascale · AI accelerator
2022-062y 11m+246.1%+159.6% vs SPY
AVGOHIGHBroadcom — custom AI ASIC designer; builds Google TPU, Meta MTIA, Apple neural engine; hyperscalers pay billions to reduce NVIDIA dependency
keyword: custom ASIC · AI silicon
2023-012y 4m+698.3%+600.4% vs SPY
TSMHIGHTSMC — manufactures every leading-edge AI chip; NVIDIA H100, AMD MI300X, Apple M-series all fab here; $6.6B CHIPS Act Arizona award
keyword: CHIPS Act · leading-edge foundry
2022-082y 9m+393.7%+308.8% vs SPY
AMATHIGHApplied Materials — deposition and etch equipment for every AI chip fab; if AMAT stops, TSMC and Samsung stop
keyword: CHIPS Act · semiconductor equipment
2022-082y 9m+320.2%+235.3% vs SPY
LRCXHIGHLam Research — etch and deposition equipment; critical chokepoint in 3D NAND and advanced logic manufacturing for AI memory
keyword: CHIPS Act · etch equipment
2022-082y 9m+504.9%+420.0% vs SPY
Solar Technology
FSLRHIGHFirst Solar — US-manufactured thin-film CdTe panels; IRA domestic content b…
keyword: solar cell efficiency
2022-014y 4m+139.0%+79.1% vs SPY+53.9%
ENPHHIGHEnphase Energy — microinverters + home batteries; software intelligence lay…
keyword: solar cell efficiency
2021-015y 4m-80.3%-190.2% vs SPY-25.8%
saved +54pp
Solid State Battery
SLDPMEDSolid Power — BMW and Ford-backed solid-state battery developer
keyword: solid state battery
2021-124y 4m-73.7%-137.0% vs SPY-40.7%
saved +33pp
QSMEDQuantumScape — VW-backed solid state battery could 2x EV range; no lithium …
keyword: solid state battery
2020-115y 5m-80.4%-194.2% vs SPY+35.0%
saved +115pp
Space / Satellite
ASTSHIGHAST SpaceMobile — direct-to-cell satellite broadband; T-Mobile + AT&T agree…
keyword: satellite broadband
2023-062y 11m+1165.9%+1088.4% vs SPY-28.0%
RKLBHIGHRocket Lab — only vertically integrated small satellite company; builds roc…
keyword: launch vehicle
2021-104y 7m+393.2%+316.7% vs SPY-39.1%
PLMEDPlanet Labs — daily Earth imaging across entire planet; NGA + intel communi…
keyword: geospatial intelligence
2021-124y 4m+289.7%+226.8% vs SPY-40.3%
LUNRHIGHIntuitive Machines — NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services; first US soft …
keyword: lunar payload
2024-022y 2m+282.4%+234.9% vs SPY-6.4%
RDWMEDRedwire Space — in-space manufacturing, deployable solar arrays, microgravi…
keyword: space manufacturing
2021-094y 8m-11.0%-80.7% vs SPY-26.6%
BKSYMEDBlackSky Technology — SAR + multispectral satellite constellation; NGA DoD …
keyword: geospatial intelligence
2021-094y 7m-59.6%-132.3% vs SPY-34.6%
saved +25pp
Superconductors
AMSCMEDAmerican Superconductor — grid stability, offshore wind, and naval defense …
keyword: superconductor
2022-014y 4m+376.5%+316.6% vs SPY-41.9%
Uranium / Nuclear
CCJHIGHNuclear renaissance — net-zero commitments signal sustained uranium demand
keyword: uranium enrichment
2020-095y 8m+963.5%+842.1% vs SPY+222.8%
OKLOHIGHMicro-reactor for AI data center power — OpenAI-backed; 'SMR' fires HIGH on…
keyword: small modular reactor
2024-051y 11m+733.1%+691.4% vs SPY-24.4%
UECHIGHUS domestic uranium production required under national security policy
keyword: uranium enrichment
2021-035y 2m+604.7%+506.0% vs SPY-4.7%
NXEHIGHArrow deposit — world's largest undeveloped high-grade uranium advancing to…
keyword: uranium enrichment
2021-015y 4m+365.4%+255.5% vs SPY+44.4%
URAHIGHUranium ETF — diversified exposure across miners, developers, and converter…
keyword: uranium enrichment
2021-015y 4m+339.3%+229.4% vs SPY
DNNHIGHWheeler River Phoenix ISR project — potentially Canada's lowest-cost uraniu…
keyword: uranium enrichment
2021-064y 11m+184.1%+100.2% vs SPY-4.5%
SMRHIGHFirst SMR to receive NRC design approval — keyword 'small modular reactor' …
keyword: small modular reactor
2022-054y 0m+15.1%-67.8% vs SPY-14.7%
Water Security
ERIIMEDEnergy Recovery — pressure exchanger tech cuts desalination energy cost 60%…
keyword: desalination
2023-013y 4m-46.5%-143.9% vs SPY-11.3%
saved +35pp

Pre-IPO Watchlist PREMIUM

These companies are private. You cannot buy them yet. But the government signals are already flowing. When they go public, subscribers who have been tracking the thesis do not scramble. They already know the story.

Starlink (SpaceX subsidiary)
Signals: FCC spectrum filings, DOD broadband contracts ($500M+), rural connectivity grants.
IPO timeline: Speculated 2026-2027. Starlink as a standalone entity is the most likely path.
Public plays now: RKLB (competing launch), ASTS (satellite connectivity).
Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS)
Signals: DOE fusion grants, MIT spinout, $1.8B raised, SPARC tokamak targeting net energy.
IPO timeline: Post-milestone, likely 2027+.
Public plays now: Superconductors (AMSC), grid infrastructure (PWR).
Helion Energy
Signals: First-ever commercial fusion power purchase agreement with Microsoft (2028 target).
IPO timeline: Post-delivery milestone.
Public plays now: OKLO, SMR, copper miners (FCX).
Anduril Industries
Signals: $1B+ DOD contracts, DARPA autonomous systems programs, classified procurement filings.
IPO timeline: No confirmed date. Privately profitable.
Public plays now: Defense AI adjacent: SERV, RKLB.
Blue Origin
Signals: NASA Artemis lunar lander contract, New Glenn launch contracts, BE-4 engine (ULA Vulcan).
IPO timeline: Bezos has indicated possible IPO. No date set.
Public plays now: RKLB, RDW, long-term lunar mining.
How this works for subscribers
These companies become tradeable when net energy is demonstrated, an S-1 is filed, or a landmark contract is awarded. Dragonfly monitors the underlying signals now. When the moment arrives, the thesis is already built.

Sector Trickle-Down Map

When a signal fires in one sector, it rarely stops there. Institutional desks pay thousands to map these chains. Here it is plain.

AI Data Center buildout
Liquid cooling demand → VRT, MOD
Server infrastructure → SMCI, CRWV
Power grid upgrades → PWR, AEM
Copper wiring → FCX, COPX, SCCO
Memory chokepoint → MU
Chip design → NVDA, ARM, ASML
Nuclear energy policy
Uranium supply → CCJ, UEC, UUUU, NXE, DNN
Reactor construction → SMR, OKLO, NUKZ
Grid transmission → PWR, MOD
Rare earth magnets → MP, REMX
Long-duration storage → EOSE, QS
Fusion milestone (CFS or Helion)
Superconductor demand → AMSC
Copper + rare earths surge → FCX, MP, REMX
Grid infrastructure → PWR, AEM
Existing nuclear re-rated → CCJ, UEC, OKLO
Long-duration storage disrupted → watch EOSE, QS
Space launch contract
Launch vehicle → RKLB
Satellite manufacturing → RDW, BKSY
Ground infrastructure → LUNR
Optical comms → COHR, LITE
Earth observation → PL, BKSY
Critical minerals / supply chain
Lithium → LAC, SQM, SGML, ALB, LIT
Rare earths → MP, REMX, PPTA
Recycling / reclamation → ERII
EV battery → QS, SLDP, EOSE
Quantum computing contract
Hardware → IONQ, RGTI
Photonic compute → LITE, COHR
Cryogenic cooling → MOD (adjacency)
Post-quantum encryption → watch CISA procurement
How to read this: When Dragonfly flags a HIGH signal in any sector, look two and three rows down the chain. Those are often the less obvious plays with more room to run. VRT was visible by mid-2023. The grid play (PWR) took longer to find. The copper play (FCX) took longer still. Each step away from the headline is one step closer to pre-discovery.
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What subscribers get: Smart alerts when new catalysts fire across these sectors. Full company profiles. Conviction ratings. 5-year thesis track record updated weekly. Community watchlist intelligence. Virtual portfolio comparison. 3 emails/day max — only when something worth acting on happens.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Returns reflect price appreciation from thesis inception dates to today — not actual client returns. This is not financial advice. Dragonfly Systems is an independent research publication, not a registered investment adviser.

Track record data sourced from Yahoo Finance. Prices as of May 04, 2026.