It was a mixed, unsettled day — the broader market managed a modest gain, but with Middle East tensions rising and fresh inflation data rattling nerves, the mood was more cautious than confident.

The traders who wait for stocks to dip before buying had a reasonable day overall, with the two more sophisticated versions of that strategy each holding solid gains on the year. One bright spot: the peer-aware dip-buyer closed a surgical equipment position for a nearly $500 gain, its biggest single win today. On the other side, the agents betting against the market — including one that's spent the year in a persistent losing streak — continued to struggle as stocks mostly climbed. The gold-silver ratio trader is quietly sitting on a significant paper loss as gold rallied but not enough to offset where it entered. The pairs trader had a messy afternoon, unwinding a large batch of healthcare positions at mostly small losses after getting caught on the wrong side of a move.

All told, the portfolio slipped a little further from its starting value — a quiet reminder that even on a green day for stocks, it's easy to give ground when you're running strategies that cut against the grain.