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From Blowing Up 3 Times to Managing a $200 Million Hedge Fund — Exclusive Interview with Jim Roppel

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Mar 29, 2026

Guest

Jim Roppel

Jim Roppel, a 40+ year hedge fund manager and direct student of Bill O'Neill, shares his CAN SLIM roots and risk-first trading rules. He discusses his 3-5-7% stop system, WANDA 20/20 and 40/40 screens, and how he sizes and hedges massive winners. Jim also recounts life-changing trades and why AI feels like a generational theme.

02:35:04

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Episode notes

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ADVICE

Run 20/20 WANDA Screens For True Leaders

Use CAN SLIM/WANDA screening thresholds like 20/20 or 40/40 to find elite leaders with earnings, sales and ROE.
Jim looks for 20%+ across variables and RS in the high 90s; only a handful of names qualify and that's enough.

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ADVICE

Probe Earnings Gaps Early And Scale In

When a liquid leader gaps massively on earnings, buy early and scale in before the first 30–45 minutes fade.
Jim often takes at least 10% premarket and adds through the morning, expecting many gaps to initially fade.

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ANECDOTE

SanDisk Earnings Gap Turned Into Life Changing Trade

SanDisk exploded after a 3,200% volume spike and a huge earnings surprise; Jim bought across many accounts and doubled his stake in one trade.
He later threw the position away after a sharp undercut of the 50‑day and learned to take life‑changing gains.

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Learning CAN SLIM and midnight paper runs

03:00 • 3min

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Mentorship with Bill O'Neill

06:00 • 3min

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Turning a signing bonus into big gains

08:42 • 2min

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The SanDisk life-changing trade

10:16 • 3min

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Books that shaped his approach

12:51 • 7min

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Defining his trading style today

What makes a market leader

25:30 • 3min

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Using premarket and up-on-volume screens

28:47 • 8min

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Comparing leaders within a theme

36:20 • 5min

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Favorite technical setups and bear-built cups

41:30 • 3min

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Trading earnings gaps aggressively

45:00 • 6min

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How Sandisk unfolded and lessons learned

51:00 • 4min

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Intraday sizing and fade risk on gaps

55:11 • 10min

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Breakout entries: pivots vs. gaps

01:05:40 • 5min

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Position sizing rules: 3-5-7 stops and exposure limits

01:10:22 • 3min

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Managing monster winners: trimming and hedging

01:13:13 • 7min

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Concrete sell rules and climax handling

01:20:30 • 8min

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Market context, MA alignment, and timing

01:28:42 • 6min

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Trading psychology and managing ego

01:34:30 • 7min

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Views on AI as a generational theme

01:41:27 • 5min

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AI sub-themes and how winners surface

01:46:07 • 6min

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War stories: Broadcom, APP, Baidu and others

01:52:30 • 19min

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How Jim built rapport with Bill O'Neill

02:11:50 • 3min

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What made Bill’s edge indispensable

02:15:15 • 13min

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Advice for new traders starting today

02:28:14 • 2min

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Final motivation: optimism and possibilities

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Martin 'Buzzy' Schwartz

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In this book, William J. O'Neil presents his CAN SLIM investing system, a proven 7-step process for minimizing risk and maximizing gains. The system combines analysis of company earnings, chart patterns, and market trends to identify winning stocks. O'Neil emphasizes the importance of strong earnings growth, institutional buying, and specific chart formations like the 'cup with handle. ' He also stresses the need to cut losses quickly and lock in profits systematically. The book is based on a major study of market winners from 1880 to 2009 and provides practical advice for both novice and experienced investors.

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Jim Roppel is a hedge fund manager with 40+ years of market experience, managing $200M+ in assets. A direct student of Bill O'Neill, Jim learned CAN SLIM at the source — FedExing marked-up charts back and forth with Bill and sitting front row at his seminars over 20 times.

Jim blew up his account three times before discovering IBD. He used to drive to a paper depot at midnight to be first to read the next day's paper. Once he committed to CAN SLIM, he tripled his mid-six-figure Morgan Stanley signing bonus into the 2000 top and never looked back.

In this in-person interview, Jim covers his complete methodology — the 20/20 and 40/40 WANDA screens, his 3-5-7% stop system, how he hedges monster positions with in-the-money calls — plus real trade breakdowns in Broadcom ($1M first trade), Baidu ($30M total), AppLovin (80 to 410), Arista Networks, Bloom Energy, and more.

🔥 What You'll Learn:

✅ The 3-5-7% stop loss system and "zero defect" breakout discipline

✅ Position sizing rules — 18% max, never above 22%

✅ How to hedge winners using in-the-money call sales

✅ The "four trades a year" framework for elite selectivity

✅ Bill O'Neill's probing entry method and the "What Would Bill Do?" filter

✅ Why AI is "the steam engine and electricity at the exact same time"

✅ Advice for traders starting with $50-100K today

Enjoy!

- The TraderLion Team

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Where to follow Jim:

🔗 https://RoppelReport.com (discount code: GOLDEN)

🐦 https://x.com/Upticken

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro & Jim Roppel's Background

2:34 - Growing Up Around the Market: Grandfather's Bally Stock

10:02 - Blowing Up Three Times & Discovering IBD

16:37 - The Paper Depot Midnight Ritual

23:32 - Meeting Bill O'Neill & FedEx Chart Reviews

31:42 - Morgan Stanley & Tripling the Signing Bonus Into 2000

38:56 - The SanDisk Trade: 3,200% Volume Spike & Life-Changing Money

44:33 - Broadcom: First $1 Million in a Single Trade

52:58 - Stock Selection: 20/20 and 40/40 WANDA Screens

58:35 - Technical Setups: Cup & Handle, Earnings Gaps, High Tight Flags

1:05:29 - Entry Rules & Being the Buyer Breaking It Out

1:07:08 - Risk Management: 3-5-7 Stops & Position Sizing

1:13:30 - Handling Monster Winners: Trimming, Hedging & Extension Rules

1:19:47 - Trade Breakdowns: BE, APP, ANET, CRDO, KAVA

1:30:27 - Market Timing: MA Alignment & Follow-Through Days

1:33:46 - Trading Psychology & the Charles Harris Quote

1:41:21 - AI: "Absurdly Early" in the Run

1:49:17 - Optimism, Fear & the Psychology of Big Success

1:52:58 - War Chest Trades: Broadcom, SDLI & JDS Uniphase Bonanza

2:07:42 - Bill O'Neill's Legacy & What He Would Trade Today

2:17:12 - The $30 Million Baidu Trade He Didn't Know About

2:28:14 - Advice for New Traders Starting With $50-100K

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