Disclosure (Jenna Lofton, StockHitter): Some links in this review are affiliate links. If you subscribe through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I’m also a paying member of this service. This review is based on my own subscription access, portfolio tracking, and experience using the service since October 2021.
Chaikin Analytics publishes the Power Gauge Report, a monthly investment research newsletter from Marc Chaikin. Its proprietary rating system covers 5,000+ tickers and labels any stock Bullish, Neutral, or Bearish. It costs $149 for the first year (renews at $199) and includes a model portfolio, AI Power Picks, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The current offer is built around “American Atlas,” a thesis about Department of Energy AI supercomputers, with AMD as the free stock pick. Chaikin points to October 20, 2026 as the earliest start of the opportunity, which is his estimate, not a confirmed event. Best for active growth investors. Not suited for beginners or passive index investors.
Power Gauge Report Review: American Atlas, the October 20 Date, and My 4+ Year Member Verdict
Hey folks, Jenna Lofton here. I first subscribed to this service back in October 2021. Not a free trial. I paid for it, renewed it, and have been tracking every single pick for over four years now.
Most reviews of this service are written by people who’ve never logged in. I have. The portfolio figures below come from my members area export dated July 2, 2026. The pitch, pricing, and bonus reports reflect the American Atlas presentation as of September 28, 2026.
That presentation is why a lot of people are landing here this week. Marc Chaikin is predicting that a new class of government-backed AI supercomputers will reshape the AI industry, and he’s giving away a free stock pick (AMD) to get you in the door. I read the whole thing so you don’t have to, and I sorted what checks out from what is Marc’s projection.
For context on the service itself: as of July 2, the top main portfolio position, a major U.S. financial services stock, was up 209.79% from its November 2023 entry, and the top AI Pick was up 197.38%. Marc also issued a “Sell Half” alert on June 1 for an enterprise technology position that had entered the portfolio less than four weeks earlier, locking in a +94.58% gain. More on all of that below.
The October 20 Date, in Plain English
- What Chaikin says: the headline says the American Atlas opportunity could start “as soon as October 20th.” In the body, he expects the larger event before the end of 2026.
- What I could verify: the Genesis Mission and the Lux supercomputer at Oak Ridge are real. I could not find an official announcement tied to October 20.
- What you can check today: AMD’s current Power Gauge rating, inside the rating tool. AMD is the free pick in the presentation.
- If you’re reading this after October 20: check whether anything was announced. The value of the service (rating tool, portfolio, stop-losses) doesn’t depend on that date.
My quick take: After more than four years as a paying member, this is one of the better investment research tools in its price range for active investors. The rating system is the real value, not the bonus reports.
On the Atlas pitch and the October 20 date: the government program behind it is real and documented, but the date, the $248 trillion figure, and the idea that today’s AI leaders become obsolete are Marc’s projections. Judge the service on the rating tool and the portfolio, and turn off auto-renewal the day you subscribe.
Currently $149/Year (Regular Price: $499), 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Model portfolio, Power Gauge rating system (5,000+ tickers), the free American Atlas Portfolio report, and a second report on AI stocks to avoid. Auto-renewal applies after year one, so disable it on day one.
What The Power Gauge Report Offers – Quick Specs at a Glance
| Metric | Details (As of September 28, 2026) |
|---|---|
| My Membership | Since October 2021 (4+ years) |
| Current Promotion | “American Atlas” presentation (“The End of Elon?”), with a free American Atlas Portfolio report and a second report on AI “landmine” stocks |
| Free Stock Named in Presentation | AMD (ticker: AMD), described as Bullish in the Power Gauge at the time of the presentation |
| Catalyst Date Cited | “As soon as October 20th” in the headline. The body says the larger event is expected before the end of 2026. This is Chaikin’s estimate, not a confirmed event. |
| Top Main Portfolio Gain (July 2, 2026 export) | +209.79%, financial services sector, open since Nov 2023 |
| Top AI Picks Gain (July 2, 2026 export) | +197.38%, mega-cap AI/search, open since Aug 2023 |
| Newest Big Move (July 2, 2026 export) | Enterprise tech position +94.58% in under 30 days, Sell Half alert issued June 1, 2026 |
| Main Portfolio (July 2, 2026 export) | 10 positions: 8 winners, 2 losers |
| Risk Management | 30% trailing stop-loss, updated every Wednesday |
| Standout Feature | Power Gauge rating tool: 5,000+ tickers, 20+ factors, institutional money flow |
| First Year Price | $149 (70% off the $499 standard price) |
| Renewal Price | $199/year, disable auto-renewal immediately |
| Refund Policy | 30-day money-back guarantee |
Jenna’s Member Summary (As of September 2026)
| Joined | October 2021 |
| Times Renewed | 4 times (still active) |
| Weekly Time Commitment | About 30 min for the main issue, about 5 min for weekly alerts |
| What I Actually Use | The rating tool to vet my own picks. The monthly issue. The sell alerts. |
| What I Ignore | Most bonus reports. The promotional emails (unsubscribe immediately). |
| Would Recommend To | Active investors who trade 10+ times a year and will use the rating tool |
| Would Not Recommend To | Beginners, passive investors, day traders |
| Renewed Again? | Yes, and I plan to again |
✓ Best For
- Active investors making 10+ trades per year
- Growth investors who want a quantitative analysis tool
- Self-directed portfolio managers
- Anyone who wants institutional money flow signals
✗ Not For
- Total beginners unfamiliar with P/E ratios
- Passive index investors
- Day traders wanting intraday signals
- Anyone who can’t handle a $199 auto-renewal surprise
Is the Power Gauge Report Legit? (Or Is It a Scam?)
Chaikin Analytics is not a scam. It is a legitimate financial research firm founded in March 2011, originally called Chaikin Power Tools, and currently owned by MarketWise Inc., a publicly traded financial publishing company (Nasdaq: MKTW). The Power Gauge system has been used by institutional money managers since before the retail newsletter existed.
I say that as someone who’s been paying for this service since October 2021, not as someone paraphrasing the sales page.
The skeptic’s case is worth addressing upfront. This is a newsletter pitched with aggressive marketing copy and very large claims, in this case a $248 trillion opportunity and an “AI collapse.” That stuff is real and it can be annoying. It doesn’t change what’s inside the service.
Here’s what makes it credible:
The Nasdaq Chaikin Indexes, powered by the Power Gauge rating system, have been independently tracked since April 2014. That’s not a marketing claim. It’s a verifiable index product on Nasdaq’s own platform. You don’t get that without a working system.
The Chaikin Money Flow indicator appears on Bloomberg and Reuters terminals and is covered by Investopedia, Fidelity, and Yahoo Finance. It predates the newsletter business entirely.
The model portfolio data I’ve shared in this review, including the top portfolio positions both in triple-digit gains and the CrowdStrike exit at +70.66% three days before the July 2024 global outage, came directly from my dashboard. I’m not extrapolating from the sales page.
Is every pick a winner? No. One energy position was down 11.59% as of my July 2 export, and AECOM stopped out at -29.26%. I’ve shown those numbers too. A service that only shows you the wins isn’t worth trusting.
So where does that leave legitimacy? Marc Chaikin has a 60-year verifiable Wall Street track record, the Power Gauge has institutional-grade roots, and the newsletter shows real losers alongside the winners. That combination is enough for me to call it legitimate.
Who Is Marc Chaikin?
Marc Chaikin is a 60-year Wall Street veteran and the founder of Chaikin Analytics. He built the first system that enabled traders to see market data and run financial analysis in real time back in 1989, which led to partnerships with some of the most respected names in institutional investing, including George Soros, Paul Tudor Jones, David E. Shaw, Michael Steinhardt, and Steve Cohen.
He created the CMF (Chaikin Money Flow) indicator, covered by Investopedia, Fidelity, and Yahoo Finance, and found on Bloomberg and Reuters terminals worldwide. He helped create three new indexes for Nasdaq, where he once rang the opening bell. By Chaikin’s own account, he called nearly every major market turn since 2020: the COVID crash, the V-shaped recovery, the 2022 bear market, the regional bank crisis, and the 2025 tariff selloff. CNBC’s Jim Cramer has said publicly: “I learned a long time ago not to be on the other side of a Chaikin trade.”
The thing that got my attention when I first subscribed was the Nasdaq partnership. Nasdaq partnered with Chaikin Analytics to bring the Power Gauge rating to the ETF market. That’s a verifiable third-party credential, not a marketing claim.
The Nasdaq Chaikin Indexes have been top-performing products in their category since launching in April 2014. Real track record, not just marketing claims.
Marc Chaikin: Background Worth Knowing
- 60 years on Wall Street: stockbroker, portfolio manager, financial technology pioneer
- Creator of the Chaikin Money Flow indicator, found on every Bloomberg and Reuters terminal
- Helped build three Nasdaq indexes; rang the Nasdaq opening bell
- Early partnerships with Soros, Paul Tudor Jones, Steve Cohen, David Shaw
- Says he called the 2020 COVID crash, 2022 bear market, 2023 bank failures, and 2025 tariff selloff in advance, as documented in published Chaikin Analytics research
- Nasdaq Chaikin Indexes have outperformed benchmarks since April 2014
Is Marc Chaikin Legit?
Note: Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is not investment advice.
Yes. The Nasdaq partnership alone settles this for me. You don’t get three indexes named after your system by being a newsletter marketer.
The broader Chaikin Analytics platform powers institutional tools that professional money managers pay thousands per month to access. The Power Gauge has a real institutional pedigree. It’s the same tool investors paid up to $5,000 a month to access before Chaikin brought it to retail subscribers.
The American Atlas Presentation: What Marc Is Predicting and What Checks Out
The current sales presentation is titled “The End of Elon?” and it’s built around a thesis Marc calls American Atlas. The pitch: the U.S. Department of Energy is building a network of AI supercomputers at its national laboratories, and Marc argues that network will speed up scientific breakthroughs so much that some of today’s AI leaders could lose ground.
The free stock recommendation in the presentation is AMD (ticker: AMD). Marc says it’s rated Bullish in the Power Gauge and is expected to supply the chips for the first of the new machines.
Two things worth knowing up front. The headline gives October 20th as the earliest start, while the body says the larger event is expected before the end of 2026. The presentation also uses “AI White Swan of 2027” in one place and “the AI collapse of 2026” in another. I read those as Marc’s estimates, not a scheduled event. As of this review, I could not find an official announcement tied to October 20.
The Timeline: What Each Source Actually Says
| Date | Source | What It Says | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 20, 2026 | Chaikin presentation headline | Opportunity could start “as soon as” this date | Chaikin’s estimate. No official announcement found. |
| October 2026 | August 2026 trade report | First funded research projects expected on Lux | Reported by a trade outlet. Oak Ridge’s own page says deployment within six months. |
| Before end of 2026 | Chaikin presentation body | The larger event, with Lux switched on “just days from now” | Chaikin’s estimate |
| 2028 | DOE, Oak Ridge, AMD | Discovery supercomputer scheduled for delivery | Official announcement |
What Checks Out
Start with the parts that hold up, because there are more of them than I expected. The Genesis Mission is real. Executive Order 14363 was signed on November 24, 2025, and it tells the Department of Energy to build an integrated AI platform on federal scientific datasets. The order itself calls the effort “comparable in urgency and ambition to the Manhattan Project.”
Lux is real too. DOE, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, AMD, HPE, and Oracle announced Lux and a second system, Discovery, on October 27, 2025, as a combined $1 billion public-private investment. Oak Ridge describes Lux as AMD-led, and AMD’s own announcement says it runs on AMD Instinct GPUs and EPYC CPUs. So the vendor in the presentation is the vendor on the paperwork.
Even the FP64 talk has a real basis. Precision matters in scientific computing, and Oak Ridge’s Frontier was the first supercomputer to reach an exaflop in FP64 performance. The schedule is the soft spot. Lux was supposed to arrive in early 2026, Oak Ridge’s Lux page now says it will be deployed within six months, and an August 2026 trade report pointed to October 2026 for the first funded research projects.
Where I’d Slow Down
Now the parts I’d hold at arm’s length. “American Atlas” is Marc’s label, and the presentation admits the project has no official name yet. The nine-system network and the conversion of 50+ existing supercomputers are his reading of Department of Energy announcements. I could confirm Lux and Discovery, but not the whole network as described.
A couple of specifics don’t line up with the public record. The presentation says Lux will run on AMD’s MI430X. The DOE, Oak Ridg