Bet on battered IPOs, small caps and retail as rally broadens out, says trader who has been nailing some big calls

With hot inflation now in the rearview mirror, surprisingly weak retail sales is the next big piece of data for investors to chew on Thursday. But whatever may come, markets have been showing they can dust off from economic scares as of late.

The Nasdaq Composite COMP in particular is flexing its Teflon qualities — up 4.5% halfway through the month, poised to break with the curse that often makes February a misery.

There…