MOMENTUM//SCREENER

Recipe library

Screener recipes

Six filter sets, each built for a different job. Enter them into Finviz, TradingView, Barchart, StockCharts, Stock Rover or Koyfin — the field names differ, the logic does not.

01 · Classic momentum leaders

Purpose: find established winners that have already proven relative strength.

FilterSetting
CountryUSA
ExchangeNASDAQ or NYSE
PriceOver $10
Average volumeOver 500,000 shares
Market capOver $500M
3-month performancePositive, ideally over 15–20%
6-month performancePositive, ideally over 25–30%
Price vs 50-day SMAAbove
Price vs 200-day SMAAbove
Distance from 52-week highWithin 15–20%
RSI50–75

Best for: swing trading watchlists, weekend research, finding market leaders.

02 · Fresh breakout momentum

Purpose: find stocks breaking out right now.

FilterSetting
PriceOver $5 or $10
Average volumeOver 1M shares
Relative volumeOver 1.5 or 2.0
Daily or weekly performancePositive
New high20-day, 50-day or 52-week high
Price vs 50-day SMAAbove
Price vs 200-day SMAAbove
Failure mode: fresh breakouts fail regularly. Check that the breakout has clean volume, a logical risk level, and a reasonable distance from support before it earns a place on the list.

03 · Pullback in a leader

Purpose: find strong stocks resting or pulling back, rather than chasing extended breakouts.

FilterSetting
3-month performanceStrong positive
6-month performanceStrong positive
Price vs 200-day SMAAbove
Price vs 50-day SMANear or above
RSI40–60
Distance from 52-week highWithin 20–25%
VolumeNormal or drying up on the pullback

Best for: better risk/reward entries and patient watchlist building.

04 · Earnings momentum

Purpose: find stocks being repriced after strong results.

FilterSetting
EPS growthPositive
Sales growthPositive
Earnings dateRecent
Weekly or monthly performancePositive
Relative volumeOver 1.5
Price vs 50-day SMAAbove
Price vs 200-day SMAAbove

05 · Sector momentum

Purpose: find the strongest stocks inside the strongest groups. This one is a workflow rather than a single filter set.

  1. Identify the top-performing sectors.
  2. Identify the top-performing industries inside those sectors.
  3. Screen only stocks inside those groups.
  4. Sort by 3-month and 6-month performance.
  5. Remove illiquid names.
  6. Keep stocks above their 50-day and 200-day averages.
  7. Compare the finalists with the momentum score.

06 · High-octane small/mid cap momentum

Purpose: aggressive candidates with higher upside and higher risk.

FilterSetting
Price$5–$50
Market cap$300M–$5B
Average volumeOver 500,000 shares
Relative volumeOver 2.0
Weekly or monthly performanceStrong positive
Price vs 50-day SMAAbove
FloatLower float preferred, where available
Elevated risk. Smaller momentum names can reverse violently, gap down, trade thinly, or move entirely on news. Size positions accordingly and treat this screen as the most speculative on the site.

Get all six as a PDF

Educational and informational purposes only. Nothing here is financial advice, investment advice, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Trading and investing involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial professional before making investment decisions.