6 Best Momentum Scanner Tools & Indicators

Momentum trading is more reactive to recent price movements, while trend following emphasizes broader, more sustained directions in the market. Momentum is used in trading to identify stocks with strong price movements and profit potential. They can help you identify trends and potential buying or selling opportunities. By analyzing price and volume data, you can gain insight into a stock’s price movement’s strength or weakness. Overall, momentum indicators are powerful tools to help you make better trading decisions.

Introduction to Momentum Trading

It’s a skill that you might naturally have or one that you need to master. I mean, we pretty much know that some of the best traders in the world are those who know how to catch the wave and ride the momentum. Surprisingly, these traders often have a losing-win-rate ratio, because they know how to catch this one big trade while losing most of the trades. Examples of these momentum indicators include the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and the Rate of Change (ROC).

The Free Momentum Trading Strategies PDF

This overextended state is often identified by a series of vertical bars on the 60-minute chart. Alternately, the price could pierce the third or fourth standard deviation of a top or bottom 20-day Bollinger Band. CEO Josh Weinstein said unit operating income increased 26% due to operational improvements and high-margin, same-ship yield growth. Carnival’s advanced booked position for 2025 is already ahead of 2024’s record, with higher prices than last year. Weinstein added that Carnival is well-positioned with a stronger base of business for 2025 and set for a record start to 2026.

ADX Rating – Trend Strength

• Another batch of momentum capital enters as the trade evolves, generating counter swings that shake out weak hands.
• Then, take a closer look at each stock to figure out why they have performed so well, and whether there’s still upside potential if the company continues to execute on its strategy.
• Market sentiment, which is often influenced by crowd psychology, influences market momentum.
• Traders looking for promising momentum trades often aren’t very concerned with the true market value of a stock.
• Kinsale had delivered a 36% gain year to date as of mid-April, but its momentum has essentially been going strong since its 2016 initial public offering (IPO).
• If two momentum indicators show the same thing, it could give the trader more confidence to take the trade.
• Volatility, in this context, represents the extent of price fluctuations of an asset.
• There are a lot of high-flying stocks that don’t have particularly great numbers right now.
• It can also be due to waning popular interest in a security that became temporarily well-known or exciting.

For instance, the RSI may remain in an overbought zone for an extended period without a corresponding trend reversal. Hence, it’s advisable to use the RSI in conjunction with other technical indicators to gain a more comprehensive view of the market conditions. This approach enhances the accuracy and reliability of trading decisions based on the RSI. This indicator operates on the principle that price retracements within specific levels can reveal discernible market trends. However, in momentum trading, the strategy is actually to enter and exit trades based on these trends rather than attempting to pinpoint the absolute highs and lows of the market. Different momentum indicators have different formulas and serve different purposes.

How to Find Intraday Momentum Picks

The same risk-return trade-off that exists with other investing strategies also plays a hand in momentum investing. Momentum investing can turn into large profits for the trader who has the right personality, can handle the risks involved, and can dedicate themselves to sticking to the strategy. Tighten up stops or consider a blind exit when technical barriers are hit like a major trendline or previous high/low. Exit or take partial profits when crossovers signal potential trend changes. The firm upgraded Norwegian Cruise Line to buy from neutral and raised its price target to 30, up from 20, citing its recent strategy shift.

• It involves holding overnight positions, so closing prices and next-day opening prices impact.
• The tax implications and the potential for commissions and other fees mean that buying high and selling higher does not come without its fair share of challenges.
• Suppose you invest for six months, and you have $10,000 to invest in each stock.
• Plus, bull markets can be a great opportunity to take advantage of strong momentum in excellent, well-run businesses.
• The KST is a composite indicator that combines four different time frames to provide a clearer picture of price momentum and identify buy and sell signals.

Disadvantages of Momentum Trading

Understanding overbought and oversold conditions, divergence, and centerline crossovers can help you better interpret these indicators and make more informed trading decisions. To identify divergence, traders often compare a stock’s price to the moving average convergence divergence (MACD) or the relative strength index (RSI). If the price is making higher highs, but the momentum indicator is making lower highs, it may be a sign of bearish divergence. Conversely, if the price is making lower lows, but the momentum indicator is making higher lows, it may be a sign of bullish divergence.

Top five momentum indicators in technical analysis

• If you aren’t familiar with its business, Kinsale is an insurance company.
• History has shown us that momentum is far more useful during rising markets than during falling markets; the fact that markets rise more often than they fall is the reason for this.
• In terms of value, RSI exponential above 80 indicates that the stock has run up too much, whereas a reading below 20 indicates an oversold position.
• Using momentum indicators to trade is about preference, strategy and the trading environment.
• While there’s no way to time the market or know what stocks will gain momentum at any given time, there are some interesting opportunities for patient momentum stock investors.
• In the stock market, momentum trading looks to profit from investing in “hot” stocks – expecting them to stay hot – and dumping “cold” stocks, expecting them to stay cold.
• The momentum indicators below are some of the proven indicators that traders use.

Higher moving average trendlines signal positive momentum while descending moving average trendlines signal negative momentum. To add to that, moving average convergence divergence (MACD) is calculated using an exponential moving average. In technical analysis, momentum can be a very profitable indicator to follow for trading signals on individual securities. Below are some of the popular momentum indicators technical analysts follow.

Choosing a Momentum Scanner

That histogram then has a simple moving average calculated on top of it, called the ‘signal line’. The core of both day and swing trading is to search for momentum in stock price movement. The more you focus your research on this strategy, the better your chances of consistently earning money in the market.

Recent Commentary & News

Generally, CCI is used to find indications of a new trend when ranges break. The ADX is the average of the -DI and +DI, which are calculated from the comparison of two consecutive ‘lows’ and the respective ‘highs’, using the average true range (ATR). The MSCI momentum indexes are part of the company’s factor index series. Momentum indexes include the MSCI USA Momentum Index and the MSCI World Index.

Momentum Investment: Meaning, Formula, Controversy

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, META should be on investors’ short list. Momentum investors should take note of this Computer and Technology stock. META has a Momentum Style Score of B, and shares are up 15.4% over the past four weeks. Automated trading can be helpful to execute trades with higher accuracy and frequency. In terms of value, RSI exponential above 80 indicates that the stock has run up too much, whereas a reading below 20 indicates an oversold position. The higher volumes can suggest that the stock is of continued interest, whereas low volume indicates a lack of interest in the security (lack of momentum).

What Is The Difference Between Momentum Trading And Trend Following?

Momentum trading is an investment strategy that looks for short-term uptrends in securities. Traders buy when prices are rising and sell them when they begin to lose momentum but haven’t yet returned to their original level. Momentum is used by investors to trade stocks in an uptrend by going long (or buying shares) and going short (or selling shares) in a downtrend. In other words, a stock can be exhibit bullish momentum, meaning the Stock Momentum price is rising, or bearish momentum where the price is steadily falling. Momentum investing seeks to take advantage of market volatility by taking short-term positions in stocks going up and selling them as soon as they show signs of going down. In this case, the market volatility is like waves in the ocean, and a momentum investor is sailing up the crest of one, only to jump to the next wave before the first wave crashes down again.

The past performance of any trading system or methodology is not necessarily indicative of future results. Candlesticks present a compelling visual presentation; it gives clues to which prices the market likes the most for buying and selling. A stock that surges in volume on good news is often a good candidate for trading momentum. No indicator or strategy is foolproof, and the market can be unpredictable. However, incorporating momentum indicators into your trading strategy can increase your chances of success and help you make more informed decisions. For example, you might be tempted to buy if you’re trading a stock in a downtrend for months and see a bullish signal on your momentum indicator.

It involves holding overnight positions, so closing prices and next-day opening prices impact. If the surge doesn’t happen but remains within your risk management threshold, you can look for another opportunity to buy or sell the next day. Candlestick charts are the best to analyze setups for both day traders and swing traders. A green or white candlestick means the close was higher than the previous close for a particular session, whereas a red or black candlestick indicates a lower finish from the last close.

It scans the market in real-time and finds stocks breaking out of their ranges or showing strong momentum. Perfect for day traders and active investors who want to stay ahead of the trend and make money. With a momentum scanner you can filter through thousands of stocks in seconds and find the ones that match your criteria, saving you time and improving your strategy. While both strategies involve capitalizing on market trends, momentum trading specifically targets securities with strong recent performance, often over shorter time frames. Meanwhile, trend following generally involves a longer-term approach, where traders seek to ride entire trends, regardless of short-term fluctuations.

Carnival stock broke out as cruise lines rallied on strong momentum, with most set to report Q3 earnings this month. Although he wasn’t the first to use the strategy, fund manager and businessman Richard Driehaus is often credited as being the father of momentum investing. Investors can count on the Zacks Rank’s success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +25.41% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500’s performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day. Traders can search for stocks with bullish momentum by specifying that a scanner looks for stocks with a MACD histogram value greater than zero or where the MACD line is above the signal line. Conversely, bearish momentum is reflected by the MACD line crossing to below the signal line and/or by a negative histogram number (below zero).

IBD Stock Of The Day

• When a stock is overbought, the price has risen too far, too fast, and is due for a pullback.
• On the chart below, two kinds of signals can be observed with the momentum indicator divergences (blue lines) and overbought and oversold signals (red circles).
• If you intend to practice momentum investing, make sure you choose the proper securities and consider their liquidity and trading volume.
• We have no knowledge of the level of money you are trading with or the level of risk you are taking with each trade.
• The firm upgraded Norwegian Cruise Line to buy from neutral and raised its price target to 30, up from 20, citing its recent strategy shift.
• If the trend line is down, the trend is down and the momentum investor sells the stock.
• Below are some of the popular momentum indicators technical analysts follow.

Mostly, traders utilize this tool for corroborating price movements rather than for direct trading signals. An upward crossing of the zero line by the indicator signifies increasing upward momentum in price, whereas a downward crossing indicates a growing downward momentum. This functionality makes the momentum indicator a vital component in the toolkit of traders, especially for confirming the direction and strength of market trends. For example, if you only look at your momentum indicator and do not pay attention to price action or volume, you might miss important signals that could impact your trades. It is important to use momentum indicators in conjunction with other technical analysis tools and market context. In conclusion, momentum indicators can be powerful tools for traders, but interpreting them requires skill and experience.

Meta Platforms

Professional traders may love the free indicators as they serve a valuable purpose, but the professionals will always rely on the premium indicators in the market. Premium indicators can be more precise, offer more information, and be as flexible as the trader needs them to be, which is why they are premium. KST aggregates multiple rate-of-change calculations, providing a smoothed view of price trends while filtering out market noise.

It helps in understanding the demand for the stock in the market for the past few days. HowToTrade.com helps traders of all levels learn how to trade the financial markets. However, this is debatable, and many can argue the opposite – that with the right mindset, tools, and mentorship – becoming a good momentum trader is indeed possible. Generally, pullbacks and breakouts are a big thing in momentum trading, largely because they provide a good entry opportunity during an ongoing trend. Jeff Reeves writes about equity markets and exchange-traded funds for Kiplinger.

The best momentum trades come when news of a shock hits, triggering rapid movement from one price level to another. In turn, this sets off buying or selling signals for observant players who jump in and are rewarded with instant profits. Another batch of momentum capital enters as the trade evolves, generating counter swings that shake out weak hands. The hot money finally builds to an extreme, triggering volatile whipsaws and major reversals.

Even though low-cost brokers are slowly putting an end to the problem of high fees, this is still a major concern for most rookie momentum traders. Like a boat trying to sail on the crests of waves, a momentum investor is always at risk of timing a buy incorrectly and ending up sunk. Most momentum investors accept this risk as the price for the possibility of higher returns.

If you are interested in trading the best stocks in the market, you should consider signing up for The MEM Edge Report. My report is updated twice a week with carefully chosen stocks that I think are the best in the market. One of the most common ways to interpret momentum indicators is by looking for overbought and oversold conditions. When a stock is overbought, the price has risen too far, too fast, and is due for a pullback.