Momentum stocks all have a few things in common. If we scan 5000 stocks asking for only the following criteria to be true, we’ll often have a list of less than 10 stocks each day. These are the stocks that have the potential to move 20-30%. These are the stocks I trade to make a living as a trader.
Criteria #1: Float of under 100mil shares
Criteria #2: Strong Daily Charts (above the Moving Averages and with no nearby resistance).
Criteria #3: High Relative Volume of at least 2x above average. (This compares the current volume for today to the average volume for this time of day. These all refer to the standard volume numbers, which are reset every night at midnight.)
Criteria #4: A fundamental catalyst such as a PR, Earnings, FDA Announcement, Activist Investors or some other kind of breaking news. Stocks can also experience momentum without a fundamental catalyst. When this happens, it’s called a technical breakout.