Stocks to pick right now for day trading

Screening Filters

1. price: min 5

   • Purpose: Exclude very low-priced stocks.
   • Rationale: Day trading in stocks below $5 often comes with wider spreads, higher manipulation risk, and less reliable liquidity. A minimum price helps focus on more tradable U.S. stocks.

2. relative_vol: min 1.5

   • Purpose: Find stocks trading with above-normal volume compared with their usual activity.
   • Rationale: Intraday traders usually need movement and participation. Relative volume above 1.5 suggests the stock is attracting unusual interest, which often increases the chance of short-term price swings and tighter execution opportunities.

3. intraday_amplitude: min 0

   • Purpose: Keep stocks that have at least some intraday price movement.
   • Rationale: Day trading depends on volatility. Even though the minimum is broad here, it avoids filtering out stocks with little or no movement.

4. volume: min 0

   • Purpose: Allow the universe to remain broad on raw volume, while other filters handle liquidity quality.
   • Rationale: Since relative volume already emphasizes unusual activity, this filter does not restrict by absolute volume. It keeps the screen flexible and avoids missing candidates that are active relative to their normal baseline.

5. rsi_category: moderate

   • Purpose: Select stocks that are neither extremely overbought nor oversold.
   • Rationale: For day trading, “moderate” RSI can indicate a stock still has room to move without being too stretched. This can help avoid entries in stocks that are already too extended.

6. moving_average_relationship: PriceAboveMA5, PriceAboveMA20, PriceCrossAboveMA5, PriceCrossAboveMA20

   • Purpose: Identify stocks showing short-term bullish momentum.
   • Rationale: When price is above or crossing above the 5-day or 20-day moving averages, it often signals strength and improving trend behavior. Day traders often prefer stocks with momentum rather than weak, drifting names.

7. price_change_pct: min 0

   • Purpose: Restrict to stocks not trading down on the day.
   • Rationale: Positive daily performance indicates buyers are active and the stock already has directional interest, which is useful for intraday momentum setups.

8. min5_price_change_pct: min 0

   • Purpose: Ensure the stock is not weak over the recent 5-day period.
   • Rationale: A non-negative short-term trend suggests the stock is not in persistent near-term decline, improving the odds of cleaner intraday setups.

9. list_exchange: XNYS, XNAS, XASE

   • Purpose: Limit results to major U.S. exchanges: NYSE, Nasdaq, and NYSE American.
   • Rationale: These venues generally provide better liquidity, more reliable pricing, and more accessible day-trading opportunities than less liquid venues.

10. region: US

• Purpose: Restrict the screen to U.S.-listed stocks.
• Rationale: This directly matches the user’s request for U.S. stocks and keeps the results relevant to the U.S. market session and trading environment.

Why Results Match:

• The screen is built for current intraday trading opportunities, not long-term investing.
• It prioritizes liquidity and active participation through relative volume and major exchanges.
• It favors short-term bullish momentum by requiring price strength above key moving averages and non-negative recent price performance.
• It avoids overly weak or illiquid names, which are usually poor candidates for day trading.
• The RSI moderation helps avoid chasing stocks that may already be too extended, making the results more suitable for active trading entries.

Overall, these filters are appropriate because they aim to surface U.S. stocks that are actively traded, showing momentum, and likely to offer intraday price movement, which is exactly what a day trader typically wants.