Screening Filters
Price min = $5
- Purpose: Exclude very low-priced stocks.
- Rationale: Day trading usually works better in stocks that have enough liquidity and tighter spreads. Stocks above $5 are often less prone to extreme manipulation and are generally more tradable.
Relative volume min = 0.5
- Purpose: Identify stocks trading at least somewhat above their normal activity.
- Rationale: For day trading, you want stocks that are active enough to move intraday. A relative volume threshold helps surface names with unusual interest, which can create better entry and exit opportunities.
Volume min = 1
- Purpose: Ensure the stock is trading with at least some current market activity.
- Rationale: Even though this minimum is very broad, it acts as a basic liquidity check so the screener doesn’t return completely inactive names.
Monthly average dollar volume min = 1
- Purpose: Filter for stocks with some ongoing dollar liquidity.
- Rationale: Dollar volume is important for day trading because it reflects how much money is actually flowing through the stock, which affects fill quality and tradeability.
Moving average relationship: PriceAboveMA5, PriceAboveMA20
- Purpose: Select stocks in short-term and intermediate-term uptrends.
- Rationale: Stocks trading above their 5-day and 20-day moving averages are often showing bullish momentum. For day trading, momentum names are frequently preferred because they tend to attract more participation and can continue moving intraday.
Price change pct min = 0
- Purpose: Require the stock to be flat or positive on the session.
- Rationale: This helps focus on stocks that are not already in clear intraday weakness, which is useful when looking for long-side day trade candidates.
Min 5 price change pct min = 0
- Purpose: Require recent short-term price strength over the last 5 periods.
- Rationale: This adds another momentum layer, helping identify stocks that are not only active today but have also been holding up well recently.
News driver: Positive, Negative
- Purpose: Capture stocks moving on a catalyst.
- Rationale: Day traders often focus on news-driven stocks because earnings, guidance, upgrades, litigation, deal headlines, or other catalysts can create volatility and volume. Including both positive and negative news captures both long and short trade opportunities.
Comparison between indicators: volume > monthly average dollar volume
- Purpose: Find stocks currently trading more actively than normal.
- Rationale: This is one of the strongest filters for day trading because it highlights unusual participation. A stock with volume above its typical dollar activity is more likely to produce tradable intraday movement.
Is optionable = True
- Purpose: Restrict results to stocks with listed options.
- Rationale: Optionable stocks are often more liquid and widely followed, which can improve tradability. They also tend to be names that active traders monitor closely.
- Option unusual activity = True
- Purpose: Surface stocks seeing unusual options flow.
- Rationale: Unusual options activity can signal elevated trader interest, a possible catalyst, or expectations for a sharp move. That makes these stocks especially relevant for day traders looking for volatility and momentum.
Why Results Match the User’s Query
- The user asked for top stocks to day trade on Friday, 5/28, so the filters are designed to find liquid, active, momentum-driven stocks that are suitable for short-term trading.
- The combination of price above key moving averages, positive short-term price change, and above-average volume targets stocks with strong intraday tradability.
- The news driver filter helps find stocks with a catalyst, which is often what creates the kind of volatility day traders need.
- The optionable + unusual options activity filters add another layer of trader interest and potential momentum, helping surface names that may attract attention during the session.
- Overall, these filters are aimed at finding stocks with the best mix of liquidity, volatility, and momentum for day trading rather than slower-moving investment ideas.
This list is generated based on data from one or more third party data providers. It is provided for informational purposes only by Intellectia.AI, and is not investment advice or a recommendation. Intellectia does not make any warranty or guarantee relating to the accuracy, timeliness or completeness of any third-party information, and the provision of this information does not constitute a recommendation.