What is a good stock for day trade today

Screening Filters

1. Market Cap ≥ $500M ('market_cap': {'min': '500000000'})

   • Purpose: Focus on reasonably sized, established companies instead of tiny, illiquid microcaps.
   • Rationale:
     • For day trading, you need liquidity (tight spreads, good volume) so you can enter and exit quickly.
     • Companies with market caps above ~$500M are generally more liquid and less prone to extreme manipulation than very small caps, while still offering good intraday moves.

2. Share Price between $5 and $100 ('price': {'min': '5', 'max': '100'})

   • Purpose: Avoid ultra‑low‑priced penny stocks and very high‑priced names that are harder to trade in size.
   • Rationale:
     • Below $5, bid–ask spreads often widen and volatility can become more random and news-driven, which is risky and harder to size properly.
     • Above $100, a small percentage move can require larger capital to trade effectively, which may not be ideal for many intraday traders.
     • The $5–$100 band balances affordability with sufficient movement and usually decent liquidity.

3. Relative Volume ≥ 2 ('relative_vol': {'min': '2'})

   • Purpose: Target stocks trading at least 2× their normal volume today.
   • Rationale:
     • High relative volume signals unusual interest (news, catalysts, upgrades/downgrades, sector moves, etc.), which often leads to intraday price action and tradable trends.
     • Day traders rely heavily on volume for clean entries/exits and to avoid getting “stuck” in illiquid names.

4. High Beta ('beta': ['HighRisk'])

   • Purpose: Focus on volatile, higher‑risk stocks that move more than the overall market.
   • Rationale:
     • Beta measures how sensitive a stock is to market moves; high beta stocks tend to have larger intraday swings.
     • Day trading strategies depend on price movement; low‑beta, slow movers usually don’t provide enough range to justify intraday trades after fees and slippage.
     • Labeling “HighRisk” is appropriate here: it increases opportunity but also increases downside, which matches the risk profile typical of active day trading strategies.

5. Daily Price Change between +3% and +15% ('price_change_pct': {'min': '3', 'max': '15'})

   • Purpose: Find stocks already showing strong movement today, but exclude names that are going parabolic.
   • Rationale:
     • A move of at least +3% indicates momentum and active interest—conditions where intraday patterns and breakouts are more likely.
     • Capping at +15% filters out the most extreme movers that can be highly unstable, prone to violent reversals, and harder to manage with tight risk controls.
     • This range aims to capture “strong but tradable” moves rather than chaotic spikes.

6. Exchange: NYSE, NASDAQ, AMEX ('list_exchange': ['XNYS', 'XNAS', 'XASE'])

   • Purpose: Restrict to major U.S. exchanges.
   • Rationale:
     • NYSE, NASDAQ, and AMEX generally have better liquidity, tighter spreads, and more reliable trading infrastructure than OTC or foreign exchanges.
     • This aligns with day traders’ need for fast execution, stable market data, and fewer structural trading risks.

Why Results Match Your Day-Trading Request

• The screen focuses on liquid, mid‑to‑large‑cap U.S. stocks where you can realistically get in and out during the day.
• It emphasizes high relative volume, high beta, and meaningful intraday price moves, all of which are core ingredients for day trading setups (momentum, breakouts, pullbacks).
• It avoids extremes—very low‑priced penny stocks or wildly overextended movers—seeking a balance between volatility and tradability, which is better suited to consistent day‑trading practice.

Note: These filters cannot guarantee a “good” trade or profit, but they do narrow the universe to stocks that statistically have more of the characteristics day traders typically look for.