What stock should I day trade right now

Important Context for Your Question

No screen can tell you which stock you “should” day trade or guarantee profit. What filters can do is narrow the universe to names that are:

• Liquid enough to get in and out quickly
• Actively moving (volatile) today
• Trading with strong volume relative to normal
• Showing clear intraday direction/trend

That’s exactly what these filters aim to do.

Screening Filters

1. Price: 10–80 USD

   • Purpose: Focus on mid-priced stocks that are liquid and accessible for active trading.
   • Rationale:
     • Below ~$10, you get more low-quality, highly erratic “penny stock” behavior and larger spreads, which can be dangerous for day trading.
     • Above ~$80, buying sufficient size for intraday trading becomes capital-intensive, and percentage moves may be smaller for many large caps.
     • The $10–$80 band is a common sweet spot where you can trade meaningful size, see good intraday movement, and usually have tight bid-ask spreads.

2. Relative Volume ≥ 3

   • Purpose: Find stocks trading at least 3x their normal volume.
   • Rationale:
     • Relative volume compares today’s volume to the average. A value of 3 means the stock is seeing three times its usual activity.
     • This is exactly what a day trader wants: unusual attention, more participants, tighter spreads, and cleaner moves.
     • Big news, earnings, or catalysts often show up as high relative volume, which can create strong intraday trends and tradeable volatility.

3. Monthly Average Dollar Volume ≥ $2,000,000

   • Purpose: Ensure there is enough dollar liquidity to support entering and exiting positions quickly.
   • Rationale:
     • Dollar volume (price × volume) is more informative than share volume alone. A $2 stock doing 1M shares is not as liquid in dollar terms as a $40 stock doing 100k shares.
     • A minimum of $2M daily (on average) helps filter out thinly traded names where you might move the price just by participating, or get stuck in a position.
     • For day trading, sufficient dollar liquidity is critical for execution quality and risk management.

4. Moving Average Relationship: PriceAboveMA20

   • Purpose: Focus on stocks currently trading above their 20-day moving average (short-term uptrend bias).
   • Rationale:
     • The 20-day MA is a common short-term trend indicator. Being above it suggests bullish momentum on a short timeframe.
     • For intraday long trades, it’s generally easier to trade with the prevailing short-term trend than against it.
     • This doesn’t guarantee intraday direction, but it biases the list toward stocks where dip-buying and upside follow-through may be more likely.

5. Price Change % (Today) ≥ 8%

   • Purpose: Target stocks making a large move today.
   • Rationale:
     • An 8% move intraday is substantial; it indicates strong interest and volatility—key ingredients for day trading opportunities.
     • This helps avoid “dead” stocks that are barely moving, which offer little profit potential for intraday strategies.
     • Large movers also tend to attract more traders, which reinforces liquidity and follow-through in either direction.

Why the Results Match Your Day-Trade Focus

• High Activity Right Now:

  • Relative volume ≥ 3 and price change ≥ 8% pick names that are currently in play, not just generally volatile.

• Tradable Liquidity:

  • The dollar volume filter (≥ $2M) and price range $10–$80 help ensure:
    • Reasonable position sizing
    • Tighter spreads
    • Lower risk of slippage when entering and exiting trades

• Actionable Directional Bias:

  • Price above the 20-day moving average biases toward stocks with a short-term upward trend, which many day traders prefer for long setups.

In combination, these filters are designed to surface a shortlist of stocks that are liquid, actively moving today, and showing clear momentum—i.e., strong candidates for day trading. You’d still need to apply your own intraday strategy (entries, stops, risk per trade, etc.) before actually placing a trade.