Traders can select from many different filters, including trading volume, chart patterns, stock price, volatility, recent performance, and more. If you’re looking for a way to sift through the mountains of stock information to find one to trade, here are four popular screeners that can make the task easier. Using a specific format (some examples are listed on its site), type in the exact parameters for the stock screener. A nearly infinite combination of filters and criteria is possible. The free version of StockFetcher allows you to see five stocks from the stock screener’s search results. When day trading, this is usually sufficient for finding a few high-quality stocks to trade. The standard version of StockFetcher, which allows you to see all the search results, starts at $8.95 per month or $24.95 per quarter, while the advanced version is $16.95 per month or $44.95 per quarter. The site is easy to use. Click the screener tab, and start adding criteria to the three major sections: Descriptive, Fundamental, and Technical. Once you’ve added some requirements, you’ll get a list of stocks that match them. Change the information you see on these stocks by adjusting the view. There are 14 views to choose from. These views include Overview, Valuation, Financial, Performance, Technical, Charts, and News. Change the view, and sort by information type to see the top- or bottom-ranked stocks on your list. Finviz is free—although quotes are delayed 15 minutes for the NASDAQ and 20 minutes for NYSE and AMEX. This typically works if you run your stock screens at night, searching for trade candidates for the next day. If you want a scanner that offers real-time data, you can upgrade to Finviz Elite. It includes additional features and costs $39.50 per month (monthly plan), or $24.96 per month (annual plan, $299.50 per year). The performance tab allows you to specify performance criteria such as beta or historic relative strength. The other tabs give you more options to help you choose your trade, such as indicators or support and resistance factors. Each category has many filters to choose from to help traders select stocks that closely match their trading criteria. Like Finviz, the free stock screener is easy to use. The site works on a credit system, giving you 6,000 free credits each month that accumulate if you don’t use them. Running the scanner costs a few hundred credits. The free monthly credits are enough to allow most users to frequently utilize the site without paying for more. When you have used up all of your credits, you can use the site but with minimal functionality. You can buy credits in blocks of 10,000 ($10) or upgrade to unlimited usage for $29.97 per month or $259.97 per year ($21.66 per month). It’s quick to find stocks near highs or lows for various time frames or find some that show a lot of price momentum (up or down). Track which stocks are being traded by popular hedge funds, and create custom screens, watchlists, and portfolios. StockRover also allows for backtesting and creating equations—combining multiple filters into a mathematical equation to further fine-tune results. Hundreds of functions are available to all users, although paid users have access to additional features such as equations, data exporting, filters, portfolio analytics, and alerts. An entry-level paid subscription is $79.99 per year, the Premium plan is $179.99 per year, and the Premium Plus plan is $279.99 per year. Instead of trying to identify the next great trade, use these stock screeners each night or once a day. You could also use them on the weekend to find a handful of suitable stocks to trade the following week. Then, focus on only day trading between one and three stocks during the next trading session or week. This approach requires much less time than actively scanning. Since you’re only watching a few stocks, you’re alert and ready to buy or sell at the right times.
