Momentum Scanner: Free Daily Momentum Stocks
This momentum scanner is built on a well-documented idea: in 1993, Narasimhan Jegadeesh and Sheridan Titman showed in the Journal of Finance that, in their historical sample, buying recent winners and selling recent losers earned significant positive returns over 3 to 12-month holding periods. It lists US stocks with a 100-day rate of change of at least 40% or a 100-day EMA slope of at least 25%, the same momentum check used inside our Official Daily Pivot system. The free results use final daily data and run five trading sessions late. Use it as a free momentum stock screener when you want momentum stocks that are already in a strong trend.
See today’s scan alerts free for 7 days
Latest free momentum stocks
TWST: Momentum match on Oct 9
Open chart for TWST- Momentum match
- Combo score 99
- 100-day ROC 220.9%
- 100-day EMA slope 150.4%
- Since alert −12.5%
Also matching
Members saw this match on Oct 9.See the latest scan alerts
DELL: Momentum match on Oct 9
Open chart for DELL- Momentum match
- Combo score 99
- 100-day ROC 146.2%
- 100-day EMA slope 155.3%
- Since alert −22.1%
Also matching
Members saw this match on Oct 9.See the latest scan alerts
ABCL: Momentum match on Oct 2
Open chart for ABCL- Momentum match
- Combo score 99
- 100-day ROC 161.7%
- 100-day EMA slope 132.0%
- Since alert −14.0%
Also matching
Members saw this match on Oct 2.See the latest scan alerts
- 6,947 more momentum stocks since Oct 16, through the latest closeMembers see every scan alert the day it fires, with a chart for each one.Start 7-day free trial
Key Takeaways
- A stock makes the list with a 100-day rate of change of at least 40% or a 100-day EMA slope of at least 25%. One filter is enough.
- Both filters are the momentum check inside our Official Daily Pivot system, pulled out as a stand-alone list.
- The combo score from 0 to 100 averages each stock’s rank on the two measures; this list has no backtest of its own.
Free cards also require a close above $5, more than $10 million traded on the alert day, a current market cap of at least $2 billion, and they skip likely buyouts: stocks whose price has stayed within 3% for 10 sessions, which usually means a pending deal.
What the momentum scanner shows
The scanner lists every US stock that passes at least one of two momentum filters. A stock needs only one of them to make the list.
- 100-day rate of change (ROC) of at least 40%. ROC is the stock’s closing price today divided by its close 100 trading sessions ago, minus 1. A stock that closed at $50 100 sessions ago and closes at $70 today has an ROC of 40%.
- 100-day EMA slope of at least 25%. The 100-day EMA is a smoothed average of closing prices that gives more weight to recent days. The slope compares today’s EMA with the EMA 100 sessions ago. If the average itself has risen 25% or more, the stock passes.
That is the “OR” rule: ROC 40% or more, or EMA slope 25% or more. In the member app each row tells you which filter the stock passed: ROC, EMA slope, or both.
Two basic checks apply to every stock we scan: a closing price above $5 and at least $10 million traded on the session. The stock also needs about 200 sessions of clean price history, because the EMA slope needs that much data. There is no volume-surge filter on this list. Only the two momentum filters decide.
Where these filters come from
Both filters are the momentum check inside our Official Daily Pivot Breakout system. We pulled that check out and made it a stand-alone list, using the same math, so you can see every stock that clears the momentum bar before any pivot or breakout is required.
Please read this part carefully. The momentum scanner is a list of stocks. It does not have a backtest of its own, and we do not show any win rate or return for it. The Official Daily Pivot backtest belongs to the Daily Pivot system as a whole, not to this list. A stock on this list is a candidate to study, not a buy signal.
How to read the combo score and the chart
Each stock gets a combo score from 0 to 100. We rank every eligible stock on its ROC and on its EMA slope that session. The combo score is the average of the two ranks. A score of 90 means the stock ranks high on both measures together compared with the other stocks we scan.
The chart shows the price on top. Below it you see two lines: the 100-day ROC and the 100-day EMA slope. Two dashed lines mark the filter levels, 40% for ROC and 25% for EMA slope. When a line is above its dashed level, the stock passes that filter on that day. Watch how long a line has stayed above its level. A stock that just crossed is a different story from one that has been above for months.
Why momentum matters to swing traders
Many swing traders in the William O’Neil style look for leaders that are already moving, because strong stocks often stay strong for a while and weak stocks often stay weak. A momentum list will not tell you when to buy. It narrows thousands of stocks to the few that already show strength, so your time goes to the right charts. Pair it with a base, a pivot and a stop you can live with.
What the delay means
The free cutoff is five actual exchange trading sessions behind the latest complete daily-data session. Weekends and holidays do not count. Free picks are final-only: we wait for the daily close and complete data, and the page updates automatically from stored final scan results. It never shows forming-candle matches. Charts can extend to the latest final close, but alert markers stop at the delayed cutoff.
History of this list
This list’s own stored history: History starts May 27, 2009 (the history panel with the charts above always shows the current start date). Members can review every stored momentum match from that date with its chart. This page shows no backtest results: only the Daily Pivot Breakout page shows the Official backtest.
Current scanners and trade tracking
The Financial Tech Wiz Trading Journal shows every momentum match the day it happens, the stored history with a chart for each one, and trade tracking with performance analytics. Its developing daily scans are labeled preliminary and confirm after the daily close.
For background, read our Mark Minervini trading strategy guide. Compare the other free tools in our free stock scanner directory, and if you want a simple way to start recording trades, use the free trading journal template.
Related guides and scanners
- Daily Pivot Breakout scanner
- Relative strength scanner
- Minervini trend template scanner
- Stage 2 stocks screener
- VCP scanner
FAQ
What is the difference between ROC and EMA slope?
ROC compares two prices: today’s close and the close 100 sessions ago. EMA slope compares two points on a smoothed average. ROC reacts to the exact starting price. EMA slope is smoother and less jumpy.
Why does the scanner use both filters?
They catch different kinds of strong stocks. A stock can have a big 100-day gain and a flatter average, or a steady climb that lifts the average without a single huge jump. Using “either one” keeps both types on the list.
Does a stock have to pass both filters?
No. One is enough. In the member app the row shows ROC, EMA slope or both, and you can filter the list that way.
How often is the list updated, and why is it delayed?
The data updates after each trading day closes. The free page shows final picks five exchange sessions after the scan alert. Members see current matches in the app.
Is the momentum scanner a buy signal?
No. It is a screening list. It does not tell you where to buy, where to put a stop or how much to risk.
Does this list have a backtest?
No. The two filters come from the Official Daily Pivot system, but this list has no backtest of its own and we do not show Official results here.
Why is a stock I like missing?
It may be under $5, it may trade too little volume, it may have fewer than about 200 sessions of history, or it may not pass either filter.