Darvas Box Screener: Free Daily Box Breakouts
This Darvas box screener is built on the method of Nicolas Darvas, a professional dancer who traded US stocks by cable and telegram while on tour in the 1950s and told the story in his 1960 book How I Made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market. His idea was simple: a strong stock that makes a new high often rests inside a tight range, a box, before it breaks out. The screener finds those boxes every trading day, from final daily data, five trading sessions late. Use it as a free Darvas box scanner to find Darvas box stocks before and after the breakout.
See today’s scan alerts free for 7 days
Darvas Box Breakout Scan Alerts:
Darvas Box Near the Top Scan Alerts:
Breakouts
The first close above a confirmed Darvas box top, with 20-day relative volume above 1 on final data, in the delayed window.
IMAX: Darvas box breakout on Sep 25
Open chart for IMAX- Darvas box breakout
- Above box top 0.9%
- Box depth 10.0%
- Sessions in box 23
- RVOL 1.1x
- Since alert −4.7%
Members saw this scan alert on Sep 25.See the latest scan alerts
IFF: Darvas box breakout on Oct 14
Open chart for IFF- Darvas box breakout
- Above box top 0.3%
- Box depth 9.5%
- Sessions in box 49
- RVOL 1.2x
- Since alert +5.1%
Members saw this scan alert on Oct 14.See the latest scan alerts
ZETA: Darvas box breakout on Oct 5
Open chart for ZETA- Darvas box breakout
- Above box top 0.2%
- Box depth 14.6%
- Sessions in box 20
- RVOL 1.6x
- Since alert +3.4%
Members saw this scan alert on Oct 5.See the latest scan alerts
- 37 more Darvas box breakouts 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
In a box near the top
Confirmed Darvas boxes that are still valid, with the close within 5% of the box top and no breakout yet.
PR: Darvas box near the top on Oct 16
Open chart for PR- Darvas box near the top
- Below box top 0.2%
- Box depth 15.4%
- Sessions in box 24
- Since alert +3.7%
Members saw this scan alert on Oct 16.See the latest scan alerts
CHEF: Darvas box near the top on Oct 2
Open chart for CHEF- Darvas box near the top
- Below box top 0.8%
- Box depth 10.2%
- Sessions in box 44
- Since alert −9.1%
Members saw this scan alert on Oct 2.See the latest scan alerts
S: Darvas box near the top on Sep 22
Open chart for S- Darvas box near the top
- Below box top 0.4%
- Box depth 19.7%
- Sessions in box 28
- Since alert +0.6%
Members saw this scan alert on Sep 22.See the latest scan alerts
- 675 more stocks in a Darvas box near the top 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
New boxes
Darvas boxes confirmed in the delayed window: 15 sessions in a row without a higher high after a new 52-week high.
DELL: New Darvas box on Oct 9
Open chart for DELL- New Darvas box
- Below box top 1.6%
- Box depth 12.7%
- Sessions in box 16
- Since alert −22.1%
Also matching
Members saw this scan alert on Oct 9.See the latest scan alerts
CLMT: New Darvas box on Oct 12
Open chart for CLMT- New Darvas box
- Below box top 4.5%
- Box depth 14.3%
- Sessions in box 16
- Since alert −13.7%
Also matching
Members saw this scan alert on Oct 12.See the latest scan alerts
AMRX: New Darvas box on Oct 12
Open chart for AMRX- New Darvas box
- Below box top 5.4%
- Box depth 11.5%
- Sessions in box 16
- Since alert +1.7%
Also matching
Members saw this scan alert on Oct 12.See the latest scan alerts
- 134 more new Darvas boxes 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 box starts at a new 52-week high and is confirmed after 15 sessions in a row without a higher high.
- A breakout is the first close above the box top after confirmation, with volume above its 20-day average on final data.
- Three lists: Breakouts, In a box near the top, and New boxes.
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 a Darvas box is
A Darvas box is a pause in an uptrend. The stock jumps to a new high, then trades sideways. The top of the box is the high it reached. The bottom is the lowest low during the rest. When the stock closes above the top, the box has broken out.
We use fixed rules so the screener gives the same answer every time.
How we find a box
- A new 52-week high starts it. We count 52 weeks as 252 trading sessions. A box starts on a session whose high is above every high of the previous 252 sessions.
- The top moves up with each higher high. The box top is the highest high since the start. Each new higher high lifts the top and restarts the count.
- Fifteen quiet sessions confirm the box. When 15 sessions in a row fail to make a higher high, the box is confirmed. Three sessions fits weekly bars; on daily bars we wait 15, about three weeks.
- The bottom is fixed at confirmation. The bottom is the lowest low from the session of the top through the confirming session. After that it does not move.
The stock needs at least 253 sessions of price history for this test.
When a box fails or breaks out
A confirmed box is void in two cases: a close falls below the bottom (a breakdown), or the box is deeper than 25% of its top (a box that loose is not a tight rest).
A breakout is the first session after confirmation whose close is above the box top. By definition that is also a new 52-week closing high. On final daily data we also require the 20-day RVOL to be above 1, meaning the day’s volume is above its 20-day average. After a breakout, the next box starts from the next new 52-week high.
Three lists
- Breakouts: the stock broke out of its box on the session.
- In a box near the top: a confirmed box that is still valid, with the close within 5% of the top and no breakout yet. These are the stocks to watch.
- New boxes: a box was confirmed on the session.
Each list gets its own row of delayed charts above. The cards show the distance above or below the box top, the box depth, the sessions in the box and, for breakouts, the relative volume. Members can sort by breakout %, box depth, sessions in the box and distance to the top.
How to read the chart
The chart draws the box top and bottom as two lines, only over the sessions the box was active. A “Box” marker shows where the box was confirmed. “BO” marks the breakout. “BD” marks a breakdown. If a stock breaks down, the box is over, and that is as useful to know as a breakout.
Using the screener
Darvas boxes are most useful as a filter, not a trigger. The breakout day tells you the stock is moving. Your own plan must say where you would buy, where you would exit if it fails, and how much you would risk. The box bottom gives a natural place to judge a failure, but only you can decide your stop. Nothing here promises a result.
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 June 29, 2012 (the history panel with the charts above always shows the current start date). Members can review every stored Darvas box scan alert 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 Darvas box breakout and new box 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 chart patterns 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
- VCP scanner
- Double bottom scanner
- Minervini trend template scanner
- Stage 2 stocks screener
- Daily Pivot Breakout scanner
- Relative strength scanner
FAQ
Who was Nicolas Darvas?
A professional dancer who wrote about the box method he used to trade stocks in the 1950s. The method here is our own rule-based version, not a copy of his exact process.
Why 252 sessions for a 52-week high?
There are about 252 trading days in a year. Using sessions instead of calendar weeks keeps the count exact.
How many sessions confirm a box?
Fifteen in a row without a new higher high.
When is a box void?
When a close falls below the bottom, or when the box is deeper than 25% of its top.
Does a breakout need high volume?
On final data, yes: the 20-day RVOL must be above 1. The volume test is skipped before the daily close, and free pages only use final data.
What does “near the top” mean?
The close is within 5% of the box top and the stock has not broken out yet.
Why are free picks delayed?
Free pages are final-only and show picks five exchange sessions after the scan alert. Members see current matches.
Is a breakout a buy signal?
No. It is a screening result. We do not promise results.