Are you wondering how to find stocks to day trade? In a hot market like we’ve seen in 2020, there can be huge runners almost every day.
People always ask, “Tim, how do you find these stocks before they spike?”
This might surprise you, but I don’t find them before they spike. One of the biggest indicators I use to find trades is a stock that’s already spiking.
Of course there’s more to it than that. So let’s take a look at how to find stocks to day trade.
Read on as I break down my process of how I find stocks to trade every day and how you can do it too. Let’s do this!
(*Please note: My results, along with the results of my top students, are far from typical. Individual results will vary. Most traders lose money. My top students and I have the benefit of many years of hard work and dedication. Trading is inherently risky. Do your due diligence and never risk more than you can afford to lose.)
Table of Contents
What Does Day Trading Stocks Mean?
Day trading stocks means you buy and sell a stock within the same trading day.
My goal is to take advantage of quick upward price movements. The penny stocks I trade move in repeatable patterns and react to news catalysts, stock pumps, and promotions.
Penny stocks are highly volatile. So they can make big moves in a short time. Sometimes they go supernova and run for multiple days. I rarely stick around that long though. I aim to take quick profits of 10%–20% per trade.
Get my no-cost Supernova Alerts to get alerts on stocks that have the potential to go supernova.
If a stock doesn’t do what I want it to before my profit target, I’m quick to get out. My #1 rule is to cut losses quickly. It prevents small losses from turning into big disasters.
And I never risk too much in a trade.
The quick moves can provide the potential without the risk of holding long term like conventional investors. But penny stocks are still risky — let’s make that crystal clear.
The good news is, I don’t have to hold trades I don’t like for whatever reason. I cut my losses quickly and get out. No matter what.
If this kind of day trading sounds interesting to you, read on. I’ll share how to find stocks to day trade each morning.
How to Find Stocks to Day Trade: Step by Step
You might think I have some big secret about how to find stocks to day trade. I don’t. I share my process with anyone who’s willing to listen and learn. It’s not rocket science, but you must be willing to do the work.
Here’s my step-by-step process, so you can find your own stocks to day trade. First I start with…
The Stock Screener on StocksToTrade
A stock screener is how most traders find the best stocks to day trade for their strategies.
StockToTrade is my favorite screener and trading platform. It’s created by traders for traders. I helped design it and am a major investor in it. We specifically developed StocksToTrade to find and trade penny stocks.
It has built-in screeners to find the biggest percent gainers of the day. You can also customize your own scans, watchlists, and charts.
Don’t have time to do your own screening and research? Try Oracle, the AI scanner that helps you with trade ideas.
Then there’s the new game-changing Breaking News Chat feature. Two highly skilled market pros alert you to news that can move stocks. It’s helped my trading so much this year.
StocksToTrade really is the all-in-one tool you need for finding and trading penny stocks.
So what do I look for in my scans? That’s simple…
Big Percent Gainers
I want my scans to find the biggest percent gainers — stocks up at least 10% on the day.
If you just search for stocks up 10% on the day, you can end up with a huge list. So you might want to narrow down your search criteria even more…
I like stocks trading under $10 a share, and I like the volume to be at least 100,000 (volume should increase throughout the trading day). If you still get too long of a list, you can narrow it down even more by float size, sector, and stock exchange.
There’s almost an unlimited combination of criteria you could search for.
Once I have a list of big percent gainers I…
Search for News and Study Charts
I search for news and check the chart of each stock on my big percent gainers list. I check the daily and intraday charts.
I’m looking for charts that are close to a breakout level or a beaten-down stock that could potentially have its first green day.
I look back at the chart to see the stock’s movements over the last year or two. I want to see if it’s a former runner or former supernova. And if it is, I want to know how much volume it traded on the days it had a big move.
I read any news articles on the stocks, search Fintwit, and check other chat rooms for activity. I want to know if anyone’s pumping the stock or if it’s heavily shorted. Heavily shorted stocks have the potential for massive short squeezes if buying volume comes in.
The more information you can find the better.
Cut out any stocks that have low volume, no news, and bad sushi charts. Your goal in this stage is to…
Narrow Down Your List
You want to have a list of only a few stocks. Having too many to watch can distract you from the best plays.
You could waste all your time watching a junk stock … Meanwhile, you’re missing a huge runner. That can be frustrating.
Focus on the best setups and make a trading plan for each stock. If there’s a move, you’ll be ready, and if there’s not, no big deal. At least you won’t be frustrated by forcing trades that aren’t there on stocks with no potential.
Now you have your own…
Watchlist
You’ve got your watchlist of stocks to keep your eye on during the day. This doesn’t mean they’ll offer a trading opportunity. That’s why it’s called a watchlist, not a trade list.
Too many new traders think I’m trading all the stocks on my watchlist. They want to know when I plan to get in and out. I don’t even know if I’ll trade them!
I’m watching them throughout the day to see if a pattern develops. I’m looking for things like a breakout on the daily chart, a news catalyst to drop, or big volume to come in. I want to see the potential for the price to spike.
You can re-run your scans throughout the day to find any new spikers that weren’t on your morning list. But remember to go through the whole process for any new stocks you find. Never blindly buy a stock that’s spiking.
Find out which stocks I’m watching each week — subscribe to my no-cost weekly watchlist.
How to Find Stocks to Day Trade in 2021
Now that you know how to find stocks to day trade, let’s go over some types of stocks to day trade in 2020 and into 2021.
Low Float Stocks
Low float stocks can move super fast. They create great opportunities because they’re so volatile. They can have massive price swings to the upside and the downside. So be careful.
You have to be ready to act quickly if you’re gonna trade low float stocks. They can have powerful moves. Especially if a news catalyst and volume combine with a giant short squeeze.
If you’re a new trader, you might not be ready to trade low floats since they can move so quickly. But watch and learn from them. Being able to trade them well is a good tool to have in your arsenal.
Learn how to take advantage of volatility with my “Volatility Survival Guide.” It’s no cost. I give you tips on how to trade in this volatile market and beyond.
The coronavirus has been a huge catalyst in the market so far in 2020. Nobody knows how long it will continue, or if it’ll continue into 2021.
But I’ll watch stocks with coronavirus news until I see the market change. Once I see the momentum shift, I’ll adapt.
I don’t try to predict the market, I react to it.
Along with coronavirus stocks, comes…
Stay-at-Home Stocks
There’s no question the coronavirus has changed the way we live. So once it’s gone (if ever), will life go back to the way it was? Or is this the new normal?
Nobody knows for sure, but I think we’ve seen changes in our lives that will never be the same.
The coronavirus has almost forced us to have a massive evolution. More people than ever are working from home. The technology has been available for years, but people weren’t taking advantage of it. Now they are like never before…
Some companies, like Zillow, Square, and Twitter, have already announced that their employees could work from home indefinitely.
That could have a massive impact on the economy from cars to infrastructure to commercial real estate … People are shifting their daily habits, skipping expensive morning coffee or grabbing lunch with coworkers. The list goes on and on and can affect other industries.
The good news is when one industry is failing, there’s usually a new industry or technology to take its place. As a trader, it’s your job to find these opportunities.
So when you’re considering how to find stocks to day trade, keep an eye out for…
Hot Sectors
My students and I aren’t just blindly choosing a sector to trade. We look for hot sectors where multiple stocks are running. There’s usually one stock that leads the pack and other smaller stocks follow suit.
Hot sectors can pop up out of the blue, for seemingly no reason. Or they can be caused by economic changes or an exciting new technology.
Study past hot sectors and be prepared for the next one.
Frequently Asked Questions About Finding Stocks To Day Trade
What Are the Top Stock Sectors for Day Trading?
There are tons of stock sectors to day trade. Instead of blindly picking a sector to trade, my students and I trade hot sectors. We focus on stocks with high volume and sectors where multiple stocks are running even without any individual news.
When Should You Start Day Trading Stocks?
You can start trading stocks at any time. But take your time to do research before jumping in. There’s so much to learn. You need to know which broker to use, which stocks to trade, which order entries to use, and how and where to enter and exit trades. Put your education first.
How Many Stock Trades Can You Make per Day?
If you have less than $25,000 in your trading account, you’re limited to three day trades per week. Some brokers have different rules about what constitutes a day trade. Do your own research and check with your broker for their specific rules. Overnight and swing trades don’t count as a day trade.
What’s the Best Time To Day Trade?
The best time to day trade is usually in the morning. That’s when there’s the most volume and volatility in the market. It usually lasts for the first hour and a half. Another good time for trading is before the close. Volume is higher as people get in and out of trades before the close.
You can’t expect to do something half assed & then expect success…nope, a lack of passion leads to mediocrity & I don’t know ANYONE who just wants to be mediocre. We each have just ONE fucken life so how in the world do you not want to make it the absolute best life possible?!?
— Timothy Sykes (@timothysykes) October 21, 2020
Apply for the Trading Challenge
This year has been an anomaly in the market. The coronavirus crashed the market in March 2020. Since then many new traders have entered the market, and the market hit new highs.
The problem is, a lot of new traders entered the market hoping to make it rich quick. That’s not gonna happen.
Traders with that kind of mindset are why I make people apply for my Trading Challenge. I don’t have time to waste on lazy people who just want hot stock picks.
My goal is to teach students to become self-sufficient traders. I don’t give them fish — I teach them to fish.
Once you have a solid foundation of trading knowledge you can use it to find consistency in the markets. So your question of how to find stocks to day trade? You’ll be able to answer that on your own. Like my top students.
All my millionaire students come from my Trading Challenge.* I don’t think that’s a coincidence.
It’s because they get access to all my educational resources. That includes all my video lessons, DVDs, live trading and Q&A webinars, and my chat room with access to me and my top students. All my video lessons and webinars are archived so you can go back and study history.
The Wrap on How to Find Stocks to Day Trade
I hope you use these steps to help you find the best stocks to day trade. But remember, there won’t be plays every day. Stay disciplined. Don’t force trades that aren’t there and avoid overtrading. Be patient and always wait for the best setups.
Study the past and be prepared when the opportunity presents itself. All of my top students put in the work to become self-sufficient and they all found their way in my Trading Challenge.
How do you find your stocks to day trade? Let me know in the comments … I love to hear from you!
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