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Swing Stock Screener

Timothy SykesAvatar
Written by Timothy Sykes
Updated 3/17/2025 5 min read

Swing trading is a trading strategy that capitalizes on short- to medium-term price swings. Smart traders make use of stock screeners to filter through thousands of stocks based on specific criteria and identify potential trades. A good swing trading stock screener will have customizable filters, technical indicators, and real-time data to identify the best swing trading setups. These tools simplify the process of finding stocks that match your trading plan, saving time while increasing your chances of success.

Your swing screener should help you identify chart patterns, trading volume, and key resistance levels. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced trader, knowing how to use a stock screener with your trading strategy is key to your trading growth!

The team at StocksToTrade put together a basic swing trading stock screener of stocks under $20, with a 10-day gain of more than 10%. Here’s what’s coming up right now:

Swing Trading Screener FAQs

Which Screener Is Best for Swing Trading?

The best screener for swing trading depends on your trading style and swing trading strategy, but StocksToTrade is first on my list. It’s a powerful trading platform that offers top-level technical analysis tools, customizable filters, and advanced charting options, making it ideal for swing traders. I helped to design it, which means it has all the trading indicators, news sources, and stock screening capabilities that traders like me look for in a platform.

Grab your 14-day StocksToTrade trial today — it’s only $7!

When choosing a screener, look for features such as technical indicators, volume analysis, and real-time data. The ability to customize your screening criteria is critical, as it allows you to focus on key metrics like trading volume, moving averages, and Bollinger Bands. Platforms with user-friendly interfaces and interactive charts like StocksToTrade are excellent for both new and experienced traders.

How Do You Scan for Swing Trading Stocks?

Scanning for stocks for swing trading involves using specific criteria to filter for candidates with strong momentum, above-average trading volume, and clear chart patterns. Start by setting up a customizable screener to identify stocks that meet your preferred criteria. For example, look for stocks trading near key resistance levels or showing bullish reversal candlestick patterns.

Pay attention to technical indicators such as relative strength index (RSI) to identify oversold conditions or Bollinger Bands to spot price volatility. Use real-time data to refine your scans further, ensuring that the stocks you select align with current market trends. A systematic approach, such as filtering for a daily volume above 1 million shares or a price increase of at least 5%, helps narrow down potential swing trading setups.

Most screeners also allow you to factor in fundamental criteria, such as revenue growth or sector performance. Combining technical and fundamental analysis can provide additional insights, helping you identify stocks with strong momentum and a good financial backbone.

What Is the Best Indicator for Swing Trading?

The best indicators for swing trading vary depending on the trader’s strategy, but commonly used tools include moving averages, RSI, and Bollinger Bands. Moving averages help identify trends and potential entry points, while RSI is useful for spotting overbought or oversold conditions. Bollinger Bands are another powerful tool for swing traders, mapping price volatility and potential reversals.

Swing traders often combine multiple indicators to confirm trading signals. For example, a bullish swing trade setup may involve a stock breaking above its 20-day moving average while RSI moves out of oversold territory. But I like to keep trading simple — I look for solid catalysts and a good chart. I never risk more than I can afford to lose, and cut losses quickly… which leads to my next point:

Indicators should be used alongside a clear trading plan and proper risk management strategies. Just because an indicator says something, it’s no guarantee. Always look for confirmation, and be ready to exit when a trade isn’t going your way.

What Is the Most Successful Stock Screener?

The most successful stock screener is one that aligns with your trading strategy and offers customizable features to meet your specific needs. For swing traders, StocksToTrade stands out due to its advanced screening options, integration with real-time alerts, and seamless charting tools. Its ability to combine technical and fundamental analysis makes it a valuable resource for identifying profitable trades.

Another popular choice is Finviz, known for its user-friendly interface and ability to filter stocks based on a wide range of criteria, including market capitalization, trading volume, and price performance. Finviz’s heatmaps and financial visualizations provide additional insights into market trends, helping traders make informed decisions.

Ultimately, the success of a stock screener depends on how effectively you use it. Screeners are tools, not guarantees, and they should be used alongside a well-thought-out trading plan. By focusing on systematic screening criteria and using actionable trade signals, swing traders can significantly improve their trading outcomes.


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Timothy Sykes

Tim Sykes is a penny stock trader and teacher who became a self-made millionaire by the age of 22 by trading $12,415 of bar mitzvah money. After becoming disenchanted with the hedge fund world, he established the Tim Sykes Trading Challenge to teach aspiring traders how to follow his trading strategies. He’s been featured in a variety of media outlets including CNN, Larry King, Steve Harvey, Forbes, Men’s Journal, and more. He’s also an active philanthropist and environmental activist, a co-founder of Karmagawa, and has donated millions of dollars to charity.
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* Results are not typical and will vary from person to person. Making money trading stocks takes time, dedication, and hard work. There are inherent risks involved with investing in the stock market, including the loss of your investment. Past performance in the market is not indicative of future results. Any investment is at your own risk. See Terms of Service here

The available research on day trading suggests that most active traders lose money. Fees and overtrading are major contributors to these losses.

A 2000 study called “Trading is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors” evaluated 66,465 U.S. households that held stocks from 1991 to 1996. The households that traded most averaged an 11.4% annual return during a period where the overall market gained 17.9%. These lower returns were attributed to overconfidence.

A 2014 paper (revised 2019) titled “Learning Fast or Slow?” analyzed the complete transaction history of the Taiwan Stock Exchange between 1992 and 2006. It looked at the ongoing performance of day traders in this sample, and found that 97% of day traders can expect to lose money from trading, and more than 90% of all day trading volume can be traced to investors who predictably lose money. Additionally, it tied the behavior of gamblers and drivers who get more speeding tickets to overtrading, and cited studies showing that legalized gambling has an inverse effect on trading volume.

A 2019 research study (revised 2020) called “Day Trading for a Living?” observed 19,646 Brazilian futures contract traders who started day trading from 2013 to 2015, and recorded two years of their trading activity. The study authors found that 97% of traders with more than 300 days actively trading lost money, and only 1.1% earned more than the Brazilian minimum wage ($16 USD per day). They hypothesized that the greater returns shown in previous studies did not differentiate between frequent day traders and those who traded rarely, and that more frequent trading activity decreases the chance of profitability.

These studies show the wide variance of the available data on day trading profitability. One thing that seems clear from the research is that most day traders lose money .

Millionaire Media 66 W Flagler St. Ste. 900 Miami, FL 33130 United States (888) 878-3621 This is for information purposes only as Millionaire Media LLC nor Timothy Sykes is registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser. No information herein is intended as securities brokerage, investment, tax, accounting or legal advice, as an offer or solicitation of an offer to sell or buy, or as an endorsement, recommendation or sponsorship of any company, security or fund. Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes cannot and does not assess, verify or guarantee the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of any information, the suitability or profitability of any particular investment, or the potential value of any investment or informational source. The reader bears responsibility for his/her own investment research and decisions, should seek the advice of a qualified securities professional before making any investment, and investigate and fully understand any and all risks before investing. Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes in no way warrants the solvency, financial condition, or investment advisability of any of the securities mentioned in communications or websites. In addition, Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes accepts no liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this information. This information is not intended to be used as the sole basis of any investment decision, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the investment needs of any particular investor. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future returns.

Citations for Disclaimer

Barber, Brad M. and Odean, Terrance, Trading is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors. Available at SSRN: “Day Trading for a Living?”

Barber, Brad M. and Lee, Yi-Tsung and Liu, Yu-Jane and Odean, Terrance and Zhang, Ke, Learning Fast or Slow? (May 28, 2019). Forthcoming: Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Available at SSRN: “https://ssrn.com/abstract=2535636”

Chague, Fernando and De-Losso, Rodrigo and Giovannetti, Bruno, Day Trading for a Living? (June 11, 2020). Available at SSRN: “https://ssrn.com/abstract=3423101”

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