Definition
What is a momentum scanner?
A momentum scanner monitors securities for measurable changes in price and participation. Useful momentum evidence can include session change, distance from the day high, recent volume, relative volume, dollar volume, spread, and a newly qualified price event.
Who it is for
Built for active traders who verify the evidence.
It is designed for active traders studying fast-moving U.S. stocks who want objective event timestamps and current market context instead of an unexplained list of symbols described as hot.
How it works
From changing data to a focused review.
- 1Define the price, session, liquidity, and participation boundaries for the universe.
- 2Monitor implemented momentum events such as high-of-day, running-up, VWAP, or breakout conditions.
- 3Review the event time, measured trigger, current rank, and source recency.
- 4Validate chart location, spread, volume, news, filings, and invalidation context independently.
Capabilities
The information connected to this workflow.
High-of-day context
Distinguish a new session high from a symbol merely trading near an older reference level.
Relative participation
Compare current activity with a supported baseline while retaining absolute volume and liquidity checks.
VWAP and breakout events
Treat VWAP interactions and price breaks as timestamped evidence, not automatic entries.
Catalyst context
Inspect available company news, SEC filings, offerings, earnings, and halt information around the move.
TraderBase approach
What makes TraderBase different?
TraderBase connects the scanner event to the evidence needed to interpret it. It does not convert momentum into a directional promise, hide stale data, or ask a language model to calculate prices.
Common questions
Momentum scanner FAQ
What does a momentum scanner look for?
It can monitor supported price-change, high-of-day, recent-volume, relative-volume, VWAP, breakout, liquidity, and catalyst conditions. The exact result depends on the configured rules and available data.
Is momentum the same as a prediction?
No. Momentum describes measured market behavior. It does not establish that a move will continue or that an executable opportunity exists.
Can the same ticker trigger more than once?
Yes. A symbol can qualify for different events or requalify after state changes. Event labels, timestamps, cooldowns, and deduplication distinguish meaningful changes from repeated delivery.