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How to Read the US Technical Screener Card

A field-by-field guide to every element on a Technical Screener card โ€” verdict badges, trade levels, Entry Quality, moving averages, and how to act on each signal.

โฑ 5 min read ๐Ÿ“Š US Technical Screener ๐ŸŸข Beginner friendly

In this article
  1. What the Technical Screener measures
  2. Verdict Badges
  3. Card Header โ€” Ticker, Price, Performance
  4. Score & Signal Chips
  5. Trade Levels โ€” Stop, Exit Target, Risk%
  6. Entry Quality
  7. Moving Averages
  8. 12M Analyst Target
  9. Watchlist, Sort & Verdict History
  10. Quick Decision Guide

1. What the Technical Screener measures

The US Technical Screener checks price momentum and trend alignment across 11 rules โ€” moving averages, MACD, volume, and short-term price action. Every rule scores 1 (pass) or 0 (fail). The total score determines the verdict.

Coverage: Russell 1000 stocks (โ‰ฅ $10B market cap). Refreshed daily after market close.

๐Ÿ’ก How to use the screener efficiently
Use the filter pills โ€” STRONG / WATCH / RECOVER / CAUTIOUS โ€” to narrow the list, then expand individual cards for detail. Start with STRONG. These are stocks where all 11 rules pass simultaneously.

2. Verdict Badges

Every card carries a verdict badge โ€” a top-level summary of the stock's score:

STRONG
All 11 rules pass. Highest conviction โ€” best starting point for research.
WATCH
9โ€“10 rules pass. Most signals aligned โ€” worth monitoring for a full STRONG setup.
RECOVERING
6+ rules with positive MACD and rising SMA20. Early momentum building โ€” good for a watchlist.
CAUTIOUS
Multiple rules unfavourable. Not a sell signal โ€” simply means the setup is not yet favourable for a new entry.
โš  Snapshots, not forecasts
Verdict badges reflect the most recent screener run. A stock can move between tiers as market conditions change. Always combine with your own research before making any decision.

3. Card Header โ€” Ticker, Price, Performance

GOOGL
Alphabet Inc. ยท Comm Services
$400.80
+28.3% (6M)
STRONG โœ“ 11/11 rules ๐Ÿ“… Earns 18d โš  Ext
Stop
$381.53
Exit Target
$438.54
Risk
4.8%
Mkt Cap
$4,901B
SMA20
$371.20
SMA100
$178.40
SMA200
$163.80
P/E
19.8
Entry Quality Slightly Extended โš ๏ธ Ideal entry: $371.20
๐Ÿ’ก Limit order at ideal entry, or enter now with smaller size.
FieldWhat it meansHow to use it
Ticker / NameExchange symbol and company nameThe sector label helps you compare against industry peers
PriceLatest closing price in USDData from the most recent trading session โ€” not real-time
6M PerformancePrice return over the last ~126 trading daysPositive 6M return is one of the 11 rules โ€” confirms medium-term momentum

4. Score & Signal Chips

ChipWhat it means
11/11 rulesHow many of the 11 technical rules pass right now. STRONG requires all 11.
ฮ”+2 / ฮ”โˆ’1Score delta vs the last screener run. ฮ”+ means the stock is improving โ€” more rules passing than before.
โš  Extended / โš  ExtPrice is running significantly above its 20-day average. See Entry Quality below.
๐Ÿ“… Earns XdEarnings in X days. Only shown within 30 days โ€” a reminder of binary event risk.
โšก ATR SpikeVolatility is unusually elevated. Stops may be wider than usual โ€” size conservatively.
โœ“ All criteria passedShown on STRONG cards only โ€” confirms every rule passes with no exceptions.
โ˜… / โ˜† (star)Add the stock to your personal watchlist (Trial/Premium). Stars persist across sessions and across screener tabs.
๐Ÿ“Š (detail button)Opens the full stock detail popup โ€” all metrics, signals, rules, history, and analyst data on one screen without leaving the screener.

5. Trade Levels โ€” Stop, Exit Target, Risk%

These are rule-based levels calculated from the stock's own volatility (ATR14), not analyst forecasts. They provide a structured framework for managing the trade.

FieldWhat it meansHow it's calculated
StopSuggested stop-loss โ€” the point where the technical setup is invalidatedLower of: (Price โˆ’ 1.5 ร— ATR14) or Parabolic SAR. Adapts to each stock's volatility.
Exit TargetProfit target at 2:1 risk/rewardPrice + 2 ร— (Price โˆ’ Stop). Not a forecast โ€” it's where the trade pays 2ร— what you risk.
Risk %Distance from current price to stop, as a percentageRisk% above 6% is flagged. Use this to size your position โ€” risk the same dollar amount regardless of Risk%.
๐Ÿ’ก Exit Target โ‰  Analyst Price Target
Exit Target is a rule-based 2:1 level โ€” a short-term trade exit framework. 12M Analyst Target is the Wall St. consensus for the next 12 months. They will often differ significantly. Don't confuse the two.

6. Entry Quality

Entry Quality tells you whether now is a good time to enter, or whether the stock has already moved too far from its baseline. It measures how extended price is relative to the 20-day moving average.

BadgeMeaningWhat to do
Near SMA20 โœ“Price is close to its 20-day averageGood entry zone โ€” market or limit order near current price is reasonable
Slightly Extended โš ๏ธPrice has moved above its average but not dangerouslyLimit order at Ideal Entry, or enter now with a slightly smaller position size
Extended ๐Ÿ”ดPrice is significantly above its 20-day averageWait for a pullback to the Ideal Entry price โ€” entering now reduces your stop cushion

The Ideal Entry price shown is 1% above SMA20 โ€” a conservative entry point that leaves room before the stop triggers.

7. Moving Averages

The card shows SMA20 (20-day), SMA100 (100-day), and SMA200 (200-day). For a STRONG stock, price should be above all three, and all three should be stacked in order: SMA20 > SMA100 > SMA200. This "MA stack" confirms the uptrend across short, medium, and long timeframes simultaneously.

The P/E (trailing) is also shown alongside the MAs for a quick fundamental sanity check โ€” useful for spotting if a technically strong stock is trading at an extreme valuation.

8. 12M Analyst Target

Wall St. consensus from covering analysts โ€” includes the mean price target, low/high range, consensus recommendation (BUY, HOLD, SELL), and analyst count. Hover the label (โ“˜) for a tooltip reminder that this is a 12-month forecast, not the rule-based Exit Target above.

9. Watchlist, Sort & Verdict History

Watchlist (โ˜…)

The star icon on every card lets you save stocks to your personal watchlist (available on Trial and Premium plans). Your watchlist syncs across devices and persists between sessions. Use the Watchlist filter pill at the top of the screener to show only your starred stocks across any screener tab.

Sort Dropdown

The sort dropdown (above the card list) lets you reorder all stocks by different signals. Options include: Stars โ†“ (score highest first, default), ฮ” Score โ†“ (biggest recent improvers first), Analyst Upside โ†“, Analyst Rating โ†‘, Earnings โ†‘ (closest earnings first), P/E โ†‘ (cheapest by P/E first), Mkt Cap โ†“, and 6M Perf โ†“. Sorting applies on top of any active verdict or sector filter.

4-Week Verdict History (Premium)

Expand any card and scroll to the 4-week history row. It shows the verdict label for each of the past four weekly screener snapshots โ€” letting you see at a glance whether a stock has been consistently STRONG, recently upgraded, or drifting. A stock that shows STRONG โ†’ STRONG โ†’ STRONG โ†’ STRONG has sustained momentum; one that oscillates WATCH โ†’ STRONG โ†’ WATCH โ†’ STRONG is less reliable. This feature requires a Trial or Premium plan.

10. Quick Decision Guide

If you seeโ€ฆWhat it suggestsNext step
STRONG + Near SMA20 All signals aligned, price at a reasonable entry point Review trade levels. Check earnings date. Consider entering with full size.
STRONG + Extended ๐Ÿ”ด Good setup but overextended โ€” chasing may mean a tight stop Set a limit order at the Ideal Entry price and wait for a pullback.
WATCH + ฮ”+2 Improving rapidly โ€” may reach STRONG on the next run Add to watchlist. Check back after the next daily update.
STRONG + โšก ATR Spike Good setup but volatility is elevated โ€” stops