What You Need To Know About Stock Screeners & Scanners

Stock scanners (https://tradeideaspromocode.net/) have brought a huge revolution in the stock trading niche. Previously, traders would take a while before choosing the right stocks and now they can do it effortlessly with stock scanners. There are so many trading opportunities out there with there being so many stocks to watch and charts to view. The stock scanning technology will do all the heavy lifting thus saving time, energy and sanity.

What Is A Stock Scanner?

It is software that can look through numerous stocks instantly helping you identify any criteria you need. For instance, you can check the stocks with a high-trading volume compared to the average ones. Therefore, every stock you come across will meet such criteria. Thanks to the scanners, you can focus on the top trading opportunities, rather than going through everything.

Are Stock Scanners And Screeners The Same Thing?

Although these two terms are used interchangeably, they are technically different. The differences boil down to the scanning time frames. Stock screeners were developed when this technology was relatively new. They are websites were stock traders can log in and scan for the basic criteria for any interesting stock. Now, they are considered low-tech and mostly used for long-term trading.

Stock scanners, on the hand, came out with the evolving nature of the internet and technology. It is powerful software you can install on your computer. The software will be connected to a data feed allowing it to scan stocks and find the best trading opportunities each second.

What Are The Best Stock Scanners In The Market?

Currently, the market is flooded with different types of stock scanners. That’s why it’s tough to find the right one, especially if you are a beginner to using this type of technology. However, you can choose the right one by checking your trading style, technological needs, budget, trading strategy and also the market access requirements.

With some scanners, you will simply point then click to execute any orders. Before starting a scan, you will click a few buttons. However, with other types, you need the best programming skills and statistical knowledge. If you don’t have a lot of computing power, you can choose a stock scanner than runs from the browser.

If you are looking for something that’s a little tense, you can use the desktop-based scanner but you need a powerful computer for the job. Of course, you need to consider the cost with all these options. Note that, depending on the type of scanner you choose, the cost might vary. For instance, some are used on a subscription basis while others require you to pay a flat monthly fee.

You can look at all the options available to choose the right one. However, you need to choose a scanner that’s a perfect fit for your trading style. You need a platform that serves all your trading needs. Therefore, take the time to do your research and find the best one for you.

Are There Different Types Of Stock Scanners?

Here are some of the various types of stock scanners available in the market.

  • Fundamental Stock Scanners – These scanners use fundamental criteria such as ratios or metrics regarding the company’s commercial activities and much more. The scanners will also analyze the return on equity, the earnings per share and also the profit margins.
  • Technical Stock Scanners – Here, the scanners will search for the price action, technical indicators, chart patterns and also the trading volume criteria. They perform the technical analysis of data.
  • Post-Market Stock Scanners – Here, the scanners will check the actions of any stocks outside of the normal trading hours. When the market is closed, there is a lot of data available for analysis. It includes top gainers, losers and any stocks with a noticeable spike in their volume.
  • Intraday Stock Scanners – Here, the scanners focus on the real-time action of the stocks when the market is still open. It requires a robust scanning program because there is too much data in use.

In conclusion, now that you understand stock scanners, what they are and the different types, you can choose the right one for your needs to guarantee the best trading in the market and overall results.

What Is A Stock Scanner?

Ask any veteran trader, and they’ll let you know that stock scanners have changed everything. Things that used to take traders three to four hours can now be done in a matter of minutes with a few clicks of a button.

Identifying trading opportunities used to be a monotonous and tedious task, especially with so many charts to view and stocks to watch. Once the markets opened, the only there was for you to do was to hope that your sights were on the right stocks. There was no one to tell you or point you to where the action was hottest.

But those days are long gone. With the advent of stock scanners, all the heavy lifting is now done for you. Here is what you need to know about the world stock scanning.

Stock Scanners: What Are They?

Stock scanners are software that can, almost instantly, look through countless stocks searching for the criteria you are trying to find. If you ask the software to find stocks that are making all-time highs on abnormally higher-than-average trading volumes, it scours the markets and presents you with every stock inventory that meets your criteria.

So, you see, without a scanner, you would have to go through an endless stream of stock charts until your eyes bleed. Scanners save you the effort and time while allowing you to focus on the trading opportunities you consider a priority. These scanners are a game-changer, and every trader should have one.

Stock Screeners

If you have been in the markets for a while, chances are you have also heard the term stock screener. But what is a stock screener? Is there any difference between it and a stock scanner? Let’s have a look.

While the two terms are somewhat interchangeable, there are, to a certain technical extent, some differences between screeners and scanners. It all boils down to the effectiveness of scanning time frames.

Stock screeners were first developed when the internet was still in its early stages of infancy. Most screeners were websites where one would log in, especially around the evenings, and scan the markets for basic criteria like stocks that were above a specific moving average. They were quite low-tech and were generally used for long-term trades.

Stock scanners came about as technology and the internet evolved. They are more-powerful programs that are installed on internet-connected computers and scan the markets for trade opportunities in real-time.

Picking a Stock Scanner

With tons of stock scanners available on the market, it can be tough to pinpoint a scanner and claim it is the best. The option you choose will all depend on you – your trading strategy and style, market access requirements, technological needs, your budget, and other factors.

Stock scanners are available in different options. Some are point-and-click (to start scanning, all you need to do is click a few buttons), while others are a bit more complex and will require that you have statistical knowledge and programming skills.

One thing you might have to consider when looking for a stock scanning program is the amount of computing power you have. Some scanners can be run via an internet browser, but if you are looking for something a bit more intense, then desktop-based scanners are what you should get. However, it is worth noting that to run such scanners, you’ll need a powerful computer.

Another thing that you will need to consider is cost. Costs vary with the type of software you want, with prices ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. For some of these scanners, you might have to pay the cost upfront to get the software while for others, you pay a flat monthly fee to use the software.

There is so much that we could talk about when it comes to picking a stock scanner, but with so many differences between the scanners available on the market, the important thing is that you go for a scanner that best suits your style of trading.

Parting Shot

Regardless of the stock scanning program you use, you must have an idea of the stock criteria you want the program to search. It may be a recent momentum, P/E ratio, or chart pattern – whatever it is you decide in your ultimate trading plan.