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Momentum Scanner

a live ranking of stocks by how fast they are moving right now

A momentum scanner is a live ranking of stocks by how fast they are moving right now. Instead of a finished chart to look back on, it re-sorts the whole universe continuously, so the names trading hardest at this minute float to the top.

In short
  • It ranks the present, not the past. The sort key is current momentum (for Tapeboard, 5-minute price momentum), refreshed continuously in market hours.
  • Tapeboard's Momentum Now preset sorts the $1 to $20 universe by 5-minute momentum, keeping only names trading at least 100k shares that are green on the day.
  • The scanner is a starting point. A momentum rank tells you where the energy is; the reason behind the move still has to be read off the news, halt, and flow surfaces.
How its calculated

How is Momentum Scanner calculated?

Tapeboard Momentum Now preset (published definition):
  universe: price $1-$20, session volume >= 100,000 shares,
            changePercent >= 0 (names running UP)
  sort: 5-minute price momentum, descending
  refresh: continuous during regular hours

Momentum is a rank, not a signal: the preset filters only on
always-populated fields so the scan never zeroes out.

The price band matters. Without a ceiling, mega-caps with large absolute dollar moves dominate the ranking, so Tapeboard caps the universe at $20 to keep the scan pointed at the small and mid-cap names where intraday momentum is actually tradeable. Filtering only on always-populated fields (price, volume, day change) keeps the preset from zeroing on days when a derived field is not populated yet.

What traders use it for

What do traders use Momentum Scanner for?

  • Finding where the energy is, fast. In the first hour the momentum list is a live map of which themes and sectors are actually moving today, not yesterday.
  • Building a watchlist in real time. Names that enter the top of the scan are candidates for level 2, halt history, and flow checks before any entry.
  • Distinguishing movers from setups. A name that has already run 40% is a different trade from one that is building momentum quietly; the live rank plus the day change separates them.
Worked example

Worked example

Worked example: $RUN
Reading the Momentum Now list at 10:15 ET

At 10:15 ET the Momentum Now scan shows a $6.80 name up 9.4% on the day, 5-minute momentum positive, RVOL 4.1 (as of 2026-05-02, illustrative). The row's halt history is clean and no T5 code is live. The scan put the name in front of you; it said nothing about why. The next steps are the news panel, the dilution filings, and the short-interest context, which is exactly the workflow the scanner row links are there for.

Live data: /stock/RUN.

Common pitfalls

What are common pitfalls of Momentum Scanner?

  • Momentum rank is not a buy signal. The scan surfaces movement, not durability; late entries into a fading momentum rank are a standard way to lose money.
  • Derived fields go quiet off-hours. The 5-minute momentum input is a regular-hours quantity; outside the session the scan degrades gracefully rather than lying.
  • A cap on the universe is a bias. The $20 ceiling keeps mega-caps out by design; if you want large-cap momentum you need a different scan.
  • Delayed data changes the trade. Delayed data is a different product: momentum off a 15-minute-old tape is not the same trade, and Tapeboard labels every delayed number rather than pretending otherwise.
Where it appears on Tapeboard

Where this metric appears on Tapeboard

Momentum Now is a published preset in Tapeboard's scanner (/scanner): $1-$20 universe, 100k-share minimum, up-on-the-day filter, sorted by 5-minute momentum, with relative volume and 5-minute volume-spike columns on every row. The scanner topic pages under /scanner include dedicated momentum screener writeups.

Related TERMS

Related terms

  • Relative Volume (RVOL): Time-of-day-aware. RVOL at 10:00 ET compares against the typical 10:00 ET running total, not the typical end-of-day total.
  • Trading Halt: Halts are called by the exchange, not by the company or by brokers. News pending and volatility are the two most common triggers.
  • Squeeze Score: Gate: short interest >= 15% of float (latest published FINRA settlement, split-checked). Listed common stock, price >= $1, liquid, market cap >= $25M.
Primary sources

Primary sources cited

  • SEC EDGAR full-text search documentation: US-equity consolidated tape volume is reported through the Securities Information Processor (SIP) per Reg NMS. https://www.sec.gov/edgar, retrieved 2026-10-24.
See it live

See it live

Momentum Now is a live preset on the scanner: open /scanner, pick Momentum Now, and the ranking is in front of you with RVOL and volume-spike columns on each row.

Page review

Methodology last reviewed 2026-10-24 by Marcus Reilly, Editor at Tapeboard. Every claim on this page has a row in the citation registry. Glossary terms reverify on the Jan 15 / Apr 15 / Jul 15 / Oct 15 cron and any time the underlying primary-source publishes a methodology change. See methodology for the full fact-check process and corrections for the public correction log.

Disclaimer. This page is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing on Tapeboard is investment advice. See the full risk disclaimer.