Stock Scanner With SEC Filing Alerts
// the_gap · how_it_works · what_triggers_an_alert · the_scanner_side · comparison · faq
Scan for the movers. Get alerted the second one files.
Most traders run two tools that do not talk to each other: a scanner to find the names in play, and a separate filing tracker to watch what those names disclose to the SEC. Tapeboard puts both in one terminal — you screen for the setup, star it, and get a sub-90-second SEC filing alert with an AI summary the moment it files. $29/month; free on a 15-minute delay.
- Use Tapeboard if you want one tool that finds the movers and then pushes you the 8-K, Form 4, or 13D the instant a watched ticker files it — with an AI summary, in under 90 seconds.
- Use a scanner-only tool (Finviz, Trade Ideas) if you only screen and never want filing alerts; use a filing-only tracker (OpenInsider, SecForm4) if you only want insider forms and never scan.
- Bottom line: the scanner-plus-filing-alert bundle is the gap — nobody else ships both in one $29/month terminal.
Why scanning and filing alerts are usually two separate tools
Scanners are built to answer "what is moving?" — Finviz, Trade Ideas, and TradingView screen on price, volume, and technicals. Filing trackers are built to answer "what did this company just disclose?" — OpenInsider and SecForm4 watch SEC EDGAR for insider forms. They are different products from different vendors, so the trader stitches them together by hand: scan, copy a ticker, paste it into a filing tracker, refresh.
Tapeboard collapses that loop. The names you scan for become the names you get filing alerts on. The scanner and the EDGAR watcher are the same watchlist.
Scan to alert, in four steps
1. Scan for the setup
Open the scanner and pick a preset (unusual volume, gap-and-go, pre-market runners) or build a custom screen on price, % change, relative volume, and float. The result is a live list of the names in play right now.
2. Add the movers to a watchlist
Star the tickers you want to track. The watchlist is the bridge between scanning and alerting — every name on it is monitored for new SEC filings.
3. Turn on filing alerts
Enable SEC filing alerts on the watchlist. Choose the forms that matter — 8-K, Form 4, 13D/13G, 10-Q — or take all of them.
4. Get pinged with an AI summary
When a watched ticker files, Tapeboard polls the EDGAR RSS feed and alerts you in under 90 seconds, with a one-paragraph AI summary so you know what the filing says before you open it.
The forms that fire an alert
Every alert is a real SEC filing pulled from EDGAR, not a third-party rumor feed. Each one arrives with a one-paragraph AI summary so you can triage without opening the document.
| SEC FORM | WHAT IT MEANS | WHY YOU WANT THE ALERT |
|---|---|---|
| 8-K | Material event (M&A, offering, executive change, guidance) | The fastest market-moving disclosure; you want it before the move finishes. |
| Form 4 | Insider buy or sell | Open-market insider buying clusters are a real signal; routine grants are not — the alert shows direction and dollar value. |
| 13D / 13G | A 5%+ ownership stake | An activist (13D) or a passive whale (13G) just took a position. |
| 10-Q / 10-K | Quarterly / annual report | Numbers, guidance, and risk-factor changes — the AI summary flags what changed. |
| 13F | Institutional quarterly holdings | See what funds added or dropped on a name you trade. |
Source: SEC EDGAR RSS, polled sub-90-second. You choose which forms alert you per watchlist.
What feeds the watchlist
The scanner ships 45 presets and 44 technical indicators. The presets that most often feed a filing-alert watchlist:
- Unusual Volume — names trading well above their average; something is happening before the filing is public.
- Pre-Market Runners / Gap Up — overnight movers, often reacting to an 8-K or earnings.
- Top Gainers / Most Active — the day's tape leaders.
- Low Float Runners — thin-float names where a single 13D or insider buy moves price hard.
Screen with these, star the names, and the filing watcher does the rest. See the full penny & low-float preset set or open the live scanner.
Tapeboard vs scanner-only and filing-only tools
| TOOL | SCANNER | SEC FILING ALERTS | AI SUMMARY | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tapeboard | Yes (45 presets) | Yes (sub-90s, all core forms) | Yes | $29/mo |
| Finviz Elite | Yes | No push filing alerts | No | ~$39.50/mo |
| Trade Ideas | Yes | No | No | $84+/mo |
| OpenInsider | No | Insider forms only (no push) | No | Free |
| SEC EDGAR | No | Raw feed, no push, no scanner | No | Free |
Competitor pricing as of 2026-05-24; verify on each vendor's site. Comparison is for the scanner-plus-filing-alert workflow specifically.
Who this is for
A good fit
Active US-equity traders who act on catalysts: 8-K-driven momentum, insider-buy clusters, activist 13D filings, earnings reactions. If your edge is being early to a disclosure on a name you already flagged, the scan-to-alert loop is the workflow.
Not the right tool
If you only need a static screener and never act on filings, a scanner-only tool is cheaper. If you only want a historical insider-trading database with no scanner, OpenInsider is free. Tapeboard's value is the two together. It also covers US-listed equities only — not OTC pink-sheet filings.
Scanner + filing-alert FAQ
Is there a stock scanner that also sends SEC filing alerts?
Yes. Tapeboard is a retail market terminal that bundles a real-time stock scanner with sub-90-second SEC filing alerts in one workflow. You screen for movers with the scanner, add them to a watchlist, and Tapeboard alerts you the moment a watched ticker files an 8-K, Form 4, 13D/13G, or quarterly report — each with an AI summary. Most tools do one or the other: scanners like Finviz and Trade Ideas screen but do not push filing alerts; filing trackers like OpenInsider and SecForm4 cover insider forms but have no scanner.
How fast are Tapeboard SEC filing alerts?
Tapeboard polls the SEC EDGAR RSS feed and surfaces a new filing on a watched ticker in under 90 seconds of it hitting EDGAR. Each alert carries a one-paragraph AI summary of the filing so you can triage it without opening the full document.
Which SEC forms can trigger an alert?
The core forms: 8-K (material events), Form 4 (insider buys and sells), Schedule 13D and 13G (5%+ ownership stakes), 10-Q and 10-K (quarterly and annual reports), and 13F (institutional holdings). You choose which forms alert you per watchlist, or take all of them.
Do I have to pay for filing alerts?
The scanner is usable free on a 15-minute delay (10 of 45 presets). Real-time scanning and SEC filing alerts are on the Pro plan at $29/month. Every account gets 7 days of Pro automatically, so you can run the full scan-to-alert workflow before deciding. There is no separate add-on fee for filing alerts.
What is the cheapest way to get real-time SEC filing alerts?
SEC EDGAR itself is free but has no push alerts and no scanner — you would be refreshing a page. A retail terminal that watches your scanned tickers and pushes a sub-90-second alert with an AI summary starts at $29/month on Tapeboard, which is materially cheaper than Bloomberg Terminal (~$32,500/year) or enterprise filing-intelligence tools.
Can I get alerts only for insider buying?
Yes. Filter alerts to Form 4 and you will be pinged on insider transactions as they file. Tapeboard also surfaces the buy/sell direction and the dollar value so you can tell a routine option-grant sale from a cluster of open-market insider buys.
How this page is kept honest
Last reviewed 2026-05-24. Filing-alert latency and form coverage match the shipped product and the Bloomberg alternative page. Competitor pricing is point-in-time — verify on each vendor's site. See methodology for the fact-check process and data sources for the EDGAR feed disclosure.
Risk notice. Nothing here is investment advice. Acting on SEC filings carries risk; filings can be revised or misread. See disclaimer.