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Stock Selection: Technical Analysis Parameters in the Finviz Screener. Part 3

12 February 2025

Stock Selection: Technical Analysis Parameters in the Finviz Screener. Part 3

This is the third article in the "Stock Selection in Finviz" series. In this article, we will examine all the technical parameters (Technical) available in the screener.

Previous Articles
How to Select Stocks for Trading: Working with Finviz. Part 1.
How to Select Stocks on Finviz: Fundamental Parameters. Part 2.

Technical – these are the technical analysis parameters that can be useful when selecting stocks. Finviz offers a fairly limited, classic set of technical analysis tools: the percentage change of a stock over a specific period, beta, 20/50/200-day simple moving averages (SMA) and their crossovers, ATR, patterns, gaps, and more. Let's go through each of them.

Performance (Growth Indicator)

This allows you to choose a certain percentage or direction of price change. The screener will filter stocks with a performance higher or lower than the selected percentage or direction for the chosen period: Performance is calculated as the change in the last price relative to the closing price of the previous trading session if the selected period is a day. If the period is a week (5 trading days), a month (21 trading days), a quarter (63 days), half a year (126 days), a year (252 days), or from the beginning of the calendar year (the closing price of December 31), the performance is determined relative to the corresponding price in the past. Performance 2 – you can select another Performance parameter. For example, you can choose stocks where the price increased by 10% or more in the last week and has also increased today.

Volatility

You can choose the percentage of volatility, which is the expected price fluctuation of stocks over a week or a month. The screener will filter stocks where the volatility for the selected period is higher than the set value.

RSI (14) (Relative Strength Index)

You can choose the "strength of price" value, calculated based on comparing the rising and falling price changes from close to close over the previous 14 days. The screener will filter stocks where RSI (14) for the selected period:

  • Is above (in case of selecting overbought or not oversold) the selected value;
  • Is below (in case of selecting oversold or not overbought) the selected value;
  • Falls within the selected range.

Gap

You can choose the percentage change in price from the close of the previous trading session to the opening of the latest session. The screener will filter stocks where the price gap is higher or lower than the set level or falls within the selected range.

20-Day Simple Moving Average (SMA)

You can choose the ratio of the average price over the last 20 days to the last price, the average price over the last 50 or 200 days. The screener will filter stocks that meet the selected condition:

  • price below SMA 20 – the last price is lower than SMA 20 (either just lower or lower by more than the selected percentage);
  • price above SMA 20 – the last price is higher than SMA 20 (either just higher or higher by more than the selected percentage);
  • price crossed SMA 20 – the price recently crossed SMA 20 (either just crossed or crossed upwards or downwards);
  • SMA 20 crossed SMA 50 – SMA 20 recently crossed SMA 50 (either just crossed or crossed upwards or downwards);
  • SMA 20 crossed SMA 200 – SMA 20 recently crossed SMA 200 (either just crossed or crossed upwards or downwards).

50-Day Simple Moving Average (SMA)

You can choose the ratio of the average price over the last 50 days to the last price, the average price over the last 20 or 200 days. The screener will filter stocks that meet the selected condition:

  • price below SMA 50 – the last price is lower than SMA 50 (either just lower or lower by more than the selected percentage);
  • price above SMA 50 – the last price is higher than SMA 50 (either just higher or higher by more than the selected percentage);
  • price crossed SMA 50 – the price recently crossed SMA 50 (either just crossed or crossed upwards or downwards);
  • SMA 50 crossed SMA 20 – SMA 50 recently crossed SMA 20 (either just crossed or crossed upwards or downwards);
  • SMA 50 crossed SMA 200 – SMA 50 recently crossed SMA 200 (either just crossed or crossed upwards or downwards).

200-Day Simple Moving Average (SMA)

You can choose the ratio of the average price over the last 200 days to the last price, the average price over the last 20 or 50 days. The screener will filter stocks that meet the selected condition:

  • price below SMA 200 – the last price is lower than SMA 200 (either just lower or lower by more than the selected percentage);
  • price above SMA 200 – the last price is higher than SMA 200 (either just higher or higher by more than the selected percentage);
  • price crossed SMA 200 – the price recently crossed SMA 200 (either just crossed or crossed upwards or downwards);
  • SMA 200 crossed SMA 20 – SMA 200 recently crossed SMA 20 (either just crossed or crossed upwards or downwards);
  • SMA 200 crossed SMA 50 – SMA 200 recently crossed SMA 50 (either just crossed or crossed upwards or downwards).

Change

You can choose the percentage change of the last price from the close of the previous trading session. The screener will filter stocks where the price change is higher or lower than the selected level or falls within the selected range.

Change from Open

You can choose the percentage change of the last price from the opening of the latest trading session. The screener will filter stocks where the price change is higher or lower than the selected level or falls within the selected range.

20-Day High/Low

You can choose the relation of the price to the high/low of the last 20 days. The screener will filter stocks that meet the selected condition:

  • new high – the price formed a new 20-day high during the last trading session;
  • new low – the price formed a new 20-day low during the last trading session;
  • below high – the last price is lower (either just lower or lower by a certain percentage) than the 20-day high;
  • above low – the last price is higher (either just higher or higher by a certain percentage) than the 20-day low.

50-Day High/Low

You can choose the relation of the price to the high/low of the last 50 days. The screener will filter stocks that meet the selected condition:

  • new high – the price formed a new 50-day high during the last trading session;
  • new low – the price formed a new 50-day low during the last trading session;
  • below high – the last price is lower (either just lower or lower by a certain percentage) than the 50-day high;
  • above low – the last price is higher (either just higher or higher by a certain percentage) than the 50-day low.

52-Week High/Low

You can choose the relation of the price to the high/low of the last 52 weeks. The screener will filter stocks that meet the selected condition:

  • new high – the price formed a new 52-week high during the last trading session;
  • new low – the price formed a new 52-week low during the last trading session;
  • below high – the last price is lower (either just lower or lower by a certain percentage) than the 52-week high;
  • above low – the last price is higher (either just higher or higher by a certain percentage) than the 52-week low.

Average True Range (ATR)

You can choose the relative or absolute volatility indicator for a stock over a certain period (usually 14 days). The screener will filter stocks with an ATR higher or lower than the selected value.

ADX (14) (Average Directional Index)

This is used to assess the strength of a trend. ADX values are usually calculated over 14 days. The screener will filter stocks with the following conditions:

  • ADX above (strong trend) – ADX exceeds the selected value (e.g., 25);
  • ADX below (weak trend) – ADX is lower than the selected value.

MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence)

The screener allows you to select stocks based on MACD signals:

  • MACD Line Crosses Signal Line – you can choose stocks where MACD recently crossed the signal line (crossed upwards or downwards);
  • MACD Histogram Above Zero – the MACD histogram indicates positive momentum;
  • MACD Histogram Below Zero – the MACD histogram indicates negative momentum.

Stochastic Oscillator (%K, %D)

It shows the relationship between the closing price and the price range for a specific period. The screener allows you to select stocks based on the following signals:

  • Stochastic %K/%D Crossover – %K crosses %D upwards (buy signal) or downwards (sell signal);
  • Overbought – the stochastic oscillator exceeds the selected level (e.g., 80);
  • Oversold – the stochastic oscillator is below the selected level (e.g., 20).

Beta

You can select stocks based on their beta coefficient, which indicates the level of risk compared to the market:

  • Beta Above — beta exceeds the selected value (e.g., >1, indicating higher volatility compared to the market).
  • Beta Below — beta is lower than the selected value (e.g., <1, indicating lower volatility).

P/E Ratio (Price-to-Earnings Ratio)

The screener filters stocks based on the P/E ratio:

  • Low P/E — stocks are potentially undervalued.
  • High P/E — stocks may be overvalued or reflect high growth expectations.

P/B Ratio (Price-to-Book Ratio)

You can choose stocks based on the market price relative to book value:

  • Low P/B — stocks might be undervalued.
  • High P/B — companies with high asset profitability or expected growth.

Dividend Yield

You can select stocks that pay dividends:

  • High Dividend Yield — attractive for investors seeking regular income.
  • Low Dividend Yield — companies reinvesting most profits into growth.

Earnings Growth

You can filter stocks based on expected or past earnings growth over a certain period. This can help in identifying stocks with positive momentum.

Revenue Growth

You can select stocks of companies with high or stable revenue growth, which could be an indicator of a well-performing business.

Insider Transactions

You can select stocks based on insider trading activities:

  • High Insider Buying — signals confidence in the company's future.
  • High Insider Selling — could indicate potential risks or insider concerns.

Institutional Ownership

You can filter stocks based on the percentage of shares owned by institutional investors:

  • High Institutional Ownership — indicates stability, as large institutions tend to invest in well-established companies.
  • Low Institutional Ownership — indicates the potential for higher volatility, with the company possibly being more vulnerable to market changes.