Low float stock screeners are tools that help you look for low-float stocks. They’re essential for finding the low float stocks that penny stock trading frequently targets.
Low float stocks have a small number of shares available to the public. That makes for a constricted supply — demand can really spark a rally in these stocks.
There’s a better way than manually checking the float size on stocks you’re watching. Finding a great low float stock screener is the key.
What are the best low-float stock screeners, and why are they so important to use? Let’s dive right in!
What Are Low Float Stocks?
Low float stocks are stocks with a very limited supply of tradable shares. I consider any stock with fewer than 10 million shares available to the public to be a low float stock.
I love low float stocks — they’re one of the main trade criteria I tell my students to look for in a trade. Why are they so attractive to traders?
Low float stocks are so attractive because high demand and low supply can create volatile price action. Sometimes it just takes a few big trades to make their prices rocket.
Understanding Low Float Stocks
A low float stock can move quickly on light volume, making it attractive to short-term stock traders. However, it also adds volatility and risk, especially during intraday price swings. These setups are best suited for active traders who can react quickly to changing order flow and volume spikes.
In my teaching, I stress the importance of knowing a stock’s float before entering a trade. It’s a key part of understanding share structure and whether the supply side of the trade setup is likely to break down or explode.
Low Float vs. Outstanding Shares
Outstanding shares refer to the total number of shares issued by a company, while the float represents only the shares available to be bought and sold in the market. The difference includes restricted stock, insider holdings, and sometimes Treasury Stock that isn’t available to regular investors.
A company might have a large number of outstanding shares but a small float due to insider ownership or a pledge on shares. This kind of setup creates pressure on liquidity and increases the stock’s potential for large intraday moves. That’s why traders who use advanced stock screener tools often filter specifically for float size in their initial search query.
When you customize the query inside a screener, float size should be one of your first filters. I often start with a float under 10 million shares combined with high volume stocks and a tight share structure. It sets the stage for a trade that can accelerate quickly on news or a breakout.
Common Misconceptions
One of the most common mistakes traders make with low float stocks is assuming they’re always worth chasing because of their volatility. Volatility without liquidity can trap traders, especially if you’re dealing with short interest stocks or setups without a clear catalyst. A low float doesn’t guarantee a clean trade—it just increases the potential range.
Another mistake is assuming low float means low value. Some of these stocks may actually be overextended, trading near all time high stocks without the support of revenue, consistent return on equity, or sound fundamentals like less debt or ongoing share buyback programs. Screeners can highlight opportunity, but they can’t replace common sense.
Understanding contingent liabilities and evaluating financial health is still part of the process, especially if you’re planning to hold longer than a day. I always remind traders that volatility cuts both ways—what rockets up can collapse just as fast.
How to Evaluate Low Float Stocks
You can evaluate low float stocks by checking their float in a stock screener. Remember, you’re looking for stocks with under 10 million shares available to publicly trade.
You can further evaluate whether the stock is worth trading by combining a float scan with other important criteria.
Check out this article on the Float Checker — one of StocksToTrade’s most useful tools!
One of my favorite setups is the ‘top percent gainer’ scan. My top percent gainer scan looks for low float stocks priced between $0.25 and $20, trading more than 100,000 and up more than 5% on the day. Then, I’ll put the stocks I got from the scan into my watchlist for further research.
Almost all stock scanners are highly customizable, so find the low float scan setups that work for you!
What Is a Stock Screener for Low Float Stocks?
A stock screener for low float stocks is a tool that helps you find low float stocks fitting your preferred criteria. It takes all the stocks in an exchange and picks out the handful of stocks that match the parameters you plugged into the filter. This means you only need to dive deeper into a handful of tickers instead of researching thousands of stocks.
Check out my article on the basics of stock screeners to learn more about them.
Importance of Using a Low Float Stock Screener
Using a low float stock screener helps you find stocks that match your trading strategies. A stock screener searches the entire exchange to give you stock picks, so you might find new trading ideas you haven’t considered before.
Why Do You Need a Stock Screener for Low Float Stocks?
You need a stock screener for low float stocks to filter out the noise of thousands of stocks. This way, you’ll end up with the handful of stocks you’re likely to trade.
A stock screener is like a sieve — you pour all the stocks in the market into it and let the ones that don’t fit your criteria pass through. The stocks that are left are the ones that fit the bill.
Different types of stock screeners fit different kinds of trading needs. Check out my list of the best stock screeners for value stocks and the best stock screeners for options. You can also read my picks of the best overall stock screeners.
Advantages of Low Float Stock Screeners
One of the greatest advantages of low float stock screeners is their ability to help you find stocks that match your preferred criteria and trading strategy. They can sift through the thousands of stocks on an exchange and give you the stocks that you’re interested in trading in.
Stock screeners are also very customizable, meaning you can build filters and screen for any criteria you want. Many of them also come in with pre-built screens you can use right out of the box — or tweak them according to your needs.
How We Evaluated These Best Stock Screeners for Low Float
Not all stock screener apps can scan for low float stocks reliably — which is why you gotta separate the wheat from the chaff.
Here are two criteria I use when looking for low float stock screeners:
- Pricing: Most of the best low float stock screeners are paid products. Find the screener that fits your budget while still fulfilling your trading needs.
- Customizability: A stock screener is only as good as its indicators. Find a screener tool that’s customizable enough to meet all your needs.
Using additional criteria can help narrow your search down. Check my guide to the best stock screener criteria for extra ways to refine your search.
Best Low Float Stock Screeners for 2025
Here are my picks for the best low float stock screeners:
- StocksToTrade — Best Overall Low Float Stock Screener
- StockFetcher — Best Customizable Low Float Stock Screener
- ChartMill — Most Versatile Stock Screener for Low Float Stocks
- StockRover — Most Flexible Low Float Stock Screener
- Finviz — Best Free Low Float Stock Screener
There’s no rule that says you gotta stick with one screener. Try them all and pick the ones that work best for you!
1. StocksToTrade — Best Overall Low Float Stock Screener
My first low float stock screener pick is StocksToTrade.
StocksToTrade doesn’t just top my list because I use it every day. It tops my list because it’s a powerful screener that lets you dive deep into a stock’s details. Its desktop app is also insanely customizable, meaning you can scan with any parameters you want.
Another reason to love StocksToTrade is Oracle, an algorithm-based chart analysis tool. It’s a nifty piece of technology that gives you actionable trade signals based on the day’s most tradable stocks. See what Oracle can do for you by signing up for NO-COST trade alerts now!
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2. StockFetcher — Best Customizable Low Float Stock Screener
My second low float stock screener pick is StockFetcher.
One of the most unique things about StockFetcher is its customizability. Other scanners give you drop-down menus to build custom screens — StockFetcher gives you the freedom to code your own. Its coding-like language comes with a guide and lets you build complex filters to your heart’s content.
Its screener results are also highly informative. Each stock screener result pops up as mini-charts that come with technical indicator overlays. You can also export these results to Excel if you want to analyze them in more detail.
3. ChartMill — Most Versatile Stock Screener for Low Float Stocks
My third low float stock screener pick is ChartMill.
ChartMill offers a robust and flexible stock screener that lets you combine technical and fundamental parameters. Its screener also offers proprietary indicators not found elsewhere like the ChartMill Value Indicator and Dynamic RSI — all intended to give you a trading edge.
ChartMill also comes with a stock analyzer tool that generates automatic reports on a stock, so you can get right into researching quickly. This tool reports on the stock’s technical and fundamental indicators, financial metrics, and other relevant information you need to make educated trading decisions.
4. StockRover — Most Flexible Low Float Stock Screener
My fourth low float stock screener pick is StockRover.
StockRover offers over 140 pre-built stock screeners right out of the box. You can either use them as-is, tweak them to fit your needs, or create new screens altogether.
It’s also got an Insight feature that provides lots of in-depth information on companies. You can check the company’s financial track record, news catalysts, analyst ratings, and more. Most of the information is available for free on the internet, but StockRover compiles it all so you don’t have to do it yourself.
5. Finviz — Best Free Low Float Stock Screener
My fifth low float stock screener pick is Finviz.
Finviz is a no-frills, simple web-based stock screener. With a free registered account, you can screen thousands of stocks, check out its news stream, make watchlists, and save your screener configurations.
A paid account has everything I’ve mentioned and extra perks that put it on par with other paid screeners, like real-time data, backtesting, and more advanced screener features.
There’s one knock against Finviz, though — it doesn’t have pre-built screeners. You need to build your own setups before trading.
Trading Low Float Stocks
Low float stocks react differently to volume than highly liquid large caps. A small order imbalance can cause outsized price swings. This is due to the tight float and thin supply of shares on the open market. High volume stocks with low float can move 20% or more in minutes, especially after a news catalyst or during the first hour of the trading day.
These setups often show aggressive tape action, with quick liquidity gaps that can trap both longs and shorts. Traders using advanced stock screener tools should filter for float and match it with current price and daily volume. A good scan will also factor in share structure and stock split history to make sure you’re not getting caught in a misleading move.
In my own scans, I track how price action responds to volume surges, particularly when a stock is trading on major stock exchanges like Nasdaq or NYSE. Watching how float reacts to real order flow is more important than just the chart pattern.
Types of Stock Floats
There are different types of float-related measurements that stock traders should know. The free float includes only shares available to the public, excluding insiders and restricted shares. The float can shrink after a buyback or grow after a stock split. A tight float with rising volume often indicates breakout potential.
Common stock and preferred shares might both be outstanding, but only the common shares are part of the typical float. If you’re screening for low float stocks, focus on the free float, not just the total outstanding share count. Platforms like an advanced stock screener or Stock Racing filter can break this down by float category.
Tools that offer float filters, high short interest tracking, and real-time data are valuable. You need to customize the query so you’re not just filtering blindly. Combining float data with real-world catalysts increases your odds of finding a setup worth trading.
Low Float Investment Strategies
Trading low float stocks isn’t just about speed. You still need a framework. Start by scanning for stocks with a tight float, high volume, and a recent news catalyst. Add filters for price to earning metrics, current price ranges, and volume change. Use platforms with search query flexibility so you can screen for combinations that fit your strategy.
Some traders focus on intraday spikes, while others watch for gap-up continuation over a two- or three-day window. Either way, review indicators like return on capital employed or average return on equity over five or ten years if you’re swing trading. A spike without institutional strength rarely lasts.
I teach traders to match their setups to float volatility, not force trades on every low float name. The float is just one piece of the puzzle. The trade still needs volume, structure, and confirmation.
Final Thoughts
A stock screener for low float stocks helps you find stocks that have limited supplies of shares available for public trading. A screener also helps refine your search to ensure the low float stocks you find are ones that match your trading strategy.
There are a lot of stock screeners out there, and not all of them can screen for low float stocks well. Try out several options and stick with the ones that work best for you.
Here’s another stock screener recommendation to try: millionaire trader Matt Monaco’s Alpha Scanner. Matt is a former software engineer who built this stock scanner based on his profitable trading style.
He’s packed the Alpha Scanner chock full of live mentoring sessions, trading alerts, and so much more. Can Matt’s life’s work be your edge in trading? Here’s how you find out…
Sign up for the next Alpha Scanner LIVE broadcast for more information!
Low Float Stocks FAQs
What is a low-float stock?
Low-float stocks have a small number of shares available for public trading — sometimes due to insider holdings or institutional control. These stocks can experience aggressive price swings on low volume, especially when paired with news catalysts or short interest. That volatility attracts day traders looking to capitalize on intraday price swing opportunities, but it also increases risk.
How does share structure impact trading behavior in low-float stocks?
When insiders or major shareholders control a large portion of Common Stock, the available float drops — tightening liquidity and amplifying price movement. This structure often exaggerates moves after a stock split, buyback announcement, or sudden earnings report. Active traders use advanced stock screener tools to monitor float, outstanding shares, and pledge on shares before entering trades.
What strategies can help manage the risks of trading low-float stocks?
Traders should watch for high volume spikes, float rotation, and clear catalysts before entering low-float setups. Screening with filters like Return on equity, Debt to equity, and short interest helps align trades with stronger setups. Risk management is key — these stocks can move fast in either direction, and that volatility doesn’t favor hesitation.
How do low-float stocks influence price action?
Low float combined with thin liquidity and sudden news can push stocks toward all time highs or steep drops in minutes. Volume surges and squeezes are common. Screeners that allow users to customize the query for float, volume, and current price help make faster, more informed decisions.