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.
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 2024
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.
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 and Why Is It Important for Traders?
Low-float stocks are those with a smaller number of shares available for public trading, typically due to large portions being held by insiders or institutional investors. These stocks are important for traders because they can exhibit significant price volatility due to the lack of liquidity. This volatility can create substantial opportunities for day traders and active traders to capitalize on rapid price movements within short trading days.
How Do Company Insiders and Major Shareholders Affect Low-Float Stocks?
Company insiders and major shareholders often hold significant portions of a company’s outstanding shares, which contributes to the low float of certain stocks. This holding can affect the stock price significantly, especially if these insiders decide to buy more shares or sell their holdings during the lock-up period or other specific trading periods. The actions of these shareholders are crucial as they can lead to increased volatility and impact the trading volume, attracting the attention of day traders looking for quick profits.
What Investment Strategies Should Consider the Risk Associated With Low-Float Stocks?
Investors need to consider their level of risk tolerance and investment objectives when dealing with low-float stocks due to their inherent risks and high degree of price volatility. Investment advisers and those providing investment advisory services often caution clients about these stocks unless they align with the client’s willingness to handle significant fluctuations and potential for quick losses. Day trading low-float stocks might be more suited to institutional traders or active traders who can manage these risks effectively.
How Do Market Mechanics Like Trading Volume and Volatility Influence Low-Float Stocks?
Trading volume and price volatility are critical factors in the behavior of low-float stocks. Low-float stocks typically have limited trading volume, which can lead to dramatic price changes in response to market news or trading actions by a few individuals. High volatility and low liquidity make these stocks particularly appealing to day traders who can exploit these movements for profits but also increase the level of risk significantly.
Can Investment Advisers Help Navigate the Complexities of Trading Low-Float Stocks?
Investment advisers play a crucial role in helping investors understand the complexities of low-float stocks. They provide guidance on risk management strategies, explain the potential benefits and drawbacks, and help align stock picks with broader investment objectives and risk profiles. Advisers can also offer insights on market capitalization and balance sheet considerations, which are important for making informed trading decisions in the context of low-float stocks.
How Does Stock Float Influence Investment Decisions in the Stock Market?
The concept of stock float, which refers to the number of shares publicly available for trading, is critical for investors making decisions in the stock market. Low-float companies often experience higher price volatility, which can offer significant opportunities for traders but also a higher degree of risk. In contrast, high-float stocks generally have more stability but slower price movements. Understanding the difference between share float and total shares outstanding, including any restricted or insider shares, helps investors gauge potential market movements and liquidity periods effectively.
What Role Do Authorized Shares and Earnings Per Share Play in Evaluating Company Value?
Authorized shares set the limit on what a company can issue, impacting investment decisions by influencing the stock’s supply. Earnings per share (EPS) is a direct indicator of a company’s profitability, crucial for assessing its financial health. Investors often use EPS in conjunction with technical analysis to predict stock price movements and evaluate the attractiveness of shares of stock, including those of distinct companies like Super Micro Computer or larger entities like Bank of America.
How Do External Factors Like Market News and Digital Assets Affect Stock Prices?
Market reactions to breaking news can cause significant fluctuations in stock prices, especially in the public market where information spreads quickly. This impact is pronounced in stocks with limited floats or in sectors like digital assets, where news can shift investor sentiment drastically. Additionally, bad news tends to affect low-float stocks more dramatically due to their inherent lack of liquidity, making them risky for unsuspecting investors but potentially lucrative for day traders who can manage the volatility.
What Strategies Should Investors Consider for Long-Term and Day Trading?
For long-term investors, strategies might include investing in mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), or alternative assets that offer diversification and reduce overall portfolio risk. Regular investors might focus on asset allocation to balance their holdings across different types of investments. Day traders, on the other hand, may leverage high day trading volume and stock volatility, focusing on stocks like chip stocks or other sectors that respond quickly to market changes. Both groups must stay informed through additional disclosures and fundamental analysis to make educated investment decisions.
How Do Regulatory and Ethical Considerations Impact Stock Trading?
Investors and company executives must navigate various regulations, such as fee disclosures and articles of incorporation, which provide transparency and protect investor interests. Ethical considerations also play a role, as demonstrated by active philanthropists or environmental activists in executive roles who may influence company policies and public perceptions. Automated investing platforms like SoFi Securities offer tools that consider these factors, aiming to simplify the investment process while adhering to ethical standards. Awareness marketing and fee disclosures help maintain transparency, crucial for building trust with regular and elite investors alike.