FINVIZ Screener Settings for Small, Mid & Large Cap Stocks

by Prodigy Team

Complete FINVIZ Screener Guide: Advanced Filters for Day Trading, Swing Trading, Momentum & Breakouts

FINVIZ (https://finviz.com) is one of the most powerful and widely used stock screening platforms available to traders. It allows you to filter thousands of stocks in seconds using technical, fundamental, and price-based criteria — but only if you know how to use it correctly.

Most traders open FINVIZ, click random filters, and hope something good appears. Professional traders do the opposite — they start with a specific trading strategy, then build screener criteria that matches the behavior they want to trade.

The difference between a random scan and a high-probability scan is intent. A day trade breakout, a swing pullback, and a large-cap trend trade should never use the same FINVIZ settings.

In this guide, we break down advanced FINVIZ screener filters — including Change from Open, After-Hours Close, RSI, Average Volume, Relative Volume, New Highs, and All-Time Highs — and show you how to apply them correctly for small caps, mid caps, and large caps, depending on the strategy you trade.

How Professional Traders Think About Screeners

Every effective scan starts by answering three questions:

  • What market cap am I trading?
  • Is this a day trade or a swing trade?
  • Am I looking for momentum, a breakout, a pullback, or support?

Once those are defined, FINVIZ filters help narrow thousands of stocks down to a focused watchlist.

DAY TRADING STRATEGIES (SMALL CAPS)

Small-Cap Momentum Day Trade Scanner

Trade Type: Day Trade
Market Cap: Small ($50M – $2B)
Goal: Volatility, attention, and fast price movement

  • Price: $1 – $20
  • Average Volume: Over 500K
  • Relative Volume: Over 1.5
  • Current Volume: Over 1M
  • Change from Open: Up 3%+
  • Performance (Today): Up 5%+
  • Volatility: Over 5%

Why this works: Small caps require volume and attention to move. Change from Open confirms intraday strength and active participation.

Small-Cap High-of-Day Breakout Scanner

  • Market Cap: Small
  • Price: $2 – $15
  • Average Volume: Over 750K
  • Relative Volume: Over 1.3
  • Change from Open: Up
  • 20-Day High/Low: Near High

Logic: Stocks pressing intraday highs with volume often break again as momentum traders and short sellers react.

AFTER-HOURS & PREMARKET SCANNING

After-Hours Momentum Scanner

Trade Type: Day Trade (Next-Day Setup)

  • Market Cap: Small or Mid
  • Price: $1 – $25
  • After-Hours Close: Up
  • Average Volume: Over 500K
  • Relative Volume: Over 1.5

Why this matters: Strong after-hours closes often lead to next-day gaps and momentum continuation.

SWING TRADING STRATEGIES (MID CAPS)

Mid-Cap Trend Continuation Scanner

Trade Type: Swing Trade

  • Market Cap: $2B – $10B
  • Price: $10 – $75
  • 50-Day SMA: Price Above
  • 200-Day SMA: Price Above
  • Performance (Month): Up
  • Average Volume: Over 1M

Logic: Mid caps balance liquidity and volatility, making them ideal for multi-day trend trades.

Mid-Cap Pullback Scanner

  • Market Cap: Mid
  • Price: $15 – $80
  • Performance (Month): Up
  • Performance (Week): Down
  • RSI (14): 40 – 55
  • 20-Day SMA: Near

Why RSI matters: RSI between 40–55 shows a healthy pullback without trend breakdown.

LARGE-CAP & OPTIONS-FRIENDLY STRATEGIES

Large-Cap Trend & Options Scanner

Trade Type: Swing / Options

  • Market Cap: $10B+
  • Price: Over $20
  • Average Volume: Over 2M
  • Institutional Ownership: Over 60%
  • 50-Day SMA: Above
  • 200-Day SMA: Above

Logic: Institutional participation stabilizes trends and improves reliability for longer-duration trades.

ALL-TIME HIGH & MOMENTUM STRATEGIES

All-Time High Breakout Scanner

Trade Type: Day or Swing

  • Market Cap: Any
  • Price: Over $5
  • All-Time High/Low: Near High
  • Relative Volume: Over 1.2
  • Change from Open: Up

Why this works: No overhead supply means fewer sellers and cleaner momentum moves.

SUPPORT & MEAN REVERSION STRATEGIES

Support Bounce Scanner

Trade Type: Day or Swing

  • Market Cap: Any
  • Performance (Month): Down
  • Performance (Quarter): Up
  • RSI (14): Under 40
  • 52-Week High/Low: Near Low

Logic: Selling pressure often exhausts near historical demand zones.

Price Range Adjustments by Strategy

  • Small-cap day trades: $1 – $20
  • Mid-cap swing trades: $10 – $80
  • Large-cap trends & options: $20+

FINVIZ Pro Tips

  • Use Change from Open to confirm intraday strength
  • After-hours filters help prepare next-day plans
  • RSI prevents chasing extended moves
  • Never trade directly from a scan — confirm structure

Learn These Scans Live With Real Traders

Want to see these FINVIZ scans used live with real-time commentary?

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Disclaimer

Disclaimer: All information is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice. Trading involves risk. Always do your own research and manage risk properly.

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