How to Screen for High-Momentum Stocks and ETFs Using Barchart
When traders talk about “momentum,” they’re usually referring to the stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that are leading the market — those with high relative strength, powerful breakouts, and technical trends supported by volume. But how do you actually find them before the rest of the crowd piles in?
In a recent live webinar, John Rowland, CMT, sat down with Jim Van Meerten, author of Barchart’s Chart of the Day newsletter, to break down Jim’s proven process for screening high-momentum candidates.
Momentum isn’t just a buzzword. By focusing on stocks and ETFs already showing strength, traders can tilt the odds toward catching the next leg higher, rather than chasing a runaway trend.
In the clip, Jim explains how he funnels a large universe of stocks down to the best of the best:
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Start with momentum watchlists: Top Stocks to Buy, Top Stocks to Own, and new highs lists on Barchart.
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Filter with Weighted Alpha: Jim looks for higher Weighted Alpha (a measure of long-term price appreciation).
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Apply Barchart Opinion: Screen for stocks with Barchart Opinion ≥ 99%, which confirms strength across 20-, 50-, 100-, and 200-day moving averages.
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Add Strength & Direction: Tighten further by requiring top-percentile scores in signal strength and trend direction.
The result? From the entire S&P 500 Index ($SPX), only about 27 stocks made the cut at the time of the webinar. That’s the power of momentum screening — taking hundreds of candidates and narrowing it down to a handful of actionable setups.
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Stock Screener: Apply filters for Weighted Alpha, Barchart Opinion, and Strength/Direction.
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ETF Screener: Find sector and thematic ETFs leading in momentum (AI, Energy, Financials, etc.).
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Flipcharts & Chart Templates: Rapidly scan charts of screener results to confirm technical setups.
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New Recommendations: Catch fresh buy signals aligned with momentum indicators for both stocks and ETFs.
Momentum trading is about clarity and consistency — using data-driven tools to filter out noise and focus on the stocks and ETFs most likely to keep moving.
Watch the clip of Jim Van Meerten explaining his screener:
On the date of publication, Barchart Insights did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com