Low float scanner and low float stock screener for small cap momentum
A low float scanner finds US stocks with few tradable shares that are moving right now. Ours filters the whole market by float (under 5M, 10M or 20M shares), gap %, relative volume, price and change in the last 1 and 5 minutes on licensed real-time data, from 4:00 ET premarket through the close. Every trade you take from it lands in your journal with the float and RVOL it had at entry.
What a low float stock screener should show you
Float is the number of shares the public can actually trade, after insider, restricted and locked-up shares are taken out. Most day traders call anything under 20 million shares low float, and the fastest small cap runners usually sit under 10 million. With so few shares available, a news headline and a few hundred thousand shares of buying can move the price 30% or more in minutes, which is exactly why traders scan for these names and why they need to be careful with them.
A useful low float stock screener shows more than the float number. On every row you get the information you need to decide whether the move is tradable.
- Float in millions of shares.
- Gap % against the prior close in premarket, and change % since the open after 9:30 ET.
- Relative volume for the time of day, so 400,000 shares at 8:30 ET reads differently from 400,000 shares at 2:00 PM.
- Float rotation, the day's volume as a multiple of the float. A 6M float stock that has traded 12M shares has rotated its float twice.
- Halts and resumptions with the halt price and direction.
- Price, so you can skip the sub-$2 names with the widest spreads.
Low float momentum scanner settings traders start with
These are common starting points, not rules. Change any of them to fit your account size and your setups.
| Filter | Common starting value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Float | Under 20M shares, under 10M for the fastest runners | Fewer shares means a smaller order flow can move price |
| Price | $2 to $20 | Below $2 spreads widen and halts get more frequent |
| Gap % or change % | At least 10% | Separates real movers from daily noise |
| Relative volume | Above 5x for time of day | Shows real participation behind the move |
| Volume since 4:00 ET | At least 100,000 shares by 8:30 ET | Makes sure you can get in and out |
| Change in last 5 minutes | Above 0.5 times daily ATR | Catches the second leg after the open |
Low float premarket scanner from 4:00 ET
The premarket is where most low float runners show up first. Between 7:00 and 9:30 ET the scan ranks small caps by gap % with premarket volume and float, so by 9:15 ET you have three to five names with a catalyst and marked levels instead of a list of fifty. Pair it with the premarket gappers scan if you also trade larger names.
Low float top gainer scanner after the open
After 9:30 ET the list switches to change % since the open and change in the last 1 and 5 minutes. That is where the second leg shows up, often after 10:00 ET when a low float stock that faded from the open reclaims VWAP and pushes to a new high of day. The momentum scanner shows the same speed measures for the rest of the market. On Pro the scan keeps running after hours until 20:00 ET, when earnings and news can send small caps flying again.
Set up a low float scan in four steps
- Open the scanner and start a new scan.
- Set the float limit, price range, minimum gap %, RVOL and volume. Save it so it loads every morning.
- Turn a row into an alert. Alerts fire on new highs, price levels, RVOL and VWAP crosses in the browser, by email and by push.
- Log the trade, or import your broker CSV after the close. The journal keeps the scan state at entry: float, gap %, RVOL, price and time.
Who uses a small cap momentum scanner
- Momentum day traders who trade low float gappers in the first hour and want the list ready by 9:15 ET.
- Part-time traders with a day job who rely on alerts instead of watching the screen all morning.
- Traders coming from course-bundled scanners who want the scanner and a journal without paying for a chat room.
- Prop desks that want every trader on the same saved scans, with daily loss limits per trader on the prop trading desk plan.
What a low float scanner cannot protect you from
Low float names move fast in both directions. A stock can gap 60% on thin premarket volume and fade as soon as the bell rings. A halt can freeze a position you cannot exit, and the reopen can be far past your stop. Spreads on sub-$2 stocks can eat your risk before you are filled. Use the scan to find candidates, then size from your stop with the position size calculator and set a daily loss limit you respect.
Which low float setups actually pay you
After 50 or 100 trades, the day trading journal tells you what the scanner alone never can: whether your trades on floats under 5M lose more than the ones between 10M and 20M, whether entries before 9:45 ET work better than later ones, and whether taking a stock after its first halt costs you money. The AI day review reads only your own journal and points out repeating mistakes. It never predicts the market.
DayTradingSoftware is a software tool, not investment advice. Trading involves substantial risk of loss.
Low float scanner options compared
| DayTradingSoftware | Typical free screener | Course-bundled scanner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real-time float filter | Yes, premarket, regular hours and after hours on Pro | Often delayed data on free tiers | Yes |
| Float rotation and RVOL by time of day | Yes | Usually not | Varies |
| Alerts on scan results | Yes, browser, email and push | Limited | Yes |
| Trading journal with scan state at entry | Yes | No | Usually not |
| Backtests of a low float rule | 20 or 200 per month by plan | No | Varies |
| Price | $49 or $149 per month, from $24 per month yearly | $0 with delayed data | Often $147 to $197 per month or more |
FAQ
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What is a good float for day trading
Most day traders call a float under 20 million shares low, and many momentum traders focus on floats under 10 million because those move fastest on news and volume. A lower float also means wider swings both ways, so smaller position size and a firm stop matter more than on a large cap.
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Is the float data real-time
Price, volume, RVOL and halts are real-time on licensed US market data. Float itself changes only when a company issues, releases or buys back shares, so it is updated from filings and corporate actions rather than tick by tick.
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Can I scan for low float stocks in premarket
Yes. The scanner runs from 4:00 ET premarket on every plan, ranks low float names by gap % with premarket volume, and keeps running through the regular session. After hours scanning until 20:00 ET is on Pro.
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Can I combine float with other filters
Yes. Float works alongside price, gap %, change %, relative volume, volume, ATR and sector. On Pro you can also write custom formula filters, for example change in 5 minutes above 0.5 times ATR with float under 10M.
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Is a low float scan a buy signal
No. It lists stocks that match your filters at that moment. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell and not investment advice.