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Premarket gappers & the morning scan

Gap %, relative volume, float and news: building a 5-name watchlist.

10 min · Intermediate

What you'll learn

• Use gap percentage, relative volume, volume and float filters to find premarket movers
• Apply a manual filter for news quality, exchange and dilution risk
• Build a ranked watchlist of no more than five names with written levels and plans

Key takeaways

• The scanner finds candidates; your manual filter for news, exchange and dilution picks the watchlist.
• Rank watchlist names by catalyst quality and share structure, not by percentage gain.
• Write levels and a trade-or-pass plan for every name before the open.
• Five names or fewer keeps your attention on the setups that matter.

Glossary

• Gapper — A stock that opens or trades premarket well above (or below) the prior day's close.
• Premarket high (PMH) — The highest price traded before the 9:30 AM ET open; a key level for small caps.
• Watchlist — A short, researched list of stocks with written catalysts, levels and plans for the session.

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