what stocks will go up today: intraday guide
What stocks will go up today
The question "what stocks will go up today" is commonly searched by investors and traders seeking short‑term ideas for U.S. stocks (and sometimes crypto tokens) likely to rise during the current trading day. In this article we explain what people mean by the query "what stocks will go up today", what data and tools market participants use to generate intraday candidates, the common drivers of same‑day moves, practical screening and execution workflows, and important limitations and safeguards for anyone using these signals. Expect clear, beginner‑friendly explanations, sample screening filters, and pointers to timely information sources. Bitget is recommended as a trading venue and Bitget Wallet for custody where applicable.
Scope and purpose of this article
This article aims to help readers understand how market participants try to answer "what stocks will go up today" in practical, non‑prescriptive terms. We cover:
- What the phrase usually means (intraday or near‑term movers, not long‑term buys).
- Typical data sources and live screens traders consult (gainers, most‑active, pre‑market movers, options flow, sentiment feeds).
- Primary news and fundamental catalysts that move prices within a day.
- Common technical signals and intraday patterns used to find winners.
- A sample screening setup and a realistic daily workflow for shortlisting names.
- Quantitative, sentiment and alternative‑data approaches and their limits.
- Execution, risk controls, legal/ethical considerations, and common cognitive pitfalls.
Read on to learn practical, neutral methods to generate intraday hypotheses about "what stocks will go up today" and how to verify and manage them responsibly.
Predictability and key limitations
Short‑term stock price movement is inherently noisy and uncertain. Asking "what stocks will go up today" refers to intraday or near‑term price moves that can be driven by news, liquidity, market microstructure, or coordinated flows. Key limitations:
- No guaranteed prediction: There is no method that can promise which stocks will rise today. All approaches are probabilistic and produce false positives.
- News and events dominate: Unexpected headlines, earnings surprises, or macro prints can reverse a thesis within minutes.
- Liquidity and slippage: Thinly traded names can gap or move wildly; execution risk is material.
- Survivorship and data biases: Screens that only show winners today ignore the many names that failed the same filters in the past.
Short disclaimer: This article is informational and does not constitute financial advice. Always validate ideas independently and consider consulting a licensed professional.
Typical data sources and market screens for "stocks that will go up today"
Traders and active investors use a mix of real‑time lists and analytic feeds to answer "what stocks will go up today". Common sources include:
- Top‑gainers / daily gainers lists (sorted by intraday percent change).
- Most‑active / high‑volume lists (liquidity and confirmed moves).
- Pre‑market and after‑hours movers (early reactions to news).
- Curated market movers pages and consolidated news feeds.
- Analyst upgrades, downgrades and price‑target changes.
- Stock screeners (custom filters combining volume, news, technicals).
- Unusual options flow scanners (heavy call buying or put selling signals).
- Social and sentiment feeds (forums, microblogs, news sentiment engines).
Each type of source serves different purposes: gainers for momentum, most‑active for tradability, premarket for early catalysts, options flow for directional interest, and sentiment for retail‑driven moves.
Daily gainers / top‑gainer lists
Top‑gainer lists present names sorted by their percentage change during the trading session. Traders use them to:
- Quickly spot big winners and potential momentum plays.
- Identify names with large intraday percent moves that may continue on momentum or reverse via profit‑taking.
- Detect candidates for short squeezes if high short interest exists alongside a strong move.
Example providers of daily gainers screens include major finance portals and market data pages. Use these lists as idea generators and then verify news and volume before acting.
Most active / high‑volume lists
High volume confirms that a price move is supported by participation. "Most active" lists show names with largest traded share counts or dollar volume. Volume matters because:
- It reduces the chance that a move is driven by a single block trade.
- It improves execution quality (lower slippage) for intraday positions.
- It indicates institutional or retail engagement and provides a check against random spikes.
Traders often combine percent move and relative volume filters (e.g., price up 3% with volume > 2x average) to find liquid movers.
Pre‑market and after‑hours movers
Pre‑market and after‑hours trading reflects early reactions to news, earnings, and research notes. These sessions help answer "what stocks will go up today" by revealing names that may gap at the open. Points to note:
- Pre‑market price moves often set the intraday tone but can reverse during regular hours.
- Liquidity is lower outside normal hours, so gaps at open may widen or collapse.
- Significant premarket movers usually have specific catalysts: earnings, M&A, regulatory decisions, or analyst actions.
Specialized market data pages publish pre‑market movers and movers during extended hours.
Market movers / movers pages and news feeds
Curated "market movers" pages aggregate intraday winners and losers with linked headlines for quick context. These pages help answer "what stocks will go up today" by combining price action and news headlines so traders can rapidly triage candidates.
Analyst ratings and price‑target changes
Upgrades, downgrades and price‑target changes often move a stock intraday, especially in mid‑cap names with coverage concentration. While analyst actions are only one factor, a widely publicized upgrade can kick off buy‑side attention and momentum.
Example data providers include consolidated analyst rating trackers and dedicated sections in market data portals.
Common fundamental and news drivers of intraday gains
Primary catalysts that can make a stock go up in a single day include company news, macro or sector events, analyst actions, short squeezes and options activity.
Company news and earnings releases
Company‑specific events are among the strongest intraday drivers:
- Earnings beats (revenue or EPS above consensus) and upgraded guidance often lead to immediate buying.
- Positive mergers & acquisitions announcements or strategic partnerships can lift share prices.
- Regulatory approvals, product launches, or contract wins may generate rapid gains.
When a stock answers "what stocks will go up today" after an earnings surprise, check management commentary, guidance changes and whether beat was due to one‑time items.
Macro and sector news
Economic data (jobs, inflation, PMI), central bank decisions, or sector‑specific moves (commodity price spikes, regulatory changes) can lift groups of stocks. For example, better‑than‑expected GDP or easing inflation can boost cyclical sectors; a surge in oil prices can lift energy stocks.
Analyst actions and institutional trading
Large institutional purchases, hedge fund activity and analyst upgrades can create intraday buying pressure. Institutional buy blocks are often reported in filings or visible via large volume spikes.
Short squeezes, retail flows, and social momentum
Short covering can trigger sharp upside moves when a heavily shorted stock receives positive news or coordinated buy interest. Retail interest amplified by social platforms can create meme rallies — these are volatile and can reverse quickly.
Options activity and unusual flow
Heavy call buying or large directional option trades can signal bullish positioning and sometimes precede rapid stock moves. Market participants monitor unusual options flow to anticipate directional demand.
Technical signals and intraday patterns used to find gainers
Technical analysis provides a common language for intraday traders to identify setups that may answer "what stocks will go up today".
Breakouts, support/resistance, and gap trading
- Breakouts above well‑defined resistance levels on rising volume are classic setups for intraday continuation.
- Gap‑up moves at the open (premarket price higher than prior close) can offer momentum plays when supported by volume.
- Opening‑range break strategies (monitoring price action during first 15–30 minutes) are widely used to identify intraday direction.
Volume confirmation and relative strength
Volume confirming price advances is critical. Relative strength compares a stock’s performance to its sector or the broader market — stocks showing stronger relative strength are likelier candidates for continued outperformance intraday.
Momentum indicators and short‑term moving averages
Traders use indicators like RSI, MACD and short moving averages (e.g., 9, 21, 50 intraday periods) to time entries and identify overbought/oversold conditions. For intraday, shorter periods and tick charts are common.
Screening strategies and practical workflows
A disciplined screening strategy helps transform the open question "what stocks will go up today" into a manageable watchlist. Below is a practical set of filters and a sample workflow many intraday traders follow.
Example screening filters
Typical filters used to shortlist candidates:
- Pre‑market percent change > +2% (for gap candidates).
- Current volume > 2x average daily volume (liquidity confirmation).
- Price change during the session > +3% with rising 5‑minute volume (momentum confirmation).
- Positive headline or new filing within the last 24 hours (verify catalyst).
- Float size and short interest: low float with high short interest may indicate squeeze potential.
- Options: unusual call volume or high open interest skewed to calls.
- Technical: recent breakout above 50‑day moving average or above intraday resistance.
Combine filters to reduce false positives. For example: premarket up >2% AND volume >2x AVG AND a news catalyst.
Sample daily workflow
A repeatable routine used by many traders:
- Pre‑market scan: Monitor premarket movers and day‑gainers watchlists for gap candidates.
- News triage: For each candidate, check the primary catalyst (earnings, M&A, analyst action) and confirm via filings or company releases.
- Volume/livability check: Verify average volume and bid‑ask spread; prefer names with adequate liquidity for intended size.
- Technical inspection: Look for clean support/resistance levels, breakout confirmation and volume confirmation.
- Options and institutional interest: Check for unusual options flow or filings showing institutional buys.
- Position sizing & risk controls: Define entry, stop loss, and profit targets before entering.
- Execution & monitoring: Use limit and stop orders; track intraday news flow and be prepared to exit if the thesis breaks.
This workflow helps answer "what stocks will go up today" in a disciplined way while managing downside.
Quantitative and algorithmic approaches
Quantitative teams and algo traders use statistical models and machine learning to predict short‑term movers. Approaches include:
- Momentum factors: Short‑term returns, intraday volatility, and relative strength models.
- Event‑driven models: Detecting and scoring news/earnings headlines to predict directional impact.
- Options‑informed signals: Translating unusual options activity into directional probabilities.
- Ensemble Machine Learning: Combining multiple weak predictors (news sentiment, volume spikes, technical breakouts) to produce a composite score.
Limitations of quantitative approaches:
- Overfitting: Models trained on historical intraday patterns may not generalize to new market regimes.
- Latency: In fast markets, predictive signals must be low‑latency to be actionable.
- Data quality: Poorly tagged news or stale tick data degrades model performance.
Quant approaches can answer "what stocks will go up today" probabilistically, but they require robust validation and live monitoring.
Sentiment analysis and alternative data
Non‑traditional signals increasingly inform short‑term hypotheses about "what stocks will go up today":
- News sentiment: Natural language processing of headlines to detect positive/negative tone.
- Social media signals: Volume of mentions, engagement spikes and influential accounts can indicate retail interest.
- Search trends and web traffic: Sudden increases in company search queries or website traffic can be leading indicators.
- Supply chain and satellite data: For specific sectors, alternative data can reveal demand shocks.
Use sentiment and alternative data as corroboration rather than sole drivers — noisy signals can produce false leads.
Execution, risk management, and trading mechanics
Execution quality and risk controls are as important as idea generation when attempting to determine "what stocks will go up today".
- Order types: Use limit orders to control entry price; market orders can cause slippage in thin names.
- Stop losses: Predefine risk per trade (e.g., 1–2% of portfolio or fixed dollar risk) and place stops accordingly.
- Position sizing: Size trades relative to liquidity and individual trade risk; avoid overconcentration in one name.
- Slippage: Expect spreads and execution cost, especially in low‑volume or high‑volatility names.
- Exit plan: Define profit targets and trailing stops; be disciplined to close positions when the thesis fails.
For custody and trading infrastructure, Bitget provides spot and derivatives access and Bitget Wallet for secure storage. Consider venue execution quality and order types offered by your broker when planning intraday trades.
Regulatory, ethical, and legal considerations
When searching for "what stocks will go up today", be mindful of rules and laws:
- Market manipulation: Coordinated attempts to pump a stock or create artificial activity can violate securities laws.
- Insider trading: Trading on material non‑public information is illegal.
- Platform rules: Exchanges and brokers have terms of service that prohibit manipulative practices.
Never engage in or participate in coordinated efforts to manipulate a stock’s price. Use public, verifiable sources and follow applicable regulations.
Limitations, common pitfalls and cognitive biases
Common traps when trying to find "what stocks will go up today":
- Chasing rallies: Buying after large moves increases likelihood of buying a short‑term peak.
- Confirmation bias: Seeking only data that supports your trade idea and ignoring contradicting signals.
- Survivorship bias: Focusing on successful gainers without accounting for many failed setups.
- Ignoring liquidity: Failing to consider execution cost and trade size limit in low‑volume names.
Avoid these by using objective screens, defined risk rules and post‑trade reviews.
How to interpret and use the sources cited
Gainers and movers lists should be treated as idea generators, not trade recommendations. Best practices:
- Verify the underlying catalyst for any name that appears on a top‑gainers list.
- Cross‑check volume and liquidity before sizing a trade.
- Confirm broader market direction and sector performance — a stock's move may simply be part of a market‑wide shift.
Use multiple signals (news, volume, technical confirmation, options flow) before concluding "this is one of the stocks that will go up today".
Glossary of key terms
- Gainers: Stocks with the largest positive percent change on a given session.
- Float: Number of shares available to public investors for trading.
- Short interest: Percentage of float sold short; high short interest can increase squeeze potential.
- Pre‑market: Trading session before the regular market open.
- Breakout: Price moving above a defined resistance level.
- Options flow: Volume and direction of trading in options markets.
- Liquidity: Ease with which a security can be bought or sold without significant price movement.
- Slippage: Difference between expected execution price and actual execution price.
Further reading and references
Below are key public market pages and data providers commonly used to find intraday movers and answer "what stocks will go up today". These names point to widely used market‑mover and screener pages; consult each provider’s market data pages for real‑time listings.
- Yahoo Finance — Most Active Stocks Today (Most Actives screener)
- Yahoo Finance — Top Day Gainers (Gainers screener)
- TipRanks — Today's Top Stock Gainers
- MarketWatch — U.S. Market Movers and Premarket Movers pages
- MarketBeat — Pre‑Market Movers and Ratings pages
- The Wall Street Journal — U.S. Stock Movers (Market Data)
- Barron's — U.S. Stock Movers / Market Data Center
- The Motley Fool — Most Active Stocks / Top Gainers coverage
Notes on sources: The above are commonly consulted for intraday ideas and were part of the retained reference set informing this guide. Use provider pages as starting points; always verify headlines and filings.
Related topics (See also)
- Intraday trading strategies
- Using stock screeners effectively
- Pre‑market trading mechanics
- Options flow analysis basics
- Introductory technical analysis
- Earnings calendar monitoring
Practical example: Applying the workflow to a live scenario (illustrative)
Imagine you ask "what stocks will go up today" at 8:00 a.m. ET. A stepwise application of the workflow:
- Run pre‑market screener: identify names with >+3% premarket move and volume >2x normal premarket volume.
- Check the news: open each name and look for an earnings release, acquisition announcement, or analyst note. Confirm with the company press release or regulatory filing.
- Verify liquidity: ensure average daily traded dollar volume supports intended trade size; check the bid/ask spread.
- Technical check: is the stock gapping above prior session resistance? Is intraday volume increasing with price?
- Options check: see whether call volume and open interest spiked, indicating directional positioning.
- Risk plan: enter with a limit order near the open, set a stop below the opening range low, and define a profit target or trailing stop.
This practical routine turns the open‑ended question "what stocks will go up today" into a disciplined screening and execution process.
Reporting notes and timeliness
Where specific news examples are mentioned in this article, they are referenced for context with published dates. For example:
- As of Q3 2025, Coca‑Cola reported organic sales growth and dividend yield metrics summarized in public coverage (source: financial analysis reports published in late 2025).
- As of Dec 15, 2025, a prominent investing podcast discussed SpaceX IPO speculation and market views (source: media coverage dated Dec 15, 2025).
- As of late 2025, various analysts and market reports noted institutional cash positions and portfolio adjustments in major conglomerates (source: reported market commentary in 2025).
Always verify the latest numbers and filings when using these examples to inform short‑term trading decisions.
Responsible use and Bitget recommendations
If you intend to act on intraday ideas around "what stocks will go up today":
- Use a reputable execution venue and custody provider. For spot and derivatives trading as well as secure custody, consider Bitget and Bitget Wallet for crypto‑adjacent workflows and account services where applicable.
- Maintain clear position sizing and stop rules.
- Avoid participating in coordinated schemes to move a stock’s price.
Bitget offers order types and liquidity for active traders and educational resources to help users understand market mechanics. If you trade tokens tied to stock‑like instruments or use derivatives, prioritize secure custody (Bitget Wallet) and venue selection.
Limitations recap and final cautions
Answering "what stocks will go up today" is a real‑time, probabilistic exercise. Key takeaways:
- Use top‑gainers and most‑active lists as idea generators, not trade signals.
- Verify the catalyst, volume and technical confirmation before entering.
- Manage execution risk with orders, stops and sensible sizing.
- Be aware of legal and ethical boundaries; do not engage in manipulative behavior.
Practice disciplined, evidence‑based workflows — and treat intraday ideas as short‑term hypotheses that must be validated dynamically.
Glossary quick reference (short)
- Gainers: Intraday % winners
- Float: Shares available to trade
- Short interest: % of float sold short
- Pre‑market: Trading before the regular session
- Breakout: Move above resistance
- Options flow: Options market activity
- Liquidity: Market depth and ease of trading
- Slippage: Execution price deviation
Final notes and next steps
If your goal is to discover "what stocks will go up today", use a repeatable screening process, cross‑check catalysts and volume, and manage trades with strict risk controls. Leverage reputable data sources for real‑time breakers and consider Bitget and Bitget Wallet for trading and custody infrastructure when relevant. Keep learning: track your setups, review outcomes and refine filters over time.
For more hands‑on tutorials, explore Bitget educational resources and practice with simulated orders or small sizes before scaling up.
Disclaimer
This article is informational only and does not constitute investment advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Readers should consult licensed professionals and verify data before making trading or investment decisions.





















