Smart Scanner: penny, medium and monster stocks
⚠ Tool for educational and informational purposes only — not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell. Investing carries risk of capital loss. Read the full disclaimer.
Daily analysis, simple and educational. We split the market into three groups: penny (under $2), medium ($2 to $100) and monsters (the best stocks in the market: the biggest ones with the most potential). Pick a group, pick the chart approach and look for the bubbles in the winning quadrant. See the stock map
Screening
Stocks under $2: very volatile and high-risk, with fast moves.
Weak breadth: only 0 of 19 are above their 200-day moving average, a note of caution for the group. Average RSI (37.9) is low, little buying momentum in the group. Average upside to analyst target price: 2426.6% — the group's fundamental read today. Average relative volume 9.77x.
Scan of 20/09/2026
Stocks from $2 to $100: the middle ground between risk and solidity.
Weak breadth: only 4 of 20 are above their 200-day moving average, a note of caution for the group. Average RSI (38.5) is low, little buying momentum in the group. Average upside to analyst target price: 229.4% — the group's fundamental read today. Average relative volume 5.58x.
Scan of 20/09/2026
The best stocks in the market: the biggest and most traded, ranked by potential (upside to price target and volume).
Healthy breadth: 14 of 20 are above their 200-day moving average, a mostly bullish underlying trend for the group. Average RSI (49.1) is in a neutral zone. Average upside to analyst target price: 26.7% — the group's fundamental read today. Average relative volume 2.63x.
Scan of 20/09/2026
First time here? How to read the map
You don't need to know anything about the stock market. This map compares companies using two measures at once, so you can see at a glance which look better and which look worse.
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Each bubble is a company
Each circle is a stock: a small piece of a company that is bought and sold on the stock market. Above each circle you'll see its code, for example NVDA (Nvidia) or V (Visa).
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Its position tells a story
The map uses two measures. The further right the bubble is, the higher the horizontal-axis measure; the higher up it is, the higher the vertical-axis measure. The dotted lines separate “high” from “low”.
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Each corner has a color
The lines split the map into four zones (quadrants), each with its own color and name. The green one, top right, is where both measures look good. Colors describe how the company is doing today: they are not an order to buy or sell.
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Size shows today's activity
A big bubble means a lot of that stock was bought and sold today, more than usual. For example, if a stock usually trades 1 million times a day and today 3 million, its bubble looks big. A small bubble means little activity.
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Click to see the details
Tapping a bubble (or a stock in the list) opens its price chart and indicators further down.
Words you'll see on this page
- Stock (share)
- A small piece of a company. Whoever buys it becomes a part-owner of that company and gains or loses depending on how it does.
- Penny, Medium and Monsters
- Three groups by price and size: Penny (cheap stocks, under $2), Medium ($2 to $100) and Monsters (the biggest, best-known companies). They are analyzed separately because they don't behave the same way.
- Relative volume
- Compares how much a stock traded today with what is normal. 2x means double the usual: there is more interest than normal.
- Quadrant
- Each of the four zones of the map formed by the dotted lines: top left, top right, bottom left and bottom right.
- Score
- A 0-100 grade that sums up several signals about the company. It is only a guide for sorting the list, not a recommendation.
Stock map
Each bubble is a stock. Look for the ones in the green corner (top right): they look best with the approach you picked. Big bubbles had a lot of buying and selling today. Click one to see its chart.
Big bubble = lots of buying and selling today · Color shows the quadrant · Hover a bubble to highlight it
Example with made-up companies
Imagine the S&P 500 (“the market”) rose 5% over the last 3 months.
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Company Alpha
It rose 15%: it beat the market by 10 points. Also, today there are many more buyers than sellers (RSI 65).
It lands in: Beats the market and stays strong -
Company Beta
It rose only 1%: it fell 4 points short of the market, and today sellers dominate (RSI 40).
It lands in: Behind and without strength
This way, at a glance, you see which companies are winning and strong, and which are not.
- S&P 500
- An average of the 500 largest US companies. It is used as the reference for “the market”: if a stock rises more than the S&P 500, it is beating the market.
- RSI
- A number from 0 to 100 that measures how strong recent rises have been compared with the falls. It works like a thermometer: above 50 buyers dominate; above 70 it may be “overheated”; below 30, it has been hit hard.
How to read the axes
Compares the stock with the market (S&P 500) over the last 3 months. Right: it rose more than the market. Left: it rose less or fell more.
How strong its recent move is (RSI, from 0 to 100). Above 50 there are more buyers than sellers; below 50 sellers are in charge.
What each quadrant means
Over 3 months it rose less than the S&P 500, but today it has buying strength: it may be catching up with the market.
Over 3 months it rose more than the S&P 500 and today it is still rising strongly.
Over 3 months it returned less than the S&P 500 and today it shows no strength either.
Over 3 months it rose more than the S&P 500, but today its strength has dropped: it is moving more slowly.
Example with made-up companies
Imagine two companies and today's price compared with their average of the last 200 days.
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Company Gamma
It trades at 120 and its 200-day average is 100: it is 20% above it. Over the last months it rose almost every week, without big scares (Sharpe 1.8).
It lands in: Rising firmly and steadily -
Company Delta
It trades at 90 and its average is 100: it is 10% below it. It also swings a lot without gaining anything (Sharpe −0.5).
It lands in: Low and with scares
The idea is to tell apart those that rise calmly from those that lurch around.
- 200-day average
- The average price over the last 200 trading days (about 10 months). If today's price is above it, the long-term trend is positive; if it is below, it is negative.
- Sharpe ratio (the “scares”)
- Measures how much a stock earns for every scare (sharp ups and downs) it puts you through. Above 0 it earns more than it risks; above 1 is good; below 0, the scares aren't worth it.
How to read the axes
Where the price is today compared with its average of the last 200 days. Right: above it (good trend). Left: below it.
How much it earns for every “scare” (sharp ups and downs) it puts you through. Up: it earns well for the risk. Down: the risk isn't worth it.
What each quadrant means
Its price is still below its 200-day average, but lately it earns well without many scares.
Its price is above its 200-day average and it earns well without many scares.
Its price is below its 200-day average and the gain doesn't make up for the scares either.
Its price is above its 200-day average, but it swings so much that the gain doesn't make up for the scares.
Example with made-up companies
Imagine three businesses like lemonade stands. “Profitability” compares what they earn with the money their owners put in.
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Business Alpha
Its owners put in $10,000; it earns $100 and is expected to earn $200. Its earnings double (100% growth), but $200 on $10,000 is only 2% profitability.
It lands in: High growth, low profitability -
Business Beta
They put in $1,000; it earns $300 and is expected to earn the same (0% growth). But $300 on $1,000 is 30% profitability.
It lands in: Low growth, high profitability -
Business Gamma
They put in $1,000; it earns $300 and is expected to earn $450 (50% growth). Today its profitability is 30% and it is also growing.
It lands in: High growth and high profitability
Growing and being profitable are two different things: the map shows which one each company has.
- Earnings per share (EPS)
- The company's total profit divided by its number of shares. If it rises, the company is earning more money.
- Profitability (ROE)
- How much the company earns for every dollar its owners put in. 15% means 15 cents a year for every dollar invested.
How to read the axes
Earnings growth: how much the money the company earns (per share) is expected to increase, according to analysts. Example: 100% = it will earn double what it earns now. The line marks 10%: to the right it grows fast; to the left it grows little or falls.
Profitability (ROE): how much the company earns for every dollar its owners put in. Example: 15% = it earns 15 cents a year for every dollar invested. The line marks 15%: above it is very profitable; below it, little.
What each quadrant means
It earns a lot for every dollar invested, but its earnings hardly grow. Usually a mature, stable business.
Its earnings grow fast and it also earns a lot for every dollar its owners put in.
Its earnings hardly grow and they are also small compared with the money invested.
Its earnings grow fast, but they are still small compared with the money invested. Example: it goes from earning $100 to $200 (grows 100%), but on $10,000 invested that is only 2%.
Stocks in the group
Penny · under $2
Ranked by potential (upside to the analyst price target and relative volume). Click any of them to see its candlestick chart and indicators.
Medium · $2 to $100
Ranked by potential (upside to the analyst price target and relative volume). Click any of them to see its candlestick chart and indicators.
Monsters · the market's best
Ranked by potential (upside to the analyst price target and relative volume). Click any of them to see its candlestick chart and indicators.
Chart
AVGO
Price: $357.61 · RSI (14): 45.54 · Rel. volume: 1.64x · Breakout: No
- Current price: ($357.61) — solid white line — the latest available closing price.
- Target price: ($531.85) — dashed green line — average 12-month target price from analysts covering the stock.
- Quarter low: ($335.81) — dotted orange line — the lowest price over the last ~3 months, as a recent support reference.
You can zoom by dragging a rectangle over the chart, or with your mouse wheel. Double-click to reset the view.
Smart Indicators
AVGO
Broadcom Inc.
Broadcom Inc. designs, develops, and supplies various semiconductor devices and infrastructure software solutions internationally. The company operates in two segments: Semiconductor Solutions and Infrastructure Software. The company offers networking connectivity, such as custom silicon solutions, ethernet switching…
- Buy 47
- Hold 3
- Sell 0
Average target price: $531.85 (+48.7% vs. current price) · range $215.88 – $715.0
Healthy Moderate Attention No data
Total market value of the company (price × shares outstanding).
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P/E (trailing): compares the stock's price with its earnings per share over the last 12 months — how many times that earning is being paid for.
High: the market is paying a premium, usually because it expects strong growth. If the company doesn't deliver, the price could correct sharply.
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P/E (forward): same as P/E, but using analysts' estimated earnings per share for the next year.
Same as P/E, using estimated future earnings.
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PEG: the P/E divided by the expected earnings growth rate — relates how expensive the stock is to how fast it's expected to grow.
Below 1: the price could be cheap relative to how much its earnings are expected to grow.
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Debt/Equity: how much debt the company carries per dollar of shareholder equity — measures how leveraged the balance sheet is.
Moderate leverage, normal in many industries.
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Net margin: what percentage of each dollar of revenue ends up as net profit, after all costs.
High margin: usually indicates a strong competitive advantage (brand, scale, technology).
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Dividend: what percentage of the stock's price is paid out in cash to shareholders each year.
Pays out a portion of its earnings as cash to shareholders on a recurring basis.
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Beta: how volatile the stock is compared to the overall market (S&P 500 = 1.0).
More volatile than the market: higher potential gain, but also higher potential loss.
General reference ranges, do not vary by sector. Third-party data; may be incomplete. Not investment advice.
💰 Financial Statements (last 3 quarters)
How the Smart Scanner works
Every business day, the Smart Scanner looks for NYSE and NASDAQ stocks, splits them into three groups — penny (under $2), medium ($2 to $100) and monsters (the market's best by size) — and keeps the 20 with the most potential in each group. For each one it calculates technical signals and company data, sums them up in a 0-100 score and plots them on a scatter map. It is a tool to study and rule out ideas, not a shopping list: no position on the map is a recommendation.
- Groups: penny = under $2 per share; medium = $2 to $100; monsters = the market's best stocks (market cap of $100 billion or more), ranked by potential: upside to the analyst price target and relative volume, each as a percentile within its group.
- Stock map: a scatter plot with three approaches — momentum and relative strength (3-month return vs. the S&P 500, and RSI), trend vs. risk (distance to the 200-day average and 6-month Sharpe ratio) and growth vs. profitability (estimated EPS and ROE). Bubble size is relative volume; the top-right quadrant is the winning one.
- Score (0 to 100): sums up five opportunity criteria (upside to the price target, RSI, MACD, debt and liquidity), which weigh 70%, plus complementary technical signals (trend versus the 200-day average, relative strength versus the S&P 500, range breakout and relative volume) that make up the other 30%. It is independent of each bubble's position on the map.
- Target price (25%+ upside): how far above the current price the analysts' average target sits — from +25% upside onward it gets the maximum score in this criterion.
- RSI and MACD in the buy zone: RSI below 50, and a daily MACD with the line above its signal and both above zero (confirmed bullish trend, not just a recent turn).
- Debt and liquidity: Debt/Equity below 100% (not over-leveraged) and Current Ratio above 1 (current assets cover current liabilities).
- P/E and PEG: how expensive or cheap the price looks relative to the company's earnings and expected growth. Read more in our article on P/E, PEG, and why price alone tells you nothing.
- Market cap: the size of the company on the market — affects its volatility and liquidity.
- Volume: compares today's volume against the average of the last 20 days; higher volume suggests more market interest.
- Market: the exchange where the stock trades (NASDAQ, NYSE, etc.).
- Updates and limits: data is calculated once per business day using third-party providers, so it may be delayed, wrong or have gaps (for example ROE or earnings growth for companies without profits). When a data point is missing, that stock simply does not appear in the approach that needs it.
This information is for educational purposes only. DSMarketLearning does not offer personalized investment advice; read our full disclaimer.
Smart Scanner frequently asked questions
What is a penny stock?
It is a stock that trades below $2. It tends to be very volatile, thinly traded and high-risk: it can jump or drop quickly. In the scanner they have their own group, “Penny”, so they are not compared with companies of a different size.
What is the difference between Penny, Medium and Monsters?
Penny are stocks under $2; Medium, from $2 to $100; and Monsters are the market's best stocks — the biggest ones, with a market cap of $100 billion or more — ranked by potential. Each group is analyzed separately because their risks and moves are not comparable.
What does the winning quadrant on the map mean?
It is the top-right corner: where a stock stands out on both axes of the chosen approach (for example, it rises more than the market and with strength). It is a technical reading of the day, not a buy recommendation.
How often does the Smart Scanner update?
Once per business day. The date of the latest analysis is shown in each group. Data comes from third-party providers and may be delayed or wrong.
Is the Smart Scanner financial advice?
No. It is an educational tool to study stocks and learn how to read indicators. Nothing on the site is a recommendation to buy or sell; before investing, consult a licensed professional.