Scanner field guide
Follow the move back to the source.
Find the activity, then follow the information. Gapperz connects scanner results with available company news, catalyst context, and filings so you can read the source behind the research question.
By GapperzUpdated
The story has a timestamp.
Connect an observation to the original information.
- 08:12 · Issuer publication
A company publishes a financing update.
- 08:14 · Scanner observation
Activity brings the symbol into your research.
- 08:16 · Source review
Read the filing, terms, and event date together.
- 01Keep publication time, event date, and your observation time separate.
- 02Verify the issuer and read the primary release or filing.
- 03Treat a relevant headline as context to investigate, not proof of causation.
Start with the question behind the move.
A stock appears in a scanner because it met an observable condition: a gap, unusual participation, a short burst, or another defined event. News and filing context add a different layer. They help you identify information that may be relevant to the company and worth reading alongside that observation.
Gapperz brings available context into the selected symbol's workspace. That shortens the path from a row to the underlying publication. The important step is still source review: confirm the company, the timing, the event described, and any terms that change the meaning of the headline.
Some moves have no newly available headline. Price and volume can remain useful observations while optional news context is unavailable. Keep the research question open rather than inventing an explanation.
A timestamp is part of the story.
In the fictional sequence above, an issuer publishes a financing update at 08:12 Eastern. A scanner observation brings the symbol into view at 08:14. You open the source at 08:16. Those timestamps describe publication, market observation, and research activity. The event discussed in the filing might have occurred earlier still.
Recording this order helps you avoid using later information to explain an earlier observation as though it were already known. It also makes repeated or syndicated headlines easier to recognize. A new discovery timestamp does not necessarily mean a new underlying event.
| Time or identity | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Issuer | Company name, security, share class, and filing identity |
| Event date | When the disclosed action or agreement occurred |
| Publication time | When the source made the information available |
| Observation time | When the scanner condition was recorded |
| Discovery or review time | When you encountered and checked the source |
Go one level deeper than the headline.
A headline can summarize a contract, clinical update, earnings release, or financing. The original publication supplies the details: counterparties, scope, dates, amounts, conditions, and links to supporting documents. Those details are more useful to a research note than a broad positive or negative label.
For SEC filings, EDGAR helps you locate the issuer and inspect the report and exhibits. An 8-K is a current report used for specified material events. A press release may be attached as an exhibit; a financing disclosure can also point to agreements whose terms deserve separate attention.
Read the body before assigning a short label. An announced agreement, a proposed transaction, and a completed action are different facts. A company publication is a primary source for what the issuer says; it is not independent verification of every forward-looking statement.
Build a note you can use again.
Bring the scanner condition and the publication together in a compact record. A useful note states what you observed, what the source actually says, and which detail still needs checking. It remains useful even when the symbol moves out of the scanner.
Select the active symbol.
Read the scanner condition and timestamp. Keep price movement separate from the source's interpretation.
Open available context.
Check the headline, issuer, publication time, and any freshness or availability label. Follow the original source link.
Write the concrete event.
Record the event, date, scope, and material terms in plain language. Distinguish a plan or agreement from a completed action.
Keep the follow-up close.
Save the symbol to a focus list and define the next information or market condition you want to observe.
Useful context stands on its own.
A source can be relevant without establishing the sole reason for a price move. Several publications, changing participation, and broader market conditions can coexist. Write a research note that preserves those observable facts instead of claiming to know every participant's motivation.
That is the value of a connected Gapperz workflow: the scanner finds a condition, the chart shows its development, and the source helps you investigate the company. Each layer contributes something different.
A few useful answers.
What does a stock catalyst scanner do?
It connects observable market activity with available company-event context. In Gapperz, use the selected symbol's context and source links to investigate the information beside a scanner match.
Is a recent headline always a new event?
No. A publication may discuss an earlier event, repeat a prior release, or be newly discovered after publication. Compare the event date, source timestamp, and discovery time.
Does every scanner match have a news explanation?
No. Available news context is an additional research layer. A price or volume observation remains useful when a corresponding publication is unavailable.
Can I rely only on an AI summary?
Use a summary to orient your reading, then verify the issuer, dates, amounts, and conditions in the primary document. The source is the reference for the research note.
Sources & editorial notes
Prepared by Gapperz using our scanner definitions and the primary references below. The examples are illustrative; the public methodology explains how we label data and research context.