Scanner field guide
Put unusual volume in context.
Use Gapperz High RVOL to find stocks trading above their historical pace, then read the volume, spread, and source context around each match. This is the practical workflow for turning a ratio into a useful research list.
By GapperzUpdated
Start with the ratio. Read the row.
Similar RVOL can describe very different amounts of activity.
- Check the baseline
Same session, same time, sufficient history.
- Inspect the activity
Bring the volume, spread, and source into view.
- 01Begin with a measured historical baseline and its availability state.
- 02Read absolute shares and quote conditions beside the RVOL ranking.
- 03Follow the same symbol from scanner result into context and monitoring.
Start with unusual participation.
High relative volume means a stock has traded more shares than the comparison baseline would suggest. The High RVOL view organizes those observations so you can start with participation, then investigate what the activity looks like on the chart.
Gapperz's current built-in view selects measured RVOL of at least 1.5× after its other eligibility checks and ranks the resulting rows by RVOL. That is a scanner definition, not a universal threshold for an investment decision. Broader price, activity, spread, and freshness checks still matter.
This page focuses on using the scanner. The companion RVOL guide explains the formula, historical denominator, and calculator in detail. Keeping the two tasks separate helps you move from understanding a number to reviewing an actual result.
The comparison has a clock.
Before interpreting a ranking, identify the time represented by the current volume and the expected volume. A same-time historical comparison answers a different question from dividing morning volume by an average full day. Read the available baseline state and sample context rather than treating every displayed ratio as equally supported.
Some symbols lack a sufficient or current historical baseline. That absence is information about the comparison, not proof that nothing traded. Use other available price and activity views while keeping the unknown RVOL value unknown. An optional historical field should never erase useful rows from unrelated scans.
| Read | Ask |
|---|---|
| RVOL and baseline state | Is the comparison measured and available? |
| Observed volume | How many shares have actually traded in this period? |
| Expected volume and sample context | What history supports this comparison? |
| Observation timestamp | Does the row belong to the session I am researching? |
| Quoted spread | How wide is the current bid/ask difference? |
Equal ratios, different research.
In the illustration, fictional QAAA has traded 1.2 million shares against a 400,000-share same-time baseline. QBBB has traded 60,000 against 20,000. Both equal 3×, yet QAAA has twenty times the observed share volume. The ratio describes unusualness relative to each stock's own history; it does not rank absolute activity.
The two examples are arithmetic comparisons, not a promise that both would pass the current scanner's other criteria. QBBB's 60,000 shares, for example, sit below the current built-in High RVOL minimum volume of 100,000. This is why a single favorable-looking field does not define membership.
Continue with price and quote context. Equal share volume at different prices also represents different dollar activity. Equal RVOL at a narrow versus wide spread presents different observable trading conditions.
Keep the question attached to the symbol.
A good workflow records why a name entered your research and what new observation would make you revisit it. Gapperz's linked workspace supports that continuity as scanner rankings change.
Open High RVOL.
Check the session and scan the measured ratios. Read absolute volume instead of selecting a name from the ratio alone.
Select the result.
Review its chart, quote, and available catalyst context. Read the original publication when a headline is relevant.
Save a research reason.
Add the symbol to your focus list with the question you want to follow. Keep the time and comparison convention in your notes.
Choose a monitoring condition.
Use an available price or scanner alert to bring you back to a specific condition. Plan limits and available channels are listed on the pricing page.
Recheck the list as the day changes.
A premarket observation belongs to the premarket context in which you made it. As the regular session opens, activity, spread, and the relevant comparison time change. Revisit your original note and distinguish a fresh reading from the result you saved earlier.
For a sudden intraday acceleration, switch to Volume Spikes. For day-high proximity, use the momentum workflow. These related views help you ask a new question without changing the meaning of RVOL.
A few useful answers.
How is this different from an RVOL calculator?
A calculator teaches the arithmetic for entered values. This workflow explains how to interpret the scanner's measured baseline, inspect the row, and keep the symbol in a monitoring routine.
Does higher RVOL mean a better stock?
RVOL measures activity relative to a baseline. It does not evaluate company quality or predict returns. Read the absolute volume, spread, chart, and source context together.
Why can RVOL be unavailable?
The symbol may not have enough suitable historical observations or a current baseline. Gapperz preserves the unknown state so other research can continue without an invented ratio.
Is 1.5× the right setting for every trader?
It is the current built-in High RVOL selection threshold, alongside other criteria. It is not a recommendation. Pro's saved custom scans support a separately defined research workflow.
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.