# The Desperate Trader > A live stock market scanner. It watches the whole US market minute by minute and surfaces > what is unusual right now: relative volume, gaps, halts, low float names, short squeezes and > the biggest movers, each with the catalyst where one can be identified. Every number on the site is computed from market data rather than reposted from another site, and pages state plainly when a figure is unknown instead of filling the gap. ## What this is not Not investment advice, not a recommendation to buy or sell anything, and not a signal service. It reports what the tape is doing. Anyone acting on it is making their own decision. ## How to cite it Scanner figures are point in time and change through the session, so a citation is most useful with the time it was read. Prices are delayed for some venues. ## Live market scanners Updated continuously through the trading day from full-market minute data. - [/premarket-movers](https://thedesperatetrader.com/premarket-movers): Stocks moving before the open, with volume and the reason where one is known. - [/after-hours-movers](https://thedesperatetrader.com/after-hours-movers): Stocks moving after the close. - [/biggest-gainers-today](https://thedesperatetrader.com/biggest-gainers-today): Largest percentage gainers in the current session. - [/biggest-losers-today](https://thedesperatetrader.com/biggest-losers-today): Largest percentage decliners in the current session. - [/rvol-scanner](https://thedesperatetrader.com/rvol-scanner): Relative volume: which stocks are trading far above their own normal volume for this time of day. - [/unusual-volume-stocks](https://thedesperatetrader.com/unusual-volume-stocks): Stocks on unusual volume today, ranked by how far above their normal pace they are trading. The same live data as the RVOL scanner, framed as unusual volume. - [/momentum-stocks](https://thedesperatetrader.com/momentum-stocks): Momentum stocks moving right now, surfaced by unusual volume and ranked by relative volume (the earliest signal a name is in play). The same live board as the RVOL scanner, framed for momentum day traders. - [/day-trading-stocks](https://thedesperatetrader.com/day-trading-stocks): The stocks in play for day trading right now, ranked by relative volume. The same live board as the RVOL scanner, framed for the intraday day trader deciding what to watch today. - [/stocks-in-play](https://thedesperatetrader.com/stocks-in-play): Which stocks are in play right now: the names trading on unusual attention and volume this session. The same live board as the RVOL scanner, in day-trader "in play" terms. - [/high-volume-stocks](https://thedesperatetrader.com/high-volume-stocks): Stocks trading on unusually high volume right now, ranked by how far above their own normal pace they trade rather than raw share count, so genuine movers surface instead of the usual mega-caps. See /most-active-stocks for the raw dollar-volume view. - [/gap-scanner](https://thedesperatetrader.com/gap-scanner): Stocks that opened away from the prior close, and whether the gap is holding. - [/stock-halts-today](https://thedesperatetrader.com/stock-halts-today): Trading halts as they happen, with the halt code and resumption time. - [/halt-scanner](https://thedesperatetrader.com/halt-scanner): The free real-time trading-halt scanner and alerts: get notified the instant a stock is halted or resumes, with the LULD or news halt code. The live tool behind the halts-today list. - [/52-week-highs](https://thedesperatetrader.com/52-week-highs): Stocks printing new 52 week highs, volume confirmed. - [/short-squeeze-stocks](https://thedesperatetrader.com/short-squeeze-stocks): High short interest names with the float and days to cover behind the number. - [/low-float-stocks](https://thedesperatetrader.com/low-float-stocks): Small float names where a modest order moves the price. - [/most-volatile-stocks](https://thedesperatetrader.com/most-volatile-stocks): Widest intraday ranges right now. - [/stock-scanners](https://thedesperatetrader.com/stock-scanners): Index of every scanner on the site. - [/finviz-alternative](https://thedesperatetrader.com/finviz-alternative): An honest comparison for anyone looking for a free, real-time alternative to Finviz. Finviz free is delayed with no live alerts; this site is free and real time. States plainly where Finviz is the better tool. ## How well the scanners work Measured from market data, including the downside, never from trade P&L. - [/track-record](https://thedesperatetrader.com/track-record): The measured signal track record: how much more likely a stock the scanner flags is to move a given percentage within the hour than a random stock, with the average up and down excursion shown. Computed from real delivered alerts against a random-bar baseline, updated nightly. ## Why a stock is moving Each page names the likely catalyst (news or SEC filing) beside the move and the volume, and says so when no catalyst is known rather than inventing one. - [/why-are-stocks-moving-today](https://thedesperatetrader.com/why-are-stocks-moving-today): The session explained: what moved and the catalyst behind each. - [/stocks/[SYMBOL]/why](https://thedesperatetrader.com/stocks/[SYMBOL]/why): Why one specific stock is up or down today. Replace [SYMBOL], for example /stocks/NVDA/why. - [/stocks/[SYMBOL]](https://thedesperatetrader.com/stocks/[SYMBOL]): Live price, chart, float, short interest, filings and scanner history for one stock. - [/trending](https://thedesperatetrader.com/trending): What the market is paying attention to now, combining move, dollar volume, scanner alerts and Reddit activity. ## Definitions and explainers Evergreen plain-English answers to the questions people ask about why stocks move. Written to be quoted: the mechanism first, then how it reads on the tape. - [/guides/why-is-a-stock-moving](https://thedesperatetrader.com/guides/why-is-a-stock-moving): The checklist for any move, up or down, and the fast way to find the real reason. Ties together catalysts, squeezes, dilution, gaps and after-hours. - [/guides/what-is-rvol](https://thedesperatetrader.com/guides/what-is-rvol): Relative volume explained: the formula, the levels, and how traders use it to find momentum. - [/guides/what-is-a-short-squeeze](https://thedesperatetrader.com/guides/what-is-a-short-squeeze): Why a heavily shorted stock rockets: forced covering, the ingredients, and the risk. - [/guides/what-is-a-gap-up-gap-down](https://thedesperatetrader.com/guides/what-is-a-gap-up-gap-down): What a stock gap is, gap-and-go versus gap-fill, and whether gaps really always fill. - [/guides/what-is-a-stock-halt](https://thedesperatetrader.com/guides/what-is-a-stock-halt): Trading halts and every halt code (LULD, T1, T12, M, H) explained in plain English. - [/guides/what-is-stock-dilution](https://thedesperatetrader.com/guides/what-is-stock-dilution): The most common reason a small cap falls on no news: offerings, ATMs and warrants. - [/guides/what-is-a-reverse-stock-split](https://thedesperatetrader.com/guides/what-is-a-reverse-stock-split): A 1-for-10 reverse split explained, why companies do it, and the chart data trap to watch for. - [/guides/what-is-a-stock-catalyst](https://thedesperatetrader.com/guides/what-is-a-stock-catalyst): Why stocks move at all: earnings, FDA, M&A and macro, and why surprise is what matters. - [/guides/what-is-a-stock-delisting](https://thedesperatetrader.com/guides/what-is-a-stock-delisting): The sub-$1 rule, the deficiency notice and cure period, and what happens to the shares. - [/guides/why-do-stocks-move-after-hours](https://thedesperatetrader.com/guides/why-do-stocks-move-after-hours): Why stocks move premarket and after hours, and why that price often does not hold at the open. - [/guides/what-is-an-opening-range-breakout](https://thedesperatetrader.com/guides/what-is-an-opening-range-breakout): The opening range breakout: the opening range, the 5, 15 and 30 minute break, and the volume it needs to be real. - [/guides/how-to-find-runners](https://thedesperatetrader.com/guides/how-to-find-runners): How to find the big movers without drowning in alerts: Top Stocks versus RVOL versus screener, and a simple daily workflow. - [/guides/alert-levels](https://thedesperatetrader.com/guides/alert-levels): Every alert type explained: when it fires, cooldowns, re-alert rules, the STALE and LATE labels, and the RVOL and mover levels 1 to 5. - [/guides](https://thedesperatetrader.com/guides): Index of every guide and explainer on the site. ## Sectors and themes - [/sector-performance](https://thedesperatetrader.com/sector-performance): Sector by sector performance for the session, leaders and laggards. - [/themes](https://thedesperatetrader.com/themes): Index of stock themes. - [/theme/ai-stocks](https://thedesperatetrader.com/theme/ai-stocks): AI stocks with the theme median move and what is dragging it. - [/theme/semiconductor-stocks](https://thedesperatetrader.com/theme/semiconductor-stocks): Semiconductor stocks, same format. - [/theme/quantum-computing-stocks](https://thedesperatetrader.com/theme/quantum-computing-stocks): Quantum computing stocks. - [/theme/nuclear-stocks](https://thedesperatetrader.com/theme/nuclear-stocks): Nuclear and uranium stocks. - [/theme/magnificent-7-stocks](https://thedesperatetrader.com/theme/magnificent-7-stocks): The Magnificent 7, with combined market cap. ## Calendars and macro - [/earnings-calendar](https://thedesperatetrader.com/earnings-calendar): Upcoming earnings by date. - [/economic-calendar](https://thedesperatetrader.com/economic-calendar): Scheduled economic releases. - [/mortgage-rates](https://thedesperatetrader.com/mortgage-rates): Current 30 and 15 year mortgage rates, from the Freddie Mac weekly survey. - [/crypto](https://thedesperatetrader.com/crypto): Top cryptocurrencies by market cap with 24 hour and 7 day change. - [/currency](https://thedesperatetrader.com/currency): Exchange rates and a converter, on European Central Bank reference rates. ## Calculators - [/calculators](https://thedesperatetrader.com/calculators): Index of all calculators. - [/position-size-calculator](https://thedesperatetrader.com/position-size-calculator): Position size from account size, entry and stop. - [/risk-reward-calculator](https://thedesperatetrader.com/risk-reward-calculator): Risk to reward for a planned trade. - [/breakeven-recovery-calculator](https://thedesperatetrader.com/breakeven-recovery-calculator): The gain required to recover a given loss. - [/average-down-calculator](https://thedesperatetrader.com/average-down-calculator): Resulting average cost after adding to a position. - [/compounding-calculator](https://thedesperatetrader.com/compounding-calculator): Compounded growth over time. ## For developers A read API over the same boards the site ranks. You bring your own price data; it gives you the list. - [/api-docs](https://thedesperatetrader.com/api-docs): Partner API documentation: one authenticated endpoint, GET /api/v1/boards, returning the symbols the scanner surfaced, which boards each landed on, the confluence count and the ranking. JSON, one API-key header, no OAuth, with curl, Python, Node and PHP examples, the full response schema, rate limits and errors. ## Machine readable - [Sitemap](https://thedesperatetrader.com/sitemap.xml): every indexable page. - [News sitemap](https://thedesperatetrader.com/news-sitemap.xml): dated pages from the last 48 hours. - [RSS](https://thedesperatetrader.com/rss.xml): hand written articles and due diligence. - [API docs (Markdown)](https://thedesperatetrader.com/api-docs/partner-api-v1.md): the full Partner API reference as raw Markdown, ready to paste into an assistant. - [OpenAPI spec](https://thedesperatetrader.com/api/v1/openapi.json): the machine readable contract for GET /api/v1/boards.