What is RVOL in stocks?

RVOL (Relative Volume) is a ratio comparing a stock's current trading volume to its historical average volume. An RVOL of 10 means the stock is trading at 10 times its normal volume. High RVOL indicates increased interest and potential price movement, making it valuable for day traders looking for momentum opportunities.

How do I find high volume stocks?

Use a real-time stock scanner that monitors volume across all symbols and compares it to historical averages. Look for RVOL ratios above 3-5x for significant activity. The best scanners track pre-market, regular hours, and after-hours sessions, alerting you the moment volume spikes occur across NYSE, NASDAQ, and OTC exchanges.

What are trading halts and why do they happen?

Trading halts temporarily pause trading on a stock due to significant price volatility (LULD halts), pending news announcements, or corporate actions. Halts typically last 5-10 minutes and are issued by exchanges to allow information to disseminate and prevent panic trading. Traders monitor halts because stocks often move significantly when trading resumes.

What is the best free stock scanner?

The best free stock scanner should offer real-time data updates (not 15-minute delayed), RVOL tracking to identify volume spikes, pre-market and after-hours coverage, and customizable alerts. Look for WebSocket-powered scanners with sub-second latency that track all major exchanges including NYSE, NASDAQ, and OTC markets without requiring a credit card.

How to use RVOL for day trading?

Day traders use RVOL to identify stocks with unusual volume activity. Look for RVOL above 3-5x during pre-market, then confirm with price action. High RVOL stocks often continue momentum during regular hours. Combine RVOL signals with technical patterns and news catalysts for best results. Set alerts for RVOL spikes above 10x to catch explosive moves early.

How do stock scanners work?

Stock scanners continuously monitor price, volume, and technical indicators across thousands of symbols in real-time. They use algorithms to filter stocks matching specific criteria (like RVOL thresholds or price changes), then send alerts when conditions are met. Advanced scanners use WebSocket connections for live data feeds, enabling sub-second alert delivery compared to traditional polling methods.

Can I scan stocks before market open?

Yes, pre-market scanning (4:00 AM - 9:30 AM ET) is crucial for day traders. Look for scanners that track pre-market volume and price movements separately from regular hours. Stocks with high RVOL in pre-market often continue momentum after the opening bell. The best pre-market scanners update every minute and include news catalysts.

Do I need to pay for stock alerts?

Many premium scanners charge $50-200/month for real-time alerts. TheDesperateTrader runs on an affordable subscription at an early-access price of $24.99/month, with day, week, monthly, and longer plans available. New accounts start with 5 free premium days and no credit card is required to begin - full access to RVOL tracking, halt alerts, top movers, and EMA analysis.

Daily Market Recap

Recap: August 12

TheDesperateTrader.com· Wednesday, August 12, 2026

All recaps →

Here is how the U.S. stock market moved on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Boxlight Corporation Class A Common Stock ($BOXL) led the gainers, closing +168.6% at $7.87. On the downside, $PLAG was among the biggest decliners at -79.3%. $BOXL drew the most scanner alerts (104 alerts) as unusual volume and momentum built through the session. Our scanner flagged $OFAL at $0.871 around 06:07 AM ET, before it ran to a high of $3.79 (+335%). Every ticker below links to its live page with the chart, alerts and the trader conversation.

Caught Early by Our Scanner

Stocks our scanner flagged before the move, on August 12: the first alert price and time versus that session's high.

$OFAL+335%

OFA Group Class A Ordinary Shares

First alerted at $0.871 at 06:07 AM ET, then ran to a high of $3.79.

$BIVI+163%

BioVie, Inc. Common Stock

First alerted at $1.44 at 09:30 AM ET, then ran to a high of $3.79.

$RMCF+147%

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. Common Stock

First alerted at $0.870 at 06:51 AM ET, then ran to a high of $2.15.

$VBIO+136%

Valion Bio, Inc. Common Stock

First alerted at $0.550 at 09:36 AM ET, then ran to a high of $1.30.

$BOXL+136%

Boxlight Corporation Class A Common Stock

First alerted at $4.19 at 04:01 AM ET, then ran to a high of $9.89.

$BQ+114%

Boqii Holding Limited

First alerted at $0.984 at 04:58 AM ET, then ran to a high of $2.10.

The high is the session's peak after our first alert, not a realized trade. Not investment advice.

Biggest Gainers · 10

1$BOXLBoxlight Corporation Class A Common Stock+168.6%2$RMCFRocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. Common Stock+126.0%3$OFALOFA Group Class A Ordinary Shares+90.7%4$BQBoqii Holding Limited+52.4%5$BRUNWBoost Run Inc. Warrant+50.1%6$XHLDTEN Holdings, Inc. Common Stock+49.9%7$BANLCBL International Limited Class B Ordinary Shares+47.3%8$DOGZDogness (International) Corporation Class A Common Stock+37.6%9$NBISNebius Group N.V. Class A Ordinary Shares+34.1%10$FXHOUTime Limited Class A Ordinary Shares+34.1%

Biggest Losers · 10

1$PLAGPlanet Green Holdings Corp.-79.3%2$GLNDGreenland Energy Company Common Stock-44.5%3$NCMINational CineMedia, Inc.-41.4%4$WXMWF International Limited Ordinary Shares-39.7%5$UAMYUnited States Antimony Corporation-24.5%6$MAASMaase Inc. Class A Ordinary Shares-21.4%7$FOCLEDAP TMS S.A. American Depositary Shares-21.0%8$NTHINeOnc Technologies Holdings, Inc. Common Stock-20.5%9$FRVOFervo Energy Company Class A common stock-16.6%10$STROSutro Biopharma, Inc.-14.9%

Most Alerted · 7

1$BOXLBoxlight Corporation Class A Common Stock104 alerts 2$QMCOQuantum Corporation68 alerts 3$DRMADermata Therapeutics, Inc. Common Stock67 alerts 4$IVDAIveda Solutions, Inc. Common Stock64 alerts 5$XHLDTEN Holdings, Inc. Common Stock63 alerts 6$BQBoqii Holding Limited59 alerts 7$SCKTSocket Mobile, Inc. New57 alerts

Top RVOL · unusual volume

1$COBACHILEAN COBALT CORP6,300×2$VBIOValion Bio, Inc. Common Stock3,365×3$WCTWellchange Holdings Company Limited Class A Ordinary shares2,097×4$CHOWChowChow Cloud International Holdings Limited1,998×5$CRYGraniteShares YieldBOOST CRCL ETF1,606×6$RMCFRocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. Common Stock1,293×7$BOXLBoxlight Corporation Class A Common Stock1,264×8$BBLGBone Biologics Corp Common Stock1,255×9$OFALOFA Group Class A Ordinary Shares1,227×10$IVDAIveda Solutions, Inc. Common Stock1,042×

Movers are that day's close versus the prior close, liquid names only. Alert counts and RVOL come from our live scanner. Explore today's tape on Stock Market Today, the Money Map, and the earnings calendar. Not investment advice.

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