Best swing trading screeners by 5-day backtest
Every SetupHits backtest measures a 5-trading-day hold, about one swing trade. These are the 8 screens with the highest 5-day hit rates across all categories.
Test: 518 S&P 500 + Nasdaq-100 stocks, 2021-10-13 to 2026-10-12, each signal held 5 trading days. Hit rate = share of signals that closed higher 5 days later.
Ranked by 5-day hit rate
| # | Screen | Hit rate | Avg 5d | SPY 5d | Max DD | Signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RSI(14) Oversold Mean Reversion | 57.9% | +0.88% | +0.85% | -29.9% | 22,196 |
| 2 | 10% Weekly Drop Mean Reversion | 57.3% | +1.45% | +0.94% | -49.4% | 13,900 |
| 3 | Death Cross Momentum | 55.6% | +0.60% | +0.43% | -21.3% | 2,006 |
| 4 | Gap Down Reversal Gap | 55.2% | +1.09% | +0.77% | -35.0% | 4,524 |
| 5 | Close Below Lower Bollinger Mean Reversion | 54.4% | +0.54% | +0.60% | -21.9% | 30,739 |
| 6 | Gap Down Continuation Gap | 53.9% | +1.47% | +0.45% | -33.8% | 2,271 |
| 7 | RSI(2) Oversold Bounce Mean Reversion | 53.9% | +0.41% | +0.32% | -22.8% | 34,000 |
| 8 | Hammer at 20-Day Low Mean Reversion | 53.6% | +0.38% | +0.30% | -24.1% | 6,814 |
What to know
A high hit rate with a small average move can still lose money after costs. Read hit rate, average move and drawdown together.
Standard RSI(14) under 30.
Down 10%+ over 5 sessions.
50 SMA crosses below 200 SMA.
Gaps down 3%+ but closes green on the day.
Close under the lower BB(20,2).
Gaps down 4%+ and closes below the open (weak follow-through).
Copy-paste rules for every screen above, plus Daily Fire Picks: 1-3 highest-confidence setups emailed before the open. Educational, not advice.
FAQ
What are the best swing trading screener?
In our 2021–2026 backtest, RSI(14) Oversold had the highest 5-day hit rate of this group at 57.9% over 22,196 signals. "Best" depends on your holding period and risk tolerance; compare drawdowns too.
Where are the exact settings?
The exact backtested thresholds and copy-paste TradingView, Finviz and ThinkorSwim versions are part of SetupHits Pro ($39/mo), delivered by email. The rankings and stats on this page are free.
Are these results realistic?
They are simulated on daily bars with no fees or slippage, on today's index members (survivorship bias). Treat them as a relative comparison, not a forecast.
More guides
Simulated results; no fees, slippage or taxes; survivorship-biased universe. Not financial advice. Methodology.