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Why I Focus On Big Percent Gainers

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Written by Timothy Sykes Reviewed by Jack Kellogg Fact-checked by Jeff Zananiri
Updated 9/30/2026 6 min read
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Earlier this week I was traveling and didn’t have good Wi-Fi.

When I checked in on my Trading Challenge chat, something caught my attention.

There were 2 HUGE runners, but only a few students had traded them.

That’s when it dawned on me…

It’s time to reiterate one of the most important lessons any trader can learn…

If you’re looking at the wrong stocks, there’s not much hope of growing your account.

It killed seeing it because I DEFINITELY would’ve traded them if I could.

So, with that in mind, remember, ALWAYS and forevermore…

You MUST Focus On Big Percent Gainers

Obviously, there’s more to trading than big percent gainers, right?

A lot of people chase big percent gainers with no plan.

They don’t know why it’s running (or even have any idea about risk management).

Still, at least those traders are focused on the right stocks.

Too many people are focused on less volatile plays.

I get it, less volatile stocks are less scary. But that only leads to your account going nowhere (FAST).

So, when I saw Stablecoin Development Corporation (AMEX: SDEV) doing this…

SDEV 9/29/26, 1-min candles, +139% potential in under 4 hours
SDEV 9/29/26, 1-min candles, +139% potential in under 4 hours

I was shocked to find that only a few students traded it.

Check out the chart below. I’ve dropped a few lines in to show how former resistance becomes support.

SDEV 9/29/26, big percent gainer, former resistance becomes support
SDEV 9/29/26, big percent gainer, former resistance becomes support

There were multiple opportunities to trade SDEV.

But if you weren’t focused on big percent gainers, you missed it!

3 Reasons I Focus On Big Percent Gainers

On Tuesday (Sept. 29), BIO-key International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKYI) ran +74% from premarket to around 10 a.m. ET.

BKYI 9/29/26, 1-min candles, big percent gainer
BKYI 9/29/26, 1-min candles, big percent gainer

BKYI was choppier than SDEV, but there were still opportunities because it showed up on so many scans.

Which brings me to…

Reason 1: Every Trading Platform Has a Big % Gains Scan

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The Night Tape, every trading day after the closing bell, plus The Second Session guide.

It might be called something else, but every platform has this scan built in.

I use StocksToTrade for scanning, and Top % Gainers is the top built-in scan (for a reason).

Source: StocksToTrade Top % Gainers scan
Source: StocksToTrade Top % Gainers scan

What happens when a stock shows up on a big percent gainers scan?

Reason 2: All Eyes Are On Big % Gainers

At least, the eyes that matter, right?

Nobody cares about stocks that aren’t doing anything. It goes back to that saying: follow the money.

A big percent gain is a sign that money is moving into and out of a stock. Exactly how much money depends on volume.

Reason 3: Volatile Stocks Provide Opportunities

Remember, trading is NOT the same as investing. Trading is about finding plays that are moving, and taking the meat of the move. Or even a small part of the move.

Yes, there’s more to learn about trading than big percent gainers.

For example, you need to learn pattern recognition, risk management, position sizing, and how to place orders.

But at the end of the day, none of that matters if you’re watching the wrong stocks.

Millionaire Moves

None of my millionaire students started big. Not a single one.

They ALL started by focusing on big percent gainers, trading small, and learning the process.

Which is why I LOVE it when this happens…

Congratulations AJ, keep up the great work!

If you’re ready to start putting all the pieces together…

Join Me for My FREE 2-Day Bootcamp

Tomorrow and Saturday, October 2nd and 3rd…

You will discover:

  • How to find winning trades (it starts with big percent gainers, but what next?)
  • Entries, exits and risk (so you don’t have to fear volatile stocks)
  • 3 pillars of trading success (this sets the foundation for your future as a trader)
  • Swing trading – SO many of my top students have mastered this (it can make a HUGE difference)
  • How to build a watchlist (PLUS: learn when to take a stock OFF your watchlist)
  • Algo trading – once considered “the secret weapon of Wall Street” algo trading is FINALLY available to everyday traders
  • AI trading – I can’t wait to share what we’ve come up with (AI is truly amazing trading technology)
  • 5 principles of success in any endeavor (CRUCIAL for surviving the learning curve)
  • Supernovas: How to read catalysts and catch explosive moves
  • And more…

Yes, Tim, Save My Spot for The Millionaire Formula Conference

Key Takeaway

If you focus only on big percent gainers (with volume) every single day the market is open…

You’ll already be ahead of most new traders.

Again, there’s more to trading than watching stocks.

But if you don’t start by watching the stocks actually moving, there’s no hope.

See you tomorrow for The Millionaire Formula Conference

Cheers,

– Tim Sykes

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Timothy Sykes

Tim Sykes is a penny stock trader and teacher who became a self-made millionaire by the age of 22 by trading $12,415 of bar mitzvah money. After becoming disenchanted with the hedge fund world, he established the Tim Sykes Trading Challenge to teach aspiring traders how to follow his trading strategies. He’s been featured in a variety of media outlets including CNN, Larry King, Steve Harvey, Forbes, Men’s Journal, and more. He’s also an active philanthropist and environmental activist, a co-founder of Karmagawa, and has donated millions of dollars to charity.
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* Results are not typical and will vary from person to person. Making money trading stocks takes time, dedication, and hard work. There are inherent risks involved with investing in the stock market, including the loss of your investment. Past performance in the market is not indicative of future results. Any investment is at your own risk. See Terms of Service here

The available research on day trading suggests that most active traders lose money. Fees and overtrading are major contributors to these losses.

A 2000 study called “Trading is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors” evaluated 66,465 U.S. households that held stocks from 1991 to 1996. The households that traded most averaged an 11.4% annual return during a period where the overall market gained 17.9%. These lower returns were attributed to overconfidence.

A 2014 paper (revised 2019) titled “Learning Fast or Slow?” analyzed the complete transaction history of the Taiwan Stock Exchange between 1992 and 2006. It looked at the ongoing performance of day traders in this sample, and found that 97% of day traders can expect to lose money from trading, and more than 90% of all day trading volume can be traced to investors who predictably lose money. Additionally, it tied the behavior of gamblers and drivers who get more speeding tickets to overtrading, and cited studies showing that legalized gambling has an inverse effect on trading volume.

A 2019 research study (revised 2020) called “Day Trading for a Living?” observed 19,646 Brazilian futures contract traders who started day trading from 2013 to 2015, and recorded two years of their trading activity. The study authors found that 97% of traders with more than 300 days actively trading lost money, and only 1.1% earned more than the Brazilian minimum wage ($16 USD per day). They hypothesized that the greater returns shown in previous studies did not differentiate between frequent day traders and those who traded rarely, and that more frequent trading activity decreases the chance of profitability.

These studies show the wide variance of the available data on day trading profitability. One thing that seems clear from the research is that most day traders lose money .

Millionaire Media 66 W Flagler St. Ste. 900 Miami, FL 33130 United States (888) 878-3621 This is for information purposes only as Millionaire Media LLC nor Timothy Sykes is registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser. No information herein is intended as securities brokerage, investment, tax, accounting or legal advice, as an offer or solicitation of an offer to sell or buy, or as an endorsement, recommendation or sponsorship of any company, security or fund. Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes cannot and does not assess, verify or guarantee the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of any information, the suitability or profitability of any particular investment, or the potential value of any investment or informational source. The reader bears responsibility for his/her own investment research and decisions, should seek the advice of a qualified securities professional before making any investment, and investigate and fully understand any and all risks before investing. Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes in no way warrants the solvency, financial condition, or investment advisability of any of the securities mentioned in communications or websites. In addition, Millionaire Media LLC and Timothy Sykes accepts no liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this information. This information is not intended to be used as the sole basis of any investment decision, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the investment needs of any particular investor. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future returns.

Citations for Disclaimer

Barber, Brad M. and Odean, Terrance, Trading is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors. Available at SSRN: “Day Trading for a Living?”

Barber, Brad M. and Lee, Yi-Tsung and Liu, Yu-Jane and Odean, Terrance and Zhang, Ke, Learning Fast or Slow? (May 28, 2019). Forthcoming: Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Available at SSRN: “https://ssrn.com/abstract=2535636”

Chague, Fernando and De-Losso, Rodrigo and Giovannetti, Bruno, Day Trading for a Living? (June 11, 2020). Available at SSRN: “https://ssrn.com/abstract=3423101”