Programming a stock screener

I have over the last several months been learning some programming to make a stock screener. A new minted MBA student suggested Python was the best language to use so for six months or so now I have been fooling around with it. YouTube and Google have been good friends here as well as starting via a MOOC. I'm not getting any kind of programming job in this lifetime, but I have it doing some manly things.

Counting how many higher highs, lower lows. etc and giving a report on it. I will also be able to search all stocks and rank them for the same when I decide to pay the subscription, which I am waiting on until I get some cash freed from other investments.

Figuring the best moving average from several different timeframes. IOW, tell me the 10, 20, 40, and 100 day moving averages to see what is more strong and more weak recently.

Figuring both "pop" and daily ranges. Useful in day trading. Can easily be converted for weeks in swing trading.

I am waiting on the data site to add options data to make this really work. Idea is that if I find a stock that is strong and moves in an X average range I can do some overnight or weekly straddles or strangles. Covered calls. Etc. Plus just adapt this to see what is strong in general. Later pull financials and really analyze for different things.

Posting here for two things. One, stimulate general discussion for what people besides me look for in this kind of thing. I feel I have most of what I want but free discussion helps.

Second, I am racking my brain to find how to screen for what I call "Paula Abduls." From her song that goes "I take two steps forward, you take two steps back......." (or however it goes.) Meaning stocks that keep going up a bit then retrenching then doing it again. I need ideas from a programming standpoint. Not using high level stats, something like look at the price each week then when a high is hit how much does it retrench, how long, and does it keep recovering.

Anyone else out there ever make their own program?

Yes I made one once years ago but it was intended for long term holds. It has had a 100% success rate, but then again you'd have to try hard to pick a blue chip or Nasdaq equivalent of blue chip stock that didn't go up over the past thirty years.

It was also intended for trading, as in "trade only stocks that pass this screen," but as with everything, there are exceptions to the rule.

You'll want to plug in besides the usual such as P/E, EPS and Beta, some data from the company's balance sheet. Also charting on a relative scale to the company's chart and that of the stock market as a whole. It's really not very difficult and I can do it all in my head don't even need a computer program, then again my head is on the level of a computer as far as speed and recall ability.

Yeah. A vic20

Quote: MDawg

Yes I made one once years ago but it was intended for long term holds. It has had a 100% success rate, but then again you'd have to try hard to pick a blue chip or Nasdaq equivalent of blue chip stock that didn't go up over the past thirty years.

It was also intended for trading, as in "trade only stocks that pass this screen," but as with everything, there are exceptions to the rule.

You'll want to plug in besides the usual such as P/E, EPS and Beta, some data from the company's balance sheet. Also charting on a relative scale to the company's chart and that of the stock market as a whole. It's really not very difficult and I can do it all in my head don't even need a computer program, then again my head is on the level of a computer as far as speed and recall ability.
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When I get to the company level I plan to use non-traditional or say less-traditional methods. How much new revenue is creating new profit. Is debt growing too fast. Both big ones for me. GM was a debt time bomb for years before it fell for example. But the smaller ones are where you have to look. Talking Michael Burry style.

It all gets addicting as you get into it. I really want to find some ways to get that quick pop at open and close or over a couple days first.

Oh, man, programming a stock screener sounds like a totally far-out project! It's like using your creative energy to navigate the financial universe, y’know? I can really dig the idea of filtering through all those numbers and patterns to find the gems in the market.
It’s almost like meditating on the data to let the good vibes flow and reveal those hidden opportunities. Plus, combining coding with stock analysis is such a groovy way to blend tech with finance. Just imagine the wisdom you can unlock by writing your own algorithms to spot trends! Keep those good energies flowing, and happy coding, my friend!

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Don Schlesinger, who wrote of the greatest blackjack books, "Blackjack Attack," was a high level options trader and later an Executive with a Wall Street firm before he got into bj

on another forum he wrote that the only decision he ever made re options was whether to sell or not to sell

iow he would never buy an option

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Quote: lilredrooster

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Don Schlesinger, who wrote of the greatest blackjack books, "Blackjack Attack," was a high level options trader and later an Executive with a Wall Street firm before he got into bj

on another forum he wrote that the only decision he ever made re options was whether to sell or not to sell

iow he would never buy an option

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90% or so of options never get exercised. However, there are times to buy them, usually short term plays. Yes, the amount to little more than betting football but they can work.

I am still trying to figure the logic to find stocks that tend to go up then retrench then recover. Getting it in my head, I just need to be able to concentrate on it.

Quote: AZDuffman

90% or so of options never get exercised.

I'm no expert on this and don't claim to be - I never traded options

but based on this statement of yours - doesn't that mean that if you blindly sold options with no handicapping at all that 90% of the trades would be profitable_______?

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another thing Don said - he had to watch the computer the entire day when he traded - I guess so he could quickly get out of a trade that was going against him

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Quote: lilredrooster

Quote: AZDuffman

90% or so of options never get exercised.

I'm no expert on this and don't claim to be - I never traded options

but based on this statement of yours - doesn't that mean that if you blindly sold options with no handicapping at all that 90% of the trades would be profitable_______?

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another thing Don said - he had to watch the computer the entire day when he traded - I guess so he could quickly get out of a trade that was going against him

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I believe that is the purpose of many new funds, which is why they are generating 10% dividends.

Quote: lilredrooster

Quote: AZDuffman

90% or so of options never get exercised.

I'm no expert on this and don't claim to be - I never traded options

but based on this statement of yours - doesn't that mean that if you blindly sold options with no handicapping at all that 90% of the trades would be profitable_______?

No. Some do not get exercised because they get bought back and canceled out. Also, that is a dangerous way to think of it. You can make $0.25 9 times then lose $5 one time.