An episodic pivot is a large gap on news in a stock that had been going nowhere. Descriptions make it sound simple. Real examples show how uneven the results are: a few become enormous moves, and many fade. Every example below comes from SwingTradeScanner’s own scan output; none is hypothetical.
These are historical and recent results, not a promise of future returns. The winners below are the best few out of hundreds of picks. Most episodic pivots did far less, and over the past year more than half were lower after 20 sessions.
The biggest winners of the past year
From a backtest of every Episodic Pivots pick from Aug 28, 2025 to Aug 27, 2026, bought at the close of the day it was flagged and measured 20 trading sessions later:
| Stock | Flagged | Entry | 20 sessions later | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBRX ImmunityBio | Jan 14, 2026 | $3.02 | $6.62 | +119.2% |
| FCEL FuelCell Energy | Apr 20, 2026 | $8.65 | $17.74 | +105.1% |
| HYMC Hycroft Mining | Dec 22, 2025 | $24.52 | $46.69 | +90.4% |
| ASST Strive | Aug 20, 2026 | $16.13 | $30.09 | +86.5% |
| BB BlackBerry | May 4, 2026 | $5.58 | $10.32 | +84.9% |
Recent gaps, including the ones that failed
Three recent pivots from the live scan, measured from the close on the gap day to the close on October 5, 2026:
- KOD (Kodiak Sciences): gapped +90.7% on September 28 on 14 times average volume. Five sessions later it was +5.2% above the gap-day close: the gap held.
- AMOD: gapped +197.4% on October 2 on 18 times average volume, then slipped 5.7% below the gap-day close by October 5.
- NXL: gapped +105.6% on October 1 on 20 times average volume, then fell 28.5% below the gap-day close within three sessions: a clear failure.
All three passed the same rules: a 10%+ gap, heavy volume, and a flat base before the move. The difference came afterwards, which is why the catalyst and the filings matter so much.
The numbers for every pick
- 251 episodic pivots flagged over the year.
- 44.2% were higher after 20 sessions.
- The median result was −3.1%; the average winner was +21.0%.
That shape, many small losses and a few very large wins, is typical of the setup. It only works with strict stops and position sizing that lets one big winner pay for several failures.
What separated the winners
- A real re-rating catalyst: a business-changing result or contract, filed as an 8-K, rather than a vague press release.
- No dilution in the same week: gaps followed by an S-3, 424B or a private placement tended to stall. See the dilution guide.
- Holding the gap: winners held above the gap-day low in the sessions after; failures gave it back quickly.
- A flat base before the news: stocks that had not already run up had more room to re-rate.
How the backtest was run
- The scan’s published rules applied to daily data on each historical date, stepping five sessions at a time.
- Entry at the close on the day flagged; exit at the close 20 sessions later; no stops.
- Today’s universe of roughly 1,900 liquid US stocks, so stocks delisted during the year are not included.
See today’s gaps and why they moved
The Episodic Pivots scan runs live from 4:00 a.m. ET with the catalyst and SEC filing for every gap.
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