Kristjan Kullamägi, known as Qullamaggie, built one of the best-documented records in modern swing trading on three simple setups: breakouts, episodic pivots and parabolic shorts. SwingTradeScanner runs all three across roughly 1,900 liquid US stocks every session, scores each match, and shows you why it qualifies, with the chart, the catalyst and the fundamentals in the same row.
SwingTradeScanner is not affiliated with or endorsed by Kristjan Kullamägi. The scans implement the rules he has described publicly.
The three setups
1. Breakouts
A stock that has already moved 30% or more over the prior few months, then pauses in a tight, orderly base near its rising 10- and 20-day averages, and breaks out on expanding volume. The Momentum Breakouts scan requires a real 15-day base no wider than 15%, so a stock still running vertically is not mistaken for a breakout.
2. Episodic pivots
A large gap, 10% or more, on news that re-rates a stock that had been going nowhere, on at least three times its average volume. The Episodic Pivots scan runs live from 4:00 a.m. ET and attaches the catalyst, the latest SEC filing and any dilution warning to every gap.
3. Parabolic shorts
A vertical run that has gone too far, too fast: 50% or more in ten sessions with a streak of up days, stretched well above its averages. The Parabolic Short scan finds the exhaustion profile; the parabolic short guide covers how traders approach it.
How his rules become a scan
- Average daily range (ADR): only stocks that move enough to be worth a multi-day hold.
- Liquidity: enough dollar volume to get in and out.
- The prior move and the base: measured on the daily chart, not eyeballed.
- Volume: expansion on the breakout, and three times average or more on an episodic pivot.
- Moving averages: breakouts must hold above the 20-day EMA and the 50-day average, his stated hard rule.
What a result looks like
- A score from 0 to 100 and a tier: SETUP! at 80 and above, WATCH from 60, Monitor from 40.
- A 2LYNCH quality grade out of 6 for every breakout.
- The 30-day chart, sector strength and fundamentals beside it.
- For episodic pivots, the catalyst and SEC filing behind the gap.
The honest numbers
Over Aug 28, 2025 to Aug 27, 2026, every Momentum Breakouts pick held 20 sessions was higher 53.8% of the time, with a median result of +1.5% and an average winner of +16.7%. Most results are small and a few are very large, which is why his approach depends on cutting losers fast. The full backtest write-up shows every scan, including the weaker ones.
Questions
Is this scanner affiliated with Kristjan Kullamägi?
No. SwingTradeScanner is independent and is not endorsed by Kristjan Kullamägi. The scans implement the rules he has described publicly for his three setups.
How often do the scans update?
The daily scans are rebuilt every weekday at 7:00 a.m. ET from the previous session and again through the day. The Episodic Pivots scan runs live from 4:00 a.m. ET, including premarket gaps.
Does it include the parabolic short setup?
Yes. Parabolic Short looks for stocks up 50% or more in ten sessions with a streak of up days and price stretched well above the 20-day average. Parabolic Long covers the mirror image after a crash.
How did the scans perform historically?
Over Aug 28, 2025 to Aug 27, 2026, the Momentum Breakouts scan flagged 3,447 setups with a 53.8% hit rate after 20 sessions and an average winner of +16.7%. Past results do not predict future returns; the full numbers, including the weaker ones, are on the blog.