Episodic Pivot Scanner
A quiet stock suddenly gaps up big on real news — earnings, an FDA approval, a new contract. The episodic pivot scanner catches these moves live from 04:00 ET, tells you exactly what caused each gap, and refreshes every minute through after hours. Built from Kristjan Kullamägi’s published episodic pivot method.
An episodic pivot is different from a technical breakout. A breakout builds over days or weeks as price tightens into a range. An episodic pivot happens overnight. The company reports a blowout quarter, gets FDA clearance for a new drug, or announces a contract that changes its revenue trajectory. The stock gaps 10%, 20%, sometimes more — and that gap becomes a new floor. When the catalyst is real, the stock can trend from that pivot point for weeks or months.
The challenge is that not all gaps are created equal. A stock that gaps up 15% on a dilutive stock offering is the opposite trade from one that gaps 15% on a 40% earnings beat. Both look the same on a chart at 04:00 in the morning. One is a buy candidate; the other will likely fill the gap within days. Knowing the catalyst is not optional — it is the trade.
Kristjan Kullamägi — known online as Qullamaggie — popularized this setup through his public streams. He looks for stocks that have been quiet, then suddenly gap on genuine news. The gap itself creates the pivot: a new price level backed by a real change in the company’s fundamentals. SwingTradeScanner independently implemented his published rules and added automated catalyst detection from SEC filings and a live news feed.
This is the only live scanner in SwingTradeScanner. While the other six scanners rebuild after the close each day, the episodic pivot scan runs continuously from 04:00 ET through 20:00 ET, refreshing every minute. You see gaps forming in premarket, not after the fact.
How the episodic pivot scanner works
Starting at 04:00 ET each trading day, the scanner monitors premarket prices across the full stock universe. When a stock gaps above a configurable threshold (default: 5% from the prior close) on meaningful volume, it appears in the scan.
At the same time, the catalyst detection engine checks multiple sources:
- SEC EDGAR filings — 8-K material events, 10-Q and 10-K earnings reports, S-1 and S-3 offerings, SC 13D activist stakes, and other filing types. The scanner identifies the filing type and links directly to it.
- Live news feed — Earnings announcements, FDA decisions, contract awards, analyst upgrades, and other market-moving events.
The detected catalyst appears next to each result. You see not just that a stock gapped, but whether it gapped on a 30% earnings beat, a Phase 3 trial success, or a secondary offering. That distinction determines whether the gap is a buying opportunity or a trap.
The scan refreshes every minute throughout the session and extended hours. New gaps appear as they form. Existing entries update with the latest premarket or after-hours price so you can see whether the gap is holding, expanding, or fading.
What you see in each result
Each row in the episodic pivot scan gives you the information you need to decide whether the gap is worth trading:
- Gap size — The percentage move from the prior close to the current premarket or live price.
- Catalyst — What caused the gap, with a link to the SEC filing or news source. This is the most important column in the scan.
- Premarket volume — How much has traded before the open. Higher premarket volume means more participation and usually a more reliable gap.
- Daily chart — Candles with moving averages so you can see the prior trend and where the gap sits relative to recent price action.
- Fundamentals — Earnings growth, revenue, float size, and sector. A gap on a low-float stock with accelerating earnings is a different setup than a gap on a large-cap with flat growth.
- Average daily range — How much the stock typically moves in a day, so you can gauge whether the gap is unusual relative to its normal volatility.
Questions about the episodic pivot scanner
What is an episodic pivot?
An episodic pivot is a sudden, large gap in a stock’s price caused by a specific news event — an earnings surprise, an FDA approval, a major contract win, or another concrete catalyst. The gap itself creates a new price level that often becomes support, and the stock can trend from that pivot point for weeks or months.
Why does the scanner start at 04:00 ET?
Premarket trading opens at 04:00 ET, and that is when episodic pivots first become visible. A company reports earnings after the prior close, and by 04:00 the gap is already forming. The scanner catches these moves as early as possible so you have time to research the catalyst before the open at 09:30.
How does catalyst detection work?
When a stock gaps, the scanner checks SEC EDGAR for recent filings — 8-K material events, earnings reports, offerings, and more. It also monitors a live news feed. The detected catalyst appears next to each result with a link to the original source, so you know whether the gap is driven by real fundamentals or something else entirely.
What is a Qullamaggie episodic pivot?
Qullamaggie is the online name of Kristjan Kullamägi, a Swedish swing trader who popularized trading episodic pivots. His approach focuses on stocks that gap up big on genuine news after a period of quiet trading. SwingTradeScanner’s episodic pivot scanner is independently built from his published rules. He is not affiliated with this product.
Other scanners
SwingTradeScanner includes seven scanners, each built from a published method:
- Momentum Breakouts — Tight base breakouts scored 0–100
- Episodic Pivots — You are here
- Parabolic Short — Overextended stocks ready to snap back
- Parabolic Long — Capitulation bounces after a crash
- Minervini SEPA — Trend template tightening into a breakout
- O’Neil CANSLIM — Earnings growth meets chart strength
- Sector Rotation — Strongest stocks in the hottest sectors
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