March 20, 2026
Weakness in the market is obvious right now…
The war with Iran is dragging on. And the S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE: SPY) gapped lower yesterday.
Major indexes are rolling over after months of consolidation near the highs.
The headlines are bearish.
And yet, somewhere in this wreckage, there are stocks ripping higher. That’s what the data shows me every single morning.
Most people look at a red market and shut their laptops. They assume that because the indexes are bleeding, every stock is bleeding too. That’s a lazy assumption, and it costs you money.
Strong stocks exist in every market environment. You just need to know where to look.
The traders who find those setups every day, regardless of what the SPY is doing, are the ones who consistently win.
I run a scan every morning, specifically designed to find these setups.
Yesterday, the two strongest stocks on the scan were from the same sector.
Both hit new 52-week highs in the middle of the ugliest market environment of 2026…
This Scanner Cuts Through the Noise
I need a filter to scan the thousands of stocks that move every day. It’s impossible to look at every ticker and still show up in time to make a trade.
My scanner is built around a simple goal: find real stocks, with real volume, that are moving in the right direction.
And the parameters are straightforward.
- The share price has to be above $10 but below $200.
- Below $10 and you’re in penny stock territory: thin volume, wide spreads, no options chains. Above $200, and the contracts get expensive fast.
- The stock needs to be up at least 1% on the day.
- In a market like this one, any stock grinding higher against the tape is worth a look. That 1% minimum cuts out the noise and focuses on bullish strength.
- Volume has to be at least 5 million shares.
- Volume acts as our liquidity. It tells us that real money, not just a handful of retail traders, is behind the move. Without it, a spike is just a spike.
This is the scan in StocksToTrade:
Sometimes I’ll trade stocks that don’t meet this criteria perfectly.
This is just a base to give me a good idea of the strongest setups.
For example, I’m looking at Paramount Skydance Corporation (NASDAQ: PSKY), and it’s trading below $10 per share…
Until you get your sea legs, stick to the scan I outlined above. Once you get comfortable in the market, you can try trading other types of stocks.
2 Stocks. 1 Sector.
When my scan shows two stocks from the same sector hitting new 52-week highs on the same day, I pay close attention.
Especially during a bear market like the one we’re in now…
The two stocks are AXT Inc. (NASDAQ: AXTI) and Tower Semiconductor Ltd. (NASDAQ: TSEM). Both are semiconductor names. Both cleared 52-week highs today.
Here are their charts:
Two semiconductor names are making new highs while the broader market sells off.
This sector could be telling us something.
It Could Be Just the Beginning
One stock hitting new 52-week highs in a slow market is notable.
Two stocks in the same sector doing it on the same day is worth further investigation.
Semiconductor stocks have been largely ignored during the Iran war. Traders are piling into energy and defense instead, while looking for Puts everywhere else.
I’m not calling a sector-wide breakout today. I’m saying that AXTI and TSEM are worth watching closely over the next few trading sessions.
If more semiconductor names start to show up on our scan, we can think about a larger position.
Understand, the market will continue to throw bull crap at us.
- Iran
- The Fed
- Oil
- Inflation
There are always reasons to sit on the sidelines…
Most traders are too afraid to burn themselves in an unforgiving market.
But you don’t have to focus on the selloff. Instead, scan for the strongest runners every day.
Stay Street Smart,
Jeff Zananiri
*Past performance does not indicate future results, Not typical.
