Where each label falls in a typical swing.
Most screeners tell you RSI is 34. That is a fact, not an answer. Labels tell you what the stock is actually doing: how far into its move it is, whether the move is with or against the trend, and whether it is showing signs of continuing or reversing. One glance. One decision.
The full system.
Sixteen labels. Four families. Each label answers a specific question about where the stock is and what to do about it.
Early Upswing
Just turned higher off a swing low. Volume picking up. Best risk/reward window.
Maturing Upswing
Move is established. Volume confirming. Past early stage, momentum not yet fading.
Late Upswing
Approaching the upper range of typical duration. Volume may be tapering. Tighten stops.
Extended Upswing
Exceeded typical duration. Structure intact but the entry window is long closed.
Early Downswing
Just turned lower off a swing high. Selling pressure building. Short setup forming.
Maturing Downswing
Decline is established. Volume confirming weakness. Mid-cycle in a bearish move.
Late Downswing
Selling extended and conviction fading. Bounce or reversal setup may be forming.
Extended Downswing
Decline has run past typical duration. Watch for capitulation or a base attempt.
Countertrend Bounce
Upward move within a downtrend. Tradeable, but do not mistake for a reversal.
Countertrend Dip
Downward move within an uptrend. Often a buy-the-dip if structure holds.
Failed Bounce
Attempted upward reversal that stalled. Often a short setup if structure breaks.
Failed Dip
Attempted dip buy that broke down. Trend may be weakening more than expected.
Tentative
Early signs of a move but confirmation is weak. Watch, do not chase yet.
Stalling
Momentum flattening. Often precedes a large move either direction. Wait for the break.
Volatility Expansion
Range widening sharply. Risk of sudden reversal elevated. Size positions down.
Volatility Expansion with Volume
Range expansion with volume confirming participation. Conviction behind the move.
How to use them.
Labels are a starting point for decisions, not a replacement for them. Each family has a different job.
Where the best entries live.
Early Upswing and Early Downswing mean the move is young, the stop is close, and the potential reward is the full swing. These are the setups to put on your watchlist and monitor for an entry trigger.
Signals to manage, not to initiate.
If you are already in a trade and the label shifts from Maturing to Late, tighten stops or take partial profits. Chasing a Late Upswing is one of the most common mistakes in swing trading.
Tradeable, but with extra caution.
A Countertrend Bounce in a strong downtrend can look and feel like a reversal. Usually is not. Best for managing risk on existing positions or for experienced traders who trade mean reversion.
Decision points, not trades.
Stalling often precedes a large move in one direction, so it is worth watching but not worth trading until the break. Volatility Expansion demands tighter risk management because the range is wide and reversals are sharp.
How labels are assigned
Labels are not based on a single indicator or a fixed rule. Each stock goes through an adaptive swing detection process that identifies the current swing structure based on its own price history, not a universal template. What counts as a swing for a volatile biotech stock is different from what counts for a blue-chip utility, and the algorithm accounts for that.
Once the swing structure is identified, a multi-factor framework evaluates the current position. It looks at duration relative to historical averages, magnitude of the price change, volume behavior at key points, and trend context at the daily and weekly level.
The result is a label that reflects where the stock is in its cycle. The Swing Score captures the quality of the setup numerically. The label gives you the quick read.