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Relative Volume

Overview​

The Relative Volume profile colors the market by RVOL: how today's volume compares with each stock's own average for the same portion of the trading day over the past three months. Grouped by sector and industry and sized by market capitalization, it surfaces the names trading unusually heavily for them, which is a very different question from who is trading the most shares.

A mega cap doing its usual enormous volume is unremarkable. A quiet mid cap suddenly trading at four times its normal pace is a story, and it will glow on this map long before it tops any raw-volume list. Unusual volume is often the first visible footprint of news, accumulation, or a developing move.

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RVOL is time-of-day adjusted: it compares against the average for the same portion of the session, including pre-market and post-market, so a reading of 2 at 10 AM means twice the normal pace for 10 AM, not for a full day.

Strategy Focus​

  • Surface stocks trading far above their normal pace, the market's freshest stories
  • Catch volume surges early, often before the price move gets crowded
  • Confirm that breakouts and gaps have genuine participation behind them
  • Spot industry-wide activity spikes that hint at group-level catalysts
  • Filter noise: a move without relative volume is a move to distrust

Map Configuration​

  • Main Category: Sectors
  • Sub Category: Industries
  • Box Size: Market Capitalization ($)
  • Box Color: Relative Volume

Metrics Behind the Map​

  • Market Capitalization ($): The total dollar value of a company's outstanding shares, weighting the map like the real market.
  • Relative Volume: Compares current trading volume, including pre-market, regular, and post-market sessions, to the average volume for the same portion of the trading day over the past three months. A reading above 2 means at least twice the typical activity.

Practical Use Cases​

  • Scan for the deepest-colored boxes each morning to find where something unusual is happening
  • Verify any breakout candidate against this map: no RVOL, no conviction
  • Investigate a quiet stock with surging RVOL, volume often leads price
  • Spot several names in one industry lighting up together, a hint of a group catalyst
  • Cross-check with Relative Strength 1 Day to find names with both unusual volume and price leadership