SCTR Definition & Meaning — Score Explained
SCTR definition: SCTR stands for StockCharts Technical Rank — a composite 0–100 score that measures a stock's technical momentum across long-term, medium-term, and short-term timeframes. A score of 80 means the stock is stronger than 80% of its peers. TraderValue uses SCTR > 9 to qualify bull setups and SCTR < 4 for bear signals — here's exactly how it works, why those thresholds matter, and live rankings for today.
SCTR Definition
SCTR (pronounced “scooter”) stands for StockCharts Technical Rank. It is a 0–100 composite score that measures a stock's technical strength relative to its peer universe across three time horizons simultaneously.
SCTR meaning in practice: A stock with SCTR 80 is technically stronger than 80% of stocks in its peer group. SCTR > 9 = eligible for bull setups. SCTR < 4 = eligible for bear/short setups. SCTR 4–9 = chop zone, avoid.
Highest SCTR Stocks Right Now
SPY Chop · SCTR 8 · T1 WR 44%Top 20 stocks by SCTR on the daily chart. SCTR > 9 = bullish zone — eligible for T1 ignition signals. Click any ticker to see its full signal page.
| # | Ticker | SCTR | Band | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BSP | 700361 | Very High | — |
| 2 | UVIX | 519 | Very High | Exh 9 |
| 3 | TCGL | 483 | Very High | Exh 9 |
| 4 | ABTC | 244 | Very High | — |
| 5 | EDSA | 147 | Very High | — |
| 6 | BWET | 137 | Very High | Bull 2 |
| 7 | ANL | 130 | Very High | — |
| 8 | AGL | 113 | Very High | — |
| 9 | STAK | 107 | Very High | T1 |
| 10 | AMDL | 91 | Very High | T1 |
| 11 | BLZE | 91 | Very High | Exh 13 |
| 12 | EVTV | 84 | Very High | Bull 7 |
| 13 | WATT | 83 | Very High | — |
| 14 | DD | 80 | Very High | Exh 13 |
| 15 | BAND | 77 | Very High | Bull 2 |
| 16 | ROMA | 76 | Very High | Exh 10 |
| 17 | BEG | 76 | Very High | — |
| 18 | JLHL | 73 | High | — |
| 19 | STFS | 69 | High | Exh 14 |
| 20 | MXL | 68 | High | — |
How SCTR is Calculated
SCTR is a weighted composite of four technical inputs, each measuring a different time horizon. The final score ranks each stock against its peer universe — a score of 75 means technically stronger than 75% of peers, not a 75% win rate.
| Component | Weight |
|---|---|
| 26-week Rate of Change | 30% |
| 13-week Rate of Change | 30% |
| 3-day PPO (Price Oscillator) | 15% |
| 14-day RSI | 15% |
| Moving average structure | 10% |
The TraderValue Thresholds: Why 9 and 4?
Long-term momentum is positive. The stock has sustained enough upward price persistence to qualify for bull count tracking. All T1 ignition scans require SCTR > 9.
Momentum has deteriorated across multiple timeframes simultaneously. Qualifies for bear count tracking and short signal scans.
Stocks caught between bull and bear momentum. Excluded from all directional scans — signal base rates drop significantly when a stock has no clear momentum regime.
Win Rate by SCTR Band — 7-Year Backtest (n=799k)
Higher SCTR does not mean better trade quality. The 7-year backtest shows a counterintuitive curve: Mid and High SCTR bands outperform Very High.
| Band | Range | T1 Win Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 0–25 | 51% |
| Mid | 25–50 | 54% |
| High | 50–75 | 52% |
| Very High | 75–100 | 47% |
SCTR vs RSI — Why Momentum Traders Use SCTR
RSI measures recent price velocity over a single timeframe. SCTR is a multi-timeframe composite across 6-month, 3-month, and short-term periods simultaneously. The key practical difference: RSI frequently dips to 40–50 during pullbacks in strong uptrends, creating false bearish signals. SCTR stays elevated because the long-term ROC components still reflect the underlying trend. RSI answers “how fast is price moving right now?” SCTR answers “is this stock technically strong across all timeframes?”
| Factor | RSI (14-day) | SCTR |
|---|---|---|
| Timeframes covered | 1 (14-day) | 3 (6-mo + 3-mo + short) |
| Persistent uptrend | Can dip to 40–50 in pullbacks | Stays elevated through pullbacks |
| Universe ranking | None — absolute oscillator | Relative 0–100 vs peers |
| Overbought signal | 70+ = potential reversal | SCTR > 75 = extended momentum |
| Best for | Short-term entry timing | Universe filtering and regime |
How to Use SCTR — Best Settings by Trading Style
SCTR serves different purposes depending on holding period and signal type. These are the TraderValue-validated rules from the 7-year backtest (n=799k signals).
| Style / Use Case | SCTR Range |
|---|---|
| T1 Ignition entry (any) | > 9 |
| Best T1 win rate | 25–75 (Mid/High) |
| Swing trade (3–5 days) | 25–65 |
| Position trade (weeks) | 50–80 |
| Short selling / Bear signal | < 4 |
| Stay out entirely | 4–9 |
For new traders: use SCTR > 9 as a binary filter. Above it = eligible for longs. Below 4 = eligible for shorts. The 4–9 zone is the “chop zone” — skip it entirely and wait for SCTR to move decisively above 9 or below 4. See live signals filtered by SCTR →
SPY SCTR = Market Regime Benchmark
Individual stock SCTR determines whether it qualifies for scanning. SPY SCTR determines whether the macro environment is favorable for those signals. Both checks run on every scan.
Current regime: SPY Chop · SCTR 8. See SPY's full signal →
SCTR Scanner — Popular Stocks
Click any ticker to see live SCTR, bull/bear count, signal quality, and Saty ATR levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SCTR? (SCTR definition)
SCTR definition: SCTR stands for StockCharts Technical Rank. Its meaning is a composite momentum score from 0 to 100 that ranks a stock's overall technical strength. It blends long-term price performance (26-week ROC, 30% weight), medium-term momentum (13-week ROC, 30%), short-term trend (3-day PPO, 15%), and relative strength (14-day RSI, 15%), plus moving average structure (10%). A score of 80 means the stock is technically stronger than 80% of stocks in its peer universe.
What SCTR score means a stock is bullish?
TraderValue uses SCTR > 9 as the threshold for a bullish technical posture. Above 9, long-term momentum is positive and the stock has enough trend persistence to qualify for bull count tracking. Below 9, declining momentum disqualifies the setup regardless of short-term price action. This threshold is conservative by design — it filters out noise while capturing the full bullish universe.
What SCTR score means a stock is bearish?
SCTR < 4 defines a bearish technical posture. Stocks below 4 have deteriorating momentum across multiple timeframes — long-term price performance is negative, medium-term ROC is negative, and short-term indicators confirm weakness. These qualify for bear count tracking and short signal scans.
Does a higher SCTR score mean a better trade?
No — this is a common misconception. 7-year backtesting (n=799,000 signals) shows Mid SCTR (25–50) and High SCTR (50–75) produce the best T1 ignition win rates at 54% and 52%. Very High SCTR (75–100) drops to 47% because it signals accumulated momentum that is already extended — there is less room to run before mean reversion. Use SCTR to qualify the universe (above 9 for longs), not to rank trade quality within that universe.
How does SPY SCTR affect individual stock signals?
SPY SCTR acts as the market regime benchmark. SPY SCTR > 9 = bull regime, SPY SCTR 4–9 = chop, SPY SCTR < 4 = bear regime. Individual T1 ignition win rates change by 17 percentage points across regimes: 55% in bull, 44% in chop, 38% in bear. Every scan in TraderValue shows a regime-adjusted win rate so you always know what macro tailwind or headwind exists.
How often does SCTR update on TraderValue?
TraderValue recomputes SCTR for all 3,000+ tracked symbols after each market close using the same Wilder's smoothing and component weights as the original StockCharts formula. Intraday updates run every 10–30 minutes for the top 500 most liquid names during market hours.
Every scan card, chart panel, and signal embed in TraderValue shows the live SCTR score alongside bull/bear count, extension, and ATR price levels.
See Today's Live Signals →