what stocks are trending: How to find them
Trending stocks
As markets move fast, many investors and traders ask: what stocks are trending right now and why? This guide explains what "what stocks are trending" means in the context of US equities and crypto-adjacent markets, the common signals used to surface trending tickers, major sources that publish trending lists, and a practical workflow you can use to check and evaluate trending names. Read on to learn how to combine pageviews, volume, price moves, options flow and social-sentiment signals to answer “what stocks are trending” responsibly — and how Bitget tools can help you monitor trends.
As of January 9, 2026, according to market reports, chip-sector strength after a strong outlook from a major contract chipmaker lifted chip-related stocks and helped the Nasdaq recover; several large-bank earnings and asset-manager results also contributed to premarket and intraday trending tickers. These developments illustrate how corporate news and sector-level shifts often show up quickly in "what stocks are trending" lists.
Definitions and scope
Trending stocks are publicly traded securities receiving unusually high attention over a short period. That attention can come from traders, investors, journalists, or social communities. When someone asks "what stocks are trending," they typically want a short list of tickers that stand out by one or more measurable signals: high pageviews, spikes in trading volume, large intraday percent moves, heavy options activity, or intense social-media mention volume.
This article focuses primarily on US equities (exchange-listed stocks and ETFs) because most trending lists and aggregator pages target that market. Where relevant, we note how the same principles apply to crypto tokens and tokenized products — and recommend Bitget's trading and wallet tools for users tracking token trends.
Common metrics used to identify trending stocks
There is no single definition of trending. Different services and traders use different signals — and the best answers to "what stocks are trending" combine metrics. Below are the primary quantitative signals you will see across platforms.
Pageviews and site-based popularity
Many financial portals rank tickers by pageviews to show retail attention. A sudden surge in a ticker's pageviews on sites like major finance portals or analyst platforms often indicates retail curiosity or breaking news. When you ask "what stocks are trending" on a pageviews-driven site, you get names that users are reading most right now.
Why it matters: pageview spikes are an early indicator of retail interest. They are easy to track but do not necessarily mean heavy trading or sustained moves.
Volume and liquidity metrics
Raw trading volume and relative volume (today’s volume versus a typical volume for that time of day or the last X days) are core market signals. A spike in volume — especially when paired with a price move — signals real trading interest. Many screens use raw volume thresholds and relative volume ratios to filter trending candidates.
Key submetrics:
- Average daily volume (ADV)
- Intraday relative volume (RVOL)
- Bid-ask spread and market depth (liquidity)
Price-change indicators
Day-gainers and day-losers lists are simple, widely published answers to "what stocks are trending" based on percent price moves. Screens often require minimum volume and market-cap thresholds to avoid highlighting penny stocks.
Options and flow signals
Unusual options activity, large block trades, and influxes of call or put buying can flag institutional or speculative flows that drive trending status. Services that track options open interest and unusual options volume are used to surface names with significant derivatives interest.
Short interest and short-squeeze signals
Rapid changes in short interest or deliveries can indicate squeeze potential. A rise in borrow cost or reductions in available shares to borrow are additional signs often considered when answering "what stocks are trending," particularly for names that already have a short-interest narrative.
Social sentiment and message volume
Platforms measuring social mentions (message counts, sentiment-scoring) use sites like investor chat boards, microblogs and specialized social platforms to determine which tickers are getting discussed. A high message volume combined with positive or negative sentiment can push a stock onto trending lists.
Derived and composite scores
Some services blend multiple inputs into a single trending score or rank. These algorithmic composite scores may weight pageviews, volume, price change, options activity and social mentions to deliver a ranked list of trending tickers.
Major platforms and data sources
When people search "what stocks are trending," they typically consult a small group of trusted pages and tools. Each source emphasizes different metrics.
Financial news portals and aggregators
- Large finance portals publish "trending tickers" or "most active/gainers" pages that combine pageviews, volume and price moves. They are useful for a quick read on retail attention and intraday moves.
- Example service types: pageviews-driven trending pages, most-active (volume) lists, and top-gainers (percent change) lists.
Why use them: easy UI, human editorial context, and quick noise-filtering for mainstream names.
Social trading and sentiment platforms
Specialized social platforms surface trending symbols by message volume and sentiment score. These platforms can reveal grassroots interest, potential narrative-driven rallies, and early meme activity. When you check "what stocks are trending" on a social sentiment platform, expect to see names discussed intensely, sometimes before volume spikes.
Why use them: social signals detect retail-driven narratives but require filtering for bots and coordinated posts.
Search & trend aggregators
Search-trend services measure web searches for tickers and company names across regions. These are useful to understand geographic concentration of interest and detect public curiosity spikes that may precede trading activity.
Brokerages, market-data vendors, and APIs
Many brokerages and data vendors provide programmatic endpoints for most-active, gainers, and pageview-driven trending tickers. Institutional users and algorithmic traders often rely on these APIs for automation and low-latency feeds.
Why use them: programmatic access, faster updates, and integration into trading systems.
Methodologies for detecting trending stocks
Answering the question "what stocks are trending" reliably requires choosing a methodology and being explicit about time horizon and data sources.
- Rule-based filters: e.g., volume > 2x ADV and % price change > 5% within 30 minutes. Simple to implement and transparent.
- Statistical anomaly detection: using z-scores on volume and returns relative to historical distributions to flag outliers.
- Machine learning & composite scoring: models that learn weights across pageviews, volume, options flow and sentiment to predict which names will sustain moves.
Real-time vs. end-of-day trending detection
Real-time detection looks for immediate spikes and is useful for intraday trading. End-of-day aggregated trending lists are better for post-trade research and for identifying names with sustained interest across the trading day.
Latency matters: real-time feeds need robust infrastructure; end-of-day lists can be produced by batch processing.
Social-signal integration and noise filtering
Social data is noisy. Common preprocessing steps:
- Remove bot and spam accounts
- De-duplicate posts and filter pump-and-dump phrases
- Weight trusted accounts more heavily
- Cross-check with volume and news to avoid false positives
When you ask "what stocks are trending" using social signals, good filtering reduces false alarms.
How retail and institutional users use trending data
Trending signals serve different purposes for different users.
- Retail traders: idea generation, momentum trades, and short-lived speculation.
- Institutional traders: flow-monitoring, liquidity analysis, and tactical hedging.
- Analysts and researchers: early detection of news-driven moves and measuring investor attention.
Trading strategies that use trending signals
Common strategies include:
- Momentum trades: enter after a confirmed breakout paired with high relative volume.
- Breakout plays: use trendlines and volume to confirm intraday or multi-day breakouts.
- Mean-reversion: fade extreme intraday moves when signs of exhaustion appear.
- Event-driven trades: trade around earnings, M&A news, or regulatory announcements highlighted by trending lists.
Cautions for investors
Trending lists are noisy and can highlight speculative or manipulated names. Key cautions:
- High volatility and rapid reversals
- Pump-and-dump schemes on low-float stocks
- Execution risk and slippage in thinly traded names
- Options and borrow costs that can change quickly
Always treat trending lists as starting points, not trade signals by themselves.
Interpreting trending signals — best practices
When investigating "what stocks are trending," combine diverse signals to form a clearer view.
- Cross-check pageviews with real trading volume and media coverage.
- Verify material news (press releases, filings) to understand the catalyst.
- Look at float and institutional ownership to gauge whether a move can sustain.
- Use stop-losses and defined position sizes for short-term trades.
Distinguishing organic momentum from manipulation
Red flags for manipulation include:
- Coordinated social posts and identical messaging across many accounts
- Extremely thin float with outsized message volume
- Sudden options block trades without clear news
If you see these, exercise caution and seek confirmation from independent news or regulatory filings.
Timeframe alignment
Match the trending signal to your trading horizon. Intraday spikes often mean fast trades; multi-day trending backed by consistent volume and news can be more durable.
Regional and market-segment differences
Trending definitions differ by region and market segment. For example:
- US listings often dominate global trending pages due to investor focus and liquidity.
- Small-cap names trend differently than mega-caps — small-caps can move fast on low volume; mega-caps need larger flows to trend.
- Crypto tokens show 24/7 activity and different social dynamics; on-chain metrics (transaction counts, wallet growth) become more relevant there.
Tools, dashboards and APIs
To answer "what stocks are trending" you can use a combination of public dashboards and programmatic tools.
- Finance portals: trending/gainers/most-active pages for fast checks.
- Social sentiment streams: monitor message volume and sentiment scoring.
- Broker and exchange APIs: pull most-active and options-flow endpoints for automated systems.
For traders using tokenized products or crypto-adjacent exposure, Bitget offers a trading interface and Bitget Wallet to track token activity and tokenized asset flows alongside equities tracking tools.
Examples of data endpoints and widgets
Many platforms offer embeddable widgets and endpoints that refresh frequently. If you automate "what stocks are trending" detection, look for endpoints that provide:
- Real-time volume and quote data
- Pageviews or attention metrics (where available)
- Options unusual activity feeds
- Social-sentiment APIs
Limitations, risks and regulatory/ethical considerations
Trending metrics have limitations: sampling bias (retail-heavy audiences), ephemeral bursts, and platform-specific artifacts. Additional considerations:
- Manipulation risk: coordinated campaigns can fabricate trending status.
- Market microstructure: thinly traded stocks are more easily moved by small orders.
- Regulatory obligations: insider trading rules and short-sale disclosures still apply. Do not rely on trending lists to trade on non-public information.
Historical examples and case studies
Trending metrics have played large roles in well-known episodes where retail attention and social narratives produced outsized moves. Neutral examples include:
- Meme-stock phases where social message volume and options flow preceded extreme price swings.
- Sector-level rallies (e.g., semiconductor equipment and AI-related stocks) that appeared on trending lists after major corporate outlooks and earnings.
These case studies show how trending signals can highlight both risk and opportunity — but they do not replace disciplined analysis.
Practical step-by-step guide to find trending stocks (quick workflow)
- Start with a trending list (pageviews, most-active, or top-gainers) to answer the immediate "what stocks are trending" question.
- Verify the catalyst: look for press releases, earnings, analyst notes or SEC filings that explain the move.
- Confirm volume and relative volume: ensure trading activity justifies the trend.
- Check float, institutional ownership and short interest to understand structural drivers.
- Scan social sentiment and filter for bots or coordinated posts.
- Decide your time horizon and set risk controls (position size, stop-loss, exit plan).
- Monitor execution and be ready to adjust if the trend fades or reverses.
This workflow helps convert a raw answer to "what stocks are trending" into an actionable, disciplined review.
Current market context (news snapshot)
As of January 9, 2026, market coverage noted a recovery in US equities at the open driven by a stronger outlook from a major semiconductor manufacturer; that update lifted chip-related names and helped the Nasdaq regain ground. Large-bank earnings and record asset figures for some asset managers also surfaced as catalysts for trending tickers in premarket and intraday lists. These sector catalysts illustrated how corporate outlooks and quarterly results often show up immediately on the pages users consult when asking "what stocks are trending."
Quantifiable market signals reported in mid-January 2026 included above-average premarket moves in several chip-equipment suppliers and select bank & asset-manager shares, reflecting both earnings beats and forward guidance. These moves created high pageview and volume spikes across multiple major finance portals on that date.
(Sources for this snapshot: market reports and press coverage available on major financial news portals as of January 9, 2026.)
See also
- Momentum trading
- Market microstructure
- Social trading and sentiment
- Most active stocks
- Gainers & losers
- Crypto trending tokens
References and further reading
- Yahoo Finance — Trending tickers / Most Active / Gainers (finance portals and daily lists)
- Investing.com — Trending Stocks algorithmic overview and lists
- StockAnalysis — Today's Top Trending Stocks (pageviews-driven lists)
- Stocktwits — Trending symbols and sentiment streams
- StatMuse — Trending stocks by search interest
- Market reports and news coverage on January 9, 2026 (news portals and market briefs)
Appendix: Glossary
- Pageviews: the number of times a ticker or company page is viewed on a website.
- Relative volume (RVOL): today's trading volume compared with a typical volume for the same time period.
- Short interest: percent of a stock's float that has been sold short.
- Float: number of shares available for public trading.
- Trending score: a composite metric combining multiple signals to rank tickers.
- Social sentiment: a quantified measure of positive/negative tone in social messages about a ticker.
How Bitget can help you track trending names
If you want one platform to follow trending tokens and tokenized products, Bitget’s trading interface and Bitget Wallet are useful for continuous monitoring and execution. Bitget provides market data, alerts, and a secure wallet to track token flows alongside your research into equities that answer "what stocks are trending." For traders who combine crypto and equities research, keeping watchlists synchronized between your trading venue and wallet reduces friction when moving between asset types.
Further explore Bitget tools to create alerts and watchlists that reflect the multi-signal workflow described here.
Final notes — action and next steps
Use trending lists to spot ideas, not as standalone trade triggers. When answering "what stocks are trending," combine pageviews, volume, price moves, options flow and social signals, verify the news catalyst, and align any trade with clear risk controls and a defined time horizon. To track trends across both equities and tokenized markets, consider consolidating alerts and watchlists in a single, secure platform such as Bitget and using Bitget Wallet to manage on-chain exposure.
Further exploration: create a watchlist today that includes a pageview-driven trending list, a volume-based most-active list, and one social-sentiment feed to compare how each source answers the question "what stocks are trending" in real time.
