Price tells you where a stock is. Volume tells you how many people care. When a stock suddenly trades several times its normal volume, something is usually going on: news, an earnings reaction, an index change, or a big buyer or seller. A volume spike alert tells you the day it happens instead of the day after.
What "3x average volume" actually means
Most volume spike alerts compare today's volume with the stock's average daily volume over a lookback window, often 20 trading days. If a stock normally trades 2 million shares a day and today it has traded 6 million, it's at 3x. In Triggerly, the Volume Spike alert fires when volume exceeds the 20-day average by the multiple you choose: 2x, 3x, 5x or 10x.
Choosing the multiple
- 2x: sensitive. Good for large, steady stocks where even double volume is unusual. Expect more alerts.
- 3x: a sensible default for most watchlists.
- 5x: rare, meaningful events. Good for stocks you own but don't trade often.
- 10x: very rare. Usually big news, a takeover, or a small stock getting discovered.
Small, thinly traded stocks hit 2x all the time, so use a higher multiple there. For mega-caps, 2x is already a story.
Volume Spike vs Volume Above
Triggerly has two volume alerts. Volume Spike is relative: a multiple of the 20-day average, so it adapts to each stock. Volume Above is absolute: a fixed share count you pick. Relative works better across a whole watchlist. Absolute is handy when you know the exact level that matters for one stock.
Cut false alarms with a combined alert
Heavy volume on a down day and heavy volume on a breakout mean different things. Combined Alerts let you require several conditions at once, for example:
- Volume Spike 3x and price above your breakout level
- Volume Spike 3x and a percent move of at least 4% from the prior close
- Volume Spike 2x and price crossing above the 50-day moving average
- Volume Spike 3x and a new 52-week high
You get one notification when the full setup lines up, not three separate pings.
What to do when it fires
Read before you react. In Triggerly, open the triggered alert to see the rule, the trigger price and a chart, then Alert Analysis for AI-written context on what likely caused the move. Unusual volume is a reason to look, not a reason to buy.
FAQ
What is a volume spike alert?
A notification that fires when a stock's trading volume rises well above its normal level, usually measured as a multiple of its average daily volume over the last 20 trading days.
What multiple should I use?
3x is a good default. Use 2x for large, steady stocks and 5x or higher for small or volatile stocks that often trade in bursts.
Can I get volume alerts for free?
Yes. Triggerly's Volume Spike and Volume Above alerts are free on Android, with no ads.
Triggerly guides are for education only. Not investment advice.
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