Small cap activity before the bell

Every trading day at 9:05 AM ET Momo Meter counts its momentum alerts since 4:00 AM and places that number among the last 60 trading days at the same minute. The reading runs from Silent (the bottom fifth of mornings) to On fire (the top fifth). It says how much is moving in small caps before the open, not which way the day will go.

SILENTQUIETNORMALBUSYON FIREQUIETQuieter than 79% of mornings
Thursday, October 22, 2026, 9:05 AM ET

54 momentum alerts on 16 names before 9:05 AM ET, against a normal 72 (quiet days 54, busy days 91) over the last 60 trading days. Today reads Quiet: quieter than 79% of those mornings. Biggest mover before the bell: PFSA, up 77% from the previous close.

Every morning

DayReadingAlertsNamesPercentile
Oct 22, 2026Quiet541621
Oct 21, 2026Quiet571422
Oct 20, 2026Normal691940
Oct 19, 2026Silent491912
Oct 16, 2026Quiet612027
Oct 15, 2026Quiet592722
Oct 14, 2026Busy892470
Oct 13, 2026Quiet672032
Oct 12, 2026Normal742243
Oct 9, 2026Silent451412
Oct 8, 2026Quiet702336
Oct 7, 2026Normal772244
Oct 6, 2026Normal823154
Oct 5, 2026Quiet712538
Oct 2, 2026Quiet662032
Oct 1, 2026Silent39184
Sep 30, 2026Quiet712735
Sep 29, 2026Silent512412
Sep 28, 2026Silent542315
Sep 25, 2026Quiet612221
Sep 24, 2026Quiet732530
Sep 23, 2026Quiet782733
Sep 22, 2026Quiet622122
Sep 21, 2026Quiet812235
Sep 18, 2026Quiet772830
Sep 17, 2026Normal872446
Sep 16, 2026Quiet682224
Sep 15, 2026Silent38141
Sep 14, 2026Silent582013
Sep 11, 2026Silent44158
Sep 10, 2026Silent602217
Sep 9, 2026Silent41195
Sep 8, 2026Silent39173
Sep 4, 2026Silent38142
Sep 3, 2026Silent53208
Sep 2, 2026Silent51226
Sep 1, 2026Silent51215
Aug 31, 2026Silent61217
Aug 28, 2026Silent64197
Aug 27, 2026Silent812216
Aug 26, 2026Normal912940
Aug 25, 2026Busy1002461
Aug 24, 2026Silent70218
Aug 21, 2026Quiet902733
Aug 20, 2026Silent832718
Aug 19, 2026Quiet852221
Aug 18, 2026Quiet932337
Aug 17, 2026Quiet913033
Aug 14, 2026Normal1002750
Aug 13, 2026Normal952940
Aug 12, 2026Quiet872423
Aug 11, 2026Silent812513
Aug 10, 2026Normal1082955
Aug 7, 2026Busy1352773
Aug 6, 2026Busy1271870
Aug 5, 2026Quiet911930
Aug 4, 2026Quiet943035
Aug 3, 2026Busy1222865
Jul 31, 2026Busy1162062
Jul 30, 2026Quiet911732
Jul 29, 2026Quiet901630
Jul 28, 2026Quiet862025
Jul 27, 2026Quiet942038
Jul 24, 2026Silent751815
Jul 23, 2026Quiet831624
Jul 22, 2026Normal1012550
Jul 21, 2026Quiet821823
Jul 20, 2026Quiet802323
Jul 17, 2026Silent591410
Jul 16, 2026Silent43177
Jul 15, 2026Normal992450

Questions

How is the reading computed?

Momo Meter counts the momentum alerts it fired between 4:00 AM and 9:05 AM ET, then ranks that count against the same window on each of the last 60 trading days. The percentile sets the word: Silent for the bottom fifth, then Quiet, Normal, Busy, and On fire for the top fifth.

What counts as an alert?

Momentum alerts on small caps: breakouts, reversals, curls and the other families on the alert card. Trading halts are not counted. One stock can fire several alerts in a morning, so the page also shows how many different names were involved.

Why 9:05 AM?

Five minutes after the open the premarket session is complete and the first minutes of regular trading are in. The same cutoff every day keeps the comparison fair.

Does a busy reading mean a good day to trade?

It means there is more movement than usual, in both directions. Busy mornings bring opportunity and risk together; quiet mornings bring fewer setups and thinner trading. It is context, not a signal.

Is the history available?

Yes. The table on this page lists the reading for each trading day with the alert count and the percentile, and the gauge itself is posted every morning on Momo Meter's social accounts.