How to read a squeeze score
5 min read
Every card on the Squeeze Radar carries a score from 0 to 100 and three price levels. This is what they mean and, more usefully, what they do not mean.
The score is pressure, not a prediction
The score answers one question: how much upward pressure is built into this name if it starts moving? It blends how crowded the short side is, how expensive the stock is to borrow, how tight the float is, how much volume is showing up relative to normal, and how the price is behaving near its recent range.
A high score does not mean the stock will go up. It means that if it goes up, the move has fuel behind it. A 90 that is sitting well below its breakout level is not a trade — it is a name to watch.
The three levels
Each setup carries three prices, and the order you read them in matters.
- Breakout — the price the stock has to clear for the setup to be live. Above it, shorts start feeling it.
- Give up below — the level that says the idea is wrong. Below it, the setup is done, regardless of how good the score looked.
- Stretch target — an optimistic level based on where the move could run if the squeeze actually plays out. It is a ceiling to plan around, not an expectation.
Awaiting breakout vs. triggered
A setup sitting under its breakout price is labelled awaiting breakout. Nothing has happened yet. Most names in that state never trigger, and that is normal.
Once price clears the breakout level and holds above the give-up line, the setup is triggered and moves to the top of the board. That is the moment the pressure the score measured can actually be released.
Watch for the in-between case: a stock that cleared the level and then slipped back under it. That is a failed trigger, and it is usually worse than never having triggered at all.
Setup styles
Triggered setups also carry a style badge — swing, scalp, momentum or starter. It is a read on how the move is behaving, not a separate ranking. A scalp label means the move is fast and thin and unlikely to give you time to think; a swing label means the structure supports holding for days.
Common questions
Is a higher score always better?
No. A 95 that is nowhere near its breakout level is less actionable than a 70 that just cleared one. Score tells you the fuel; the levels tell you the timing.
How often does the score update?
The scanner re-runs every five minutes on weekdays between 4:00am and 8:00pm ET. The last run is stamped at the top of the page.
More guides
A short squeeze in plain English: why a stock can rip higher when the people betting against it are forced to buy back.
The signs that selling is exhausted, the difference between a base and a falling knife, and how to wait for confirmation instead of guessing.
What RSI actually measures, why 'oversold' is not a buy signal, and the two ways experienced traders really use it.
Note: educational content only, not investment advice. Only invest money you can afford to lose.