“In the stock game, winning means reaching a higher price.” However, striking the right chord each time needs a fair amount of luck.

No matter how disciplined and systematic investors are, equity market volatility will always manage to get the better of them. While a few lucky ones rake in the moolah, others fall victim to ad hoc strategies.

One could resort to commonly used techniques to find beaten down stocks that have the potential to recover faster than others. However, even such investment choices bear the risk of disappointment. Particularly, one could fall into the value trap if the hidden weaknesses in selected stock are not identified.

So, wouldn’t it be a safer strategy to look for stocks that are winners currently and have the potential to gain further?

Sounds a good idea? Here is how to execute it:

One should primarily target stocks that have recently been on a bull run. Actually, stocks seeing price strength recently have a high chance of carrying the momentum forward.

If a stock is continuously witnessing an uptrend, there must be a solid reason or else it would have probably crashed. So, looking at stocks that are capable of beating the benchmark that they have set for themselves seems rational.

However, recent price strength alone cannot create the magic. Therefore, you need to set other relevant parameters to create a successful investment strategy.

Here’s how you should create the screen to shortlist the current as well as the potential winners.

Screening Parameters:

Percentage Change in Price (4 Weeks) greater than zero: This criterion shows that the stock has moved higher in the last four weeks.

Percentage Change Price (12 Weeks) greater than 10: This indicates that the stock has seen momentum over the last three months. This lowers the risk of choosing stocks that may have drawn attention due to the overwhelming performance of the overall market in a very short period.

Zacks Rank 1: No matter whether market conditions are good or bad, stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) have a proven history of outperformance. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Average Broker Rating 1: This indicates that brokers are also highly hopeful about the stock’s future performance.

Current Price greater than 5: The stocks must all be trading at a minimum of $5.

Current Price/ 52-Week High-Low Range more than 85%: This criterion filters stocks that are trading near their respective 52-week highs. It indicates that these are strong enough in terms of price.

Just these few criteria narrowed down the universe from over 7,700 stocks to just 11.

Here are five out of the 11 stocks:

PCM Inc. is a technology solutions provider to businesses, government and educational institutions and individual consumers. It offers technology products and solutions as well as consumer electronics equipment and other consumer products. The stock gained more than 87% in the last 12-weeks.

STAAR Surgical Co. (STAA Quick QuoteSTAA - Free Report) is a developer, manufacturer and global distributor of products used by ophthalmologists and other eye care professionals to improve or correct vision in patients suffering from refractive conditions, cataracts and glaucoma. The stock price has increased nearly 49.5% in the last 12-week period.

Verso Corp. produces coated freesheet, coated ground wood and uncoated super calendared papers and pulp. It serves to magazine and catalog publishers, commercial printers, specialty retail merchandisers and paper merchants. The stock price has moved up 37.3% in the last 12-week period.

Johnson Outdoors Inc. (JOUT Quick QuoteJOUT - Free Report) is a leading global outdoor recreation company that turns ideas into adventure with innovative, top-quality products. It designs, manufactures and markets a portfolio of consumer-preferred brands across four categories: Watercraft, Marine Electronics, Diving and Outdoor Equipment. The stock price has advanced nearly 35.9% in the last 12-weeks.

BioSpecifics Technologies Corp. is a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development of an injectable collagenase clostridium histolyticum for multiple indications in the United States and internationally. The stock price has moved up more than 20.9% in the last 12-week period.

You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.

The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.

Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.

Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.

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