Help/Cookbook

Oversold Bounce Strategy

Catch potential reversals in quality stocks that have been sold off too far.

What It Detects

Stocks that are:

  • Oversold (RSI below 30)
  • Still in long-term uptrend (above 200-day MA)
  • Large enough to be liquid (market cap > $1B)
  • Potentially ready for a bounce back

The Formula

rsi(14) < 30 and c > sma(200) and f.market_cap > 1B

How It Works

  1. rsi(14) < 30 - RSI below 30 indicates oversold conditions
  2. c > sma(200) - Price still above 200-day MA (long-term uptrend intact)
  3. f.market_cap > 1B - Large cap stocks with liquidity

When to Use

Best for:

  • Bull markets with normal pullbacks
  • Mean reversion trading (hold 3-10 days)
  • Quality stocks temporarily beaten down
  • Risk-defined entries

Avoid when:

  • Bear market (catching falling knives)
  • Stocks breaking long-term support
  • Fundamental deterioration
  • Low volume (can't exit easily)

Parameters You Can Tweak

Very Oversold (Extreme)

rsi(14) < 25 and c > sma(200) and f.market_cap > 2B
  • More extreme oversold level (RSI < 25)
  • Larger caps only for safety

Earlier Entry

rsi(14) < 35 and c > sma(200) and f.market_cap > 1B and c > sma(50)
  • Less oversold (RSI < 35) catches bounces earlier
  • Adds 50-day MA filter for shorter-term uptrend

Add Volume Confirmation

rsi(14) < 30 and c > sma(200) and f.market_cap > 1B and v < sma(v, 20)
  • Low volume on selloff (exhaustion)
  • Wait for volume spike on bounce day for entry

Example Columns to Add

Price: c
RSI: rsi(14)
200MA: sma(200)
Distance from 200MA: (c - sma(200)) / sma(200) * 100
Chg%: roc(1)
Vol vs Avg: v / sma(v, 20)

Entry Strategies

Conservative (Confirmation)

Wait for:

  1. RSI < 30 (scan finds it)
  2. Volume spike day (accumulation)
  3. RSI turns up (> 35)
  4. Enter on first green day

Aggressive (Earlier)

  1. RSI < 30 (scan finds it)
  2. Price tests key support level
  3. Enter immediately with tight stop

Exit Strategies

Take Profits:

  • RSI reaches 50-55 (neutral)
  • Price returns to 20-day MA
  • 3-5% gain (typical bounce range)

Stop Loss:

  • Price breaks below recent low
  • RSI makes new low below 25
  • 3-4% below entry

What to Watch For

Strong signals:

  • Clean downtrend channel (orderly pullback)
  • Holding key support levels
  • Low volume on decline (no panic)
  • Overall market stable or up

Warning signs:

  • Breaking 200-day MA
  • Accelerating decline
  • High volume selling (distribution)
  • Negative news/fundamentals

Common Mistakes

  1. Fighting the trend - Only trade oversold in uptrends
  2. No stop loss - "Oversold" can get more oversold
  3. Holding too long - Take profits at RSI 50-55
  4. Ignoring volume - Need volume confirmation for bounce
  5. Averaging down - Don't add if first position fails

Variations

Quality Filter

rsi(14) < 30 and c > sma(200) and f.market_cap > 5B and f.pe > 0 and f.pe < 30

Adds P/E ratio filter for profitable, reasonably valued stocks

Short-term Bounce

rsi(5) < 20 and rsi(14) < 35 and c > sma(50)

Uses 5-period RSI for very short-term (1-3 day) bounces

Related Strategies

  • Momentum Breakout - Opposite approach (trend following)
  • Volume Spike - Confirm entry with volume
  • MACD Crossover - Additional momentum confirmation

Pro Tips

  • Best time: End of day scans, enter next morning
  • Market context: Works best when SPY is also oversold but holding support
  • Size smaller: Mean reversion has lower win rate than trend following
  • Set alerts: Get notified when RSI turns up from oversold
  • Chart patterns: Look for bullish divergence (price lower low, RSI higher low)
On this page
What It DetectsThe FormulaHow It WorksWhen to UseParameters You Can TweakVery Oversold (Extreme)Earlier EntryAdd Volume ConfirmationExample Columns to AddEntry StrategiesConservative (Confirmation)Aggressive (Earlier)Exit StrategiesWhat to Watch ForCommon MistakesVariationsQuality FilterShort-term BounceRelated StrategiesPro Tips
Previous
Momentum Breakout Strategy
Next
Volume Spike Alert

Was this article helpful? Let us know