Published: April 17, 2026.

Last Update: May 6, 2026.

Top Signals Overview

Top Signals is the first tab on the Signals page (in the top navigation bar).

Screenshot taken from a Platinum test account on May 6, 2026.

This tab displays the top-rated signals, ranked by our Quality Score, to help you quickly identify potential trading opportunities. Other criteria ensure you are viewing the best of the best Signals.

Top Signals are updated each evening, so they're ready for you to review the next morning.

Columns Overview

When reviewing signals, you'll see several columns that provide insight into each opportunity. The first columns displayed include:

• Ticker – The stock symbol for each signal
• Signal Outlook – Indicates whether the signal is bullish or bearish.
• Category – The type of signal (e.g., Pivot, Sprint, Sequence). For more details, see the Rule Playbook.
• Entry/Exit Rule – Defines when a trade is triggered and when it closes. For more details, see the Rule Playbook.
• Quality Score – A ranking that evaluates the strength of the signal.

Understanding the Quality Score

The Quality Score is a composite rating (0–100) that helps rank signals from strongest to weakest. The algorithm uses a two-step process powered by machine learning:

1. Historical Performance (Looking Back)

We analyze how the signal has performed across past market conditions using:

• Win rate
• Average Gain
• Number of occurrences

The historical performance helps determine how reliable the signal has been over time.

2. Current Market Conditions (Looking Forward)

We then evaluate how well the signal is likely to perform right now.

For example, a signal with an 80% win rate may rank higher than one with a 100% win rate if current market conditions are more favorable.

The system evaluates a wide range of factors, including:

• Trend indicators (e.g., moving averages)
• Momentum indicators (e.g., RSI, MACD, ADX)
• Volatility metrics (e.g., ATR, Bollinger Band width)
• Market conditions (e.g., S&P 500 trends, VIX levels)

Using these inputs, the model ranks signals from:

• 0 = weakest opportunity
• 100 = strongest opportunity

Before we move to the other column headers, let's review the Alerts feature.

You can click the alert bell icon to the left of any ticker for which you want to be notified on the exit rule.

For example, the active alert (solid green bell) in the image below will notify us once the fixed profit of 6% is reached or after 21 trading days, whichever comes first.

To view the details of your Signals alert, go to the My Alerts tab. Here you can view open and closed alerts.

For more information on adding and managing your alerts, click here.

The first set of columns offers a helpful starting point, but you can explore additional columns to find the information that best fits your trading style and criteria.

For additional context, you can review the Accuracy Rate, Average Gain, Max Gain, Max Loss, Average Holding Time (calendar days), and Past Occurrences.

• Accuracy Rate – Percentage of past signals that were profitable
• Average Gain – Average return across all past signals (winners and losers)
• Max Gain – Best single result the signal produced
• Max Loss – Worst single result the signal produced
• Average Holding Time – the average number of calendar days the signal has stayed active before closing.
• Past Occurrences – Number of times this signal has appeared historically.
• • As a general guideline, aim for 20-300 past occurrences to find unique and rare signals.

The remaining columns include the Latest Close Price, Limit Price, Option Plays, Optional Stop Loss, Market Cap, and Sector.

• Latest Close Price – Most recent closing price
• Limit Price – Suggested “buy up to” price
• Option Plays – Suggested bullish or bearish options strategies (see Guide #3 for more details)
• Optional Stop Loss – A suggested trailing stop derived from our Volatility Quotient and scaled to the strategy's timeframe and current market conditions.
• Market Cap – Total value of the company (share price × shares outstanding)
• Sector – tells you what kind of business the company is in at a high level (useful for diversification)

Market Cap Ranges (Quick Reference)

• Mega-Cap ($200B+) – Very stable, slower growth
• Large-Cap ($10B–$200B) – Established, consistent performance
• Mid-Cap ($2B–$10B) – Growth potential with moderate risk
• Small-Cap ($300M–$2B) – Higher growth, higher volatility
• Micro-Cap ($50M–$300M) – High risk, lower liquidity
• Nano-Cap (<$50M) – Very high risk, highly speculative

You can click the Entry/Exit Rule, Past Occurrences, and Options Plays links within each column header to view more detailed information.

From the top-right corner of the Top Signals page, you also have the option to print the data or export it to a spreadsheet.

To explore a ticker and its Signals in greater depth, simply click the ticker symbol—this will take you directly to the Signals tab on the Asset Details page.

Need Help? 

Our Customer Success team is ready to assist: 

• Phone: 1-866-385-2076 (toll-free) 
• Email: [email protected] 

*Note—The tabs and features you see on your TradeSmith Finance site will vary based on your subscription(s) and subscription level(s).