can slim stock list guide

CAN SLIM stock list

A can slim stock list is a curated group of equities that meet the CAN SLIM criteria — William J. O’Neil’s growth-investing framework — typically produced by screeners, editorial model portfolios, or research services. This article explains what a can slim stock list is, how such lists are built and maintained, the common quantitative and technical filters used, and how traders and investors typically apply these lists in practice. This discussion concerns equity (stock) screening and selection, not cryptocurrencies or tokens.

As of 2026-01-21, according to Investor’s Business Daily reporting, CANSLIM remains widely referenced in growth-investing communities and is implemented by multiple screeners and research services. The sections below draw from primary sources (William O’Neil and Investor’s Business Daily) and practical screener guides to give a reliable, step-by-step treatment of can slim stock list construction and use.

Origin and history

The CAN SLIM system was developed by William J. O’Neil and published in his book "How to Make Money in Stocks." The method was popularized through Investor’s Business Daily (IBD), the research tools MarketSmith, and editorial stock lists that track growth leaders and breakout candidates.

When introduced, CAN SLIM combined fundamental growth metrics with price and volume-based technical filters — an approach that stood apart from purely value or purely technical systems. Over decades, the method evolved: screeners automated many of the numeric rules, chart platforms standardized base/breakout definitions, and research services published CANSLIM-style model portfolios and watchlists.

Today, a can slim stock list can be produced by algorithmic screeners, editorial teams (e.g., IBD-style lists), or hybrid tools (screen + manual chart review). Modern implementations sometimes adapt thresholds and add metrics like relative strength (RS) quantiles, institutional transaction flows, and liquidity constraints to improve practical applicability.

The CAN SLIM acronym — overview

CAN SLIM is an acronym representing seven screening dimensions. Each letter stands for a criterion or group of signals that together aim to identify high-probability growth stocks. The framework blends recent fundamental acceleration with multi-year growth, new catalysts, supply/demand dynamics, leadership, institutional interest, and market direction:

• C — Current quarterly earnings
• A — Annual earnings growth
• N — New product, management, or new price highs (catalyst)
• S — Supply and demand (shares outstanding, float, volume)
• L — Leader or laggard (relative strength)
• I — Institutional sponsorship
• M — Market direction (overall market trend)

A can slim stock list typically requires that a stock meet several of these dimensions before inclusion. The combined approach helps filter for growth names that also show technical confirmation.

C — Current quarterly earnings

The "C" focuses on recent quarterly performance. CAN SLIM emphasizes strong, accelerating quarterly earnings per share (EPS) and revenue growth, looking for upward inflection points rather than only long-run averages.

Practitioners commonly screen for year-over-year quarterly EPS growth in the range of 18%–25%+ for the most recent quarter, with multiple recent quarters showing acceleration. Sales (revenue) growth for the same quarter is also important: EPS without revenue strength can indicate margin expansion or one-time items rather than broad business momentum.

Why recent quarters matter: Quarterly acceleration signals that a company’s underlying business trend is improving now, which can drive new buying interest and justify price breakouts shown on charts.

A — Annual earnings

The "A" requires sustained annual earnings growth. CAN SLIM seeks multi-year EPS growth (typically 3–5 years) to demonstrate a consistent growth trajectory rather than a single-quarter spike.

Common practitioner thresholds include 25%+ annual EPS growth averaged over 3–5 years, although some services allow lower thresholds for smaller-cap or emerging sector names. Complementary quality metrics — such as return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA) — are used to judge earnings durability and efficiency.

Annual growth provides context: good quarterly numbers are more meaningful when they occur on top of healthy multi-year expansion.

N — New (product/management/highs)

"N" stands for new catalysts. That can be a new product, a strategic pivot, new management, or a technical "new high" — specifically, a break above a well-constructed base or a new 52-week high.

CAN SLIM places importance on stocks that are making fresh technical patterns (flat base, cup-with-handle, double bottom) and breaking out on higher volume. A tangible new fundamental catalyst (e.g., product launch, strong guidance, merger announcement) often aligns with chart breakouts and supports durable rallies.

S — Supply and demand

Supply and demand dynamics are central to CAN SLIM. The letter "S" prompts screening for favorable supply conditions (limited shares outstanding and low float) combined with rising demand (increased trading volume).

Why this matters: Stocks with smaller floats can respond more strongly to buying pressure; rising volume on breakouts confirms demand. CAN SLIM lists often exclude heavily diluted issues or those with excessive share creation that might cap upside.

Key supply/demand checks include float size, recent volume spikes, and insider selling trends.

L — Leader or laggard (relative strength)

The "L" favors industry leaders. CAN SLIM uses relative strength (RS) comparisons to rank stocks against peers and the broader market.

Investors often prefer leaders with high RS scores/lines because they tend to outperform during bullish stretches. In practical screeners, an RS rank or percentile cutoff helps include leaders and exclude laggards.

Relative strength is both a screening metric and a monitoring tool to confirm an existing uptrend.

I — Institutional sponsorship

Institutional sponsorship refers to ownership by mutual funds, pension plans, and other large investors. CAN SLIM looks for selective institutional participation — ideally several reputable sponsors that buy into a company's story without locking up shares to the point of depressed secondary demand.

Institutional buying can be a validating signal, but CAN SLIM also warns against bloated locked-up positions or highly concentrated holdings that may limit supply to the market.

Screeners often check for the number of institutional holders, the trend in holdings over recent quarters, and notable sponsor changes.

M — Market direction

The final letter, "M," emphasizes market direction. CAN SLIM stresses that even the best individual stocks struggle when the overall market is weak.

Practical implementations use major indices, IBD market posture indicators, or moving-average overlays to determine whether the market environment favors buying. Many CAN SLIM-based strategies require market confirmation (e.g., major indices above 50-day/200-day moving averages) before initiating new positions.

Typical quantitative screening rules for a CAN SLIM stock list

Public screeners and model portfolios translate CAN SLIM into numeric filters. The following are common thresholds and filters that appear in many can slim stock list recipes. Thresholds vary among services; this is an illustrative summary.

• Quarterly EPS growth (most recent quarter, YoY): >= 18%–25%.
• Quarterly sales/revenue growth (same quarter, YoY): positive and typically >= 15%–20%.
• Annual EPS growth (3–5 year average): >= 20%–30%.
• Relative Strength (RS) score/rank: often >= 70–80 (percentile) or RS line trending upward.
• Price proximity to 52-week high: within 15% of 52-week high or breaking out above base.
• Minimum average daily volume: commonly >= 250k–500k shares for liquidity; institutional lists often use higher thresholds.
• Market capitalization: many CAN SLIM lists focus on mid- to large-cap leaders but can include small-caps with strong volumes. Typical cutoffs vary (e.g., > $300M market cap), depending on the screener.
• Float and shares outstanding: preference for moderate or low float relative to market cap; avoid names with heavy dilution.
• Institutional sponsorship: presence of several institutional holders and upward trend in recent quarters.

These rules form the initial quantitative screen; they are intentionally selective, so only a small percentage of the stock universe typically passes.

Technical criteria and chart patterns used in CAN SLIM lists

After the quantitative screen, CAN SLIM relies heavily on chart patterns and technical confirmation. Key technical elements used when finalizing a can slim stock list include:

• Base types: flat base, cup-with-handle, double-bottom base, consolidation patterns that meet specific price and time criteria.
• Breakout rules: buying on a confirmed breakout above a base or handle with above-average volume; some traders use a 5%–7% price confirmation or a successful early entry near the handle's pivot.
• Entry points: entries near the pivot of a valid base are preferred; buying far above a breakout is discouraged.
• Relative Strength line: an RS line that is rising or at a high percentile supports a leadership bias.
• Volume confirmation: breakout accompanied by volume at least 1.5x–2x the stock’s normal daily volume is preferred.
• Price/Moving Average behavior: many practitioners prefer stocks above short- and medium-term averages (e.g., above the 21-day and 50-day moving averages) at breakout.

Chart interpretation remains partially subjective; CAN SLIM users typically perform manual chart reviews to verify base validity, breakout context, and market correlation.

How CAN SLIM stock lists are produced — methodology

A typical workflow to produce a can slim stock list moves from broad quantitative filters to focused technical and institutional review:

1. Apply fundamental filters: quarterly EPS and sales growth thresholds, multi-year EPS growth, ROE/ROA minimums.
2. Apply liquidity and float filters: minimum average daily volume, market-cap cutoff, float limits.
3. Rank by relative strength and recent price position: RS percentile, proximity to 52-week high.
4. Run technical screens: base type detection, price consolidation length, breakout triggers.
5. Review institutional data: number and trend of institutional holders, filings and ownership disclosures.
6. Verify market timing: ensure overall market posture supports buying (major indices and IBD-like signals).
7. Manual chart review: validate base, volume behavior, and risk-reward before final inclusion.

Because of the manual chart check, only a small share of the initial universe becomes a published can slim stock list. Many providers report pass rates of only a few percent of stocks screened.

Popular screeners, services and sample lists

Several tools and services publish CAN SLIM-style lists or provide prebuilt screens. Notable options include:

• Investor’s Business Daily (IBD): the canonical source for CANSLIM methodology and editorial watchlists. IBD publishes daily lists and CANSLIM-select model portfolios that implement O’Neil’s rules.

• MarketSmith: IBD’s charting and research platform that implements CANSLIM concepts with model portfolios and screening tools.

• SlimScan and modern CAN SLIM tools: AI-enhanced or algorithmic implementations that automate both numeric and chart-detection rules.

• ChartMill, TrendSpider, Deepvue: charting and screener platforms that offer CANSLIM guides or premade filters to reproduce many of the method’s steps.

• Community and regional screeners: local-market screeners (example implementations on regional platforms) adapt CAN SLIM filters for local exchanges.

Many independent research sites and quant tools provide example can slim stock list templates or allow users to save custom CAN SLIM-style screens.

Example model portfolios and sample stock lists

Published CAN SLIM model portfolios and watchlists typically include:

• Buy baskets: a small set (5–15) of current high-conviction names that recently broke out on strong volume.
• Watchlists: stocks forming bases or approaching pivot points for possible future inclusion.
• Current holdings: a list of active positions with buy price, position weight, and performance tracking.

These lists are updated frequently (daily to weekly) to reflect earnings releases, new breakouts, and market posture changes. Because CAN SLIM is sensitive to market timing and recent data, active list maintenance is common.

Practical guidance for using a CAN SLIM stock list

A can slim stock list is a starting point, not an automated buy signal. Best-practice steps when using such a list include:

• Verify the breakout on the actual chart: confirm base validity, pivot level, and volume confirmation.
• Align with market direction: prefer initiating positions when the broad market supports new buys (market "M" confirmed).
• Use position sizing and predefined stop-loss rules to control risk; never allocate more than your plan allows to a single name.
• Monitor institutional buying and insider activity after entry; follow-through buying increases reliability of a breakout.
• Avoid mechanical over-reliance on the list: perform manual checks such as earnings-quality screening and news/catalyst verification.

A can slim stock list helps narrow attention to probable leaders, but human review remains important for timing and risk control.

Risk management and sell/distribution rules

CAN SLIM includes detailed exit and distribution rules. Common elements of CAN SLIM-oriented sell discipline are:

• Cut losses quickly: set a stop loss (commonly 7%–8% below buy price for early entries) to limit downside.
• Trim on weakness: if a stock shows distribution (heavy selling volume) or fails to hold a breakout, reduce size.
• Take profits in stages: gradually trim positions as stocks appreciate significantly to lock in gains.
• Sell on market weakness: broadly negative market posture often triggers defensive selling across holdings.
• Reassess after large moves: after a 50%+ advance, reconsider allocation and the validity of the growth story and technicals.

These rules aim to protect capital and manage psychological risk in fast-moving growth portfolios.

Performance, advantages and criticisms

CAN SLIM proponents point to historical outperformance for growth leaders found by the method. Strengths of the approach include:

• Combined fundamentals and technicals: aligns earnings momentum with price confirmation.
• Focus on leadership: relative strength and institutional interest tend to favor winners.
• Clear, repeatable screening steps: actionable filters that can be automated.

Common criticisms and risks include:

• Higher volatility: CAN SLIM stocks are often high-growth names that can be volatile.
• Frequent turnover and transaction costs: active monitoring and regular trades increase turnover.
• Market-timing sensitivity: strong performance often depends on being in the market at the right time.
• Survivorship and sample bias in historical studies: backtests that ignore delisted or failed names can overstate returns.

Neutral users weigh these factors, apply risk controls, and recognize CAN SLIM is one of many systematic approaches rather than a guaranteed path to outperformance.

Modern adaptations and variations

Since O’Neil’s original formulation, practitioners have adapted CAN SLIM to modern data and tools. Notable adaptations include:

• AI and machine-learning enhancements (e.g., SlimScan) that automate both numeric and pattern recognition tasks.
• Custom threshold tuning by sector or market-cap group to account for different growth dynamics.
• International adaptations that remap CAN SLIM metrics for local accounting standards and liquidity norms.
• Integration with algorithmic platforms for automated alerts and portfolio rebalancing.

These adaptations keep the core philosophy (earnings acceleration + price confirmation) but modernize implementation.

Tools, resources and further reading

For those seeking can slim stock list tools or learn more about the methodology, consider the following resources:

• William J. O’Neil’s book "How to Make Money in Stocks" and Investor’s Business Daily educational material.
• MarketSmith and other charting platforms that implement CAN SLIM concepts.
• Screener utilities (ChartMill, TrendSpider, Deepvue) that provide CAN SLIM-style templates.
• AI-enhanced tools such as SlimScan for automated CAN SLIM filtering and pattern detection.

For investors who are also active in crypto and Web3, note that CAN SLIM is designed for equities; on-chain or token metrics require different screening frameworks. If working with Web3 wallets, prefer Bitget Wallet for self-custody and seamless access to Bitget’s ecosystem tools.

See also

• Growth investing
• Technical analysis
• Relative strength (RS)
• Stock screeners
• Investor’s Business Daily (CANSLIM origin)

References and source notes

This article draws on primary and secondary sources including William O’Neil and Investor’s Business Daily (CANSLIM Select), Investopedia overviews of CANSLIM, ChartMill and Deepvue CANSLIM guides, TrendSpider implementation articles, AAII discussions on growth screening, and modern screener tools (SlimScan, MarketSmith). As of 2026-01-21, the CANSLIM framework continues to be actively covered and implemented by these services.

Sources consulted (selection): Investor’s Business Daily (IBD), MarketSmith, Investopedia, ChartMill, TrendSpider, Deepvue, SlimScan. As of 2026-01-21, according to Investor’s Business Daily reporting, CANSLIM-based lists and tools remain in common use among growth investors.

Appendix A: Example CAN SLIM screening template

The following is an illustrative CAN SLIM screening template. It is an example only and should be adapted to specific markets and risk profiles.

• Most recent quarter EPS YoY >= 25% (minimum)
• Most recent quarter revenue YoY >= 20%
• Annual EPS growth (3–5 years average) >= 25%
• RS score >= 80 (percentile)
• Price within 15% of 52-week high or breaking out from a valid base
• Average daily volume >= 300k shares
• Market cap >= $300M (adjust by market)
• Institutional holders: at least 3 and trending up over recent quarters
• Float: moderate or low relative to market cap; avoid heavy dilution

Note: This template is illustrative. Practical users adjust thresholds by sector, country, and liquidity conditions.

Appendix B: Glossary

• EPS (Earnings Per Share): Net income divided by shares outstanding; a basic profitability measure.
• RS (Relative Strength): A measure comparing a stock’s price performance to a benchmark or universe.
• Base: A period of price consolidation that can form the foundation for a breakout.
• Breakout: Price movement above a defined pivot or resistance, often with volume confirmation.
• Float: Shares available for public trading; excludes restricted/insider-held shares.
• Institutional sponsorship: Ownership by funds, pension plans, and other large investors.
• Market posture: The overall direction or health of the broad market.

Further reading and tool exploration can help investors translate a can slim stock list into practical watchlists and model portfolios.

Further exploration: if you want an example screen run or a downloadable can slim stock list template adapted to a specific market segment, I can prepare a sample filter set and watchlist rules. For Web3-related tooling, consider Bitget Wallet to manage cross-product workflows when exploring tokenized or synthetic equity-like products, though remember that CAN SLIM applies to equities, not tokens.