First Candle Volume Break
The latest completed candle out-trades the first candle of the session (09:15 bar on 5m / 15m / 1h; the month's first trading day on 1d) AND runs at 3x or more of the stock's own typical volume for that time of day - a genuine surge of buying or selling interest, not just a heavy open. Volume has no direction: read the candle colour and close. Back-test (5m and 15m, 14 months): in the following hour these stocks moved on average about 20-30% more than their own normal move at that time of day, but the typical stock moved about the same and direction was not predictable. On 1d, today's volume builds through the session, so the list is most reliable after 3:15 PM.
About This Scan
The opening candle carries the day's first burst of orders, so its volume becomes the benchmark traders watch. A later candle that out-trades it signals fresh participation - but because opening candles are always heavy, this scan adds a second test: the candle must also run at 3x or more of that stock's own typical volume for the same time of day over the last 20 sessions. Only stocks passing both tests are listed, so the result is a genuine surge of buying or selling interest rather than a routine busy open. On the daily interval the benchmark is the first trading day of the month and the typical volume is the 20-day average. Today's daily volume builds through the session, so the daily list is most reliable after 3:15 PM.
Scan Rules
Stock passes all of the below filters in the ALL segment using 5M candles:
- 1.Volume Vs First Candle greater than 1
- 2.Volume vs Same-Time Average (x) greater than or equal to 3
- 3.Traded Value (Rs lakh) greater than or equal to 500
How To Use This Scan
- •Volume has no direction - read the candle colour and where it closed in its range to see whether buyers or sellers drove the surge.
- •In our 14-month back-test (5m and 15m), the hour after these candles saw moves about 20-30% larger on average than the same stock's normal move at that time of day, but the typical stock moved about the same and direction was not predictable - treat the list as an attention radar, not a buy or sell signal.
- •Sort by Latest Vol / Typical Vol: the higher the multiple, the more unusual the activity. Switch to 5m, 15m or 1h to match your trading speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is first candle volume break?
It is a candle whose traded volume exceeds the volume of the first candle of the session. The first candle is the benchmark; exceeding it shows buying or selling interest is now larger than at the open.
Why also require 3x typical volume?
Opening candles are naturally the heaviest of the day, so many stocks exceed them in thin names or on quiet days. Requiring 3x the stock's own usual volume for that time slot removes routine activity and keeps genuine surges.
Is a volume break bullish or bearish?
Volume itself has no direction. Check the candle colour and where it closes relative to the day's range. In back-testing, simply following the direction of the volume candle until the close did not produce a consistent edge.