52-Week High and Low

52-week highs and lows mark the year's price extremes. Learn why breakouts above the 52-week high tend to run and why 52-week-low breakdowns continue.

What is 52-Week High and Low?

52-Week High / Low levels are the highest and lowest prices a stock has traded over the trailing year. Breakouts above the 52-week high have no overhead supply (every shareholder is in profit), so resistance is thin. Breakdowns below the 52-week low have no nearby support and tend to attract continued selling. Stocks within 2% of these levels are at a decision point.

How Traders Use 52-Week High and Low

  • 52-week-high breakout: no overhead supply — thin resistance, room to run.
  • 52-week-low breakdown: no nearby support — downside tends to continue.
  • Within 2% of 52-week high: pre-breakout setup — coiled at resistance.
  • Within 2% of 52-week low: support test or capitulation candidate — reversal asymmetry.

Where We Use 52-Week High and Low in Our Penny Stock Scans

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