Screen S&P 500 stocks for Mark Minervini's Volatility Contraction Pattern (VCP). Identifies Stage 2 uptrend stocks forming tight bases with contracting volatility near breakout pivot points. Use when user requests VCP screening, Minervini-style setups, tight base patterns, volatility contraction breakout candidates, or Stage 2 momentum stock scanning.
Screen S&P 500 stocks for Mark Minervini's Volatility Contraction Pattern (VCP), identifying Stage 2 uptrend stocks with contracting volatility near breakout pivot points.
FMP_API_KEY environment variable or pass --api-key)--full-sp500)Run the VCP screener script:
# Default: S&P 500, top 100 candidates
python3 skills/vcp-screener/scripts/screen_vcp.py --output-dir skills/vcp-screener/scripts
# Custom universe
python3 skills/vcp-screener/scripts/screen_vcp.py --universe AAPL NVDA MSFT AMZN META --output-dir skills/vcp-screener/scripts
# Full S&P 500 (paid API tier)
python3 skills/vcp-screener/scripts/screen_vcp.py --full-sp500 --output-dir skills/vcp-screener/scripts
Only return stocks with valid_vcp=True AND execution_state in (Pre-breakout, Breakout):
python3 skills/vcp-screener/scripts/screen_vcp.py --strict --output-dir reports/
Adjust VCP detection parameters for research and backtesting:
python3 skills/vcp-screener/scripts/screen_vcp.py \
--min-contractions 3 \
--t1-depth-min 12.0 \
--breakout-volume-ratio 2.0 \
--trend-min-score 90 \
--atr-multiplier 1.5 \
--output-dir reports/
| Parameter | Default | Range | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
--min-contractions | 2 | 2-4 | Higher = fewer but higher-quality patterns |
--t1-depth-min | 10.0% | 1-50 | Higher = excludes shallow first corrections |
--breakout-volume-ratio | 1.5x | 0.5-10 | Higher = stricter volume confirmation |
--trend-min-score | 85 | 0-100 | Higher = stricter Stage 2 filter |
--atr-multiplier | 1.5 | 0.5-5 | Lower = more sensitive swing detection |
--contraction-ratio | 0.70 | 0.1-1 | Lower = requires tighter contractions |
--min-contraction-days | 5 | 1-30 | Higher = longer minimum contraction |
--lookback-days | 120 | 30-365 | Longer = finds older patterns |
--max-sma200-extension | 50.0% | — | SMA200 distance threshold for Overextended state and penalty |
--wide-and-loose-threshold | 15.0% | — | Final contraction depth above which wide-and-loose flag triggers |
--strict | off | — | Minervini strict mode: only Pre-breakout or Breakout with valid VCP |
references/vcp_methodology.md for pattern interpretation contextreferences/scoring_system.md for score threshold guidanceFor each top candidate, present:
composite_score / rating) — how well-formed is the VCP pattern?execution_state) — is it buyable now? (Pre-breakout / Breakout = actionable)pattern_type) — Textbook VCP / VCP-adjacent / Post-breakout / Extended Leader / Damaged★ marker if a State Cap was applied (raw score was downgraded)By Execution State (primary filter):
By Rating (secondary, after state confirms actionability):
vcp_screener_YYYY-MM-DD_HHMMSS.json - Structured resultsvcp_screener_YYYY-MM-DD_HHMMSS.md - Human-readable reportreferences/vcp_methodology.md - VCP theory and Trend Template explanationreferences/scoring_system.md - Scoring thresholds and component weightsreferences/fmp_api_endpoints.md - API endpoints and rate limits