RS is not RSI
Relative Strength (RS) compares a stock’s price return over a chosen period with other stocks. RSI is an oscillator calculated from the same stock’s own price changes. Their names are similar, but they answer different questions.
The site’s RS Ranking uses the top 300 US stocks by market capitalization and converts 20-, 60-, 120- or 250-session performance into a percentile. RS 90 means the stock has outperformed roughly 90% of that universe over that period; it does not mean the stock must rise next.
Choosing a timeframe
- 20 sessions: recent rotation; fast but noisy.
- 60 sessions: roughly one quarter; a useful starting point for swing research.
- 120 sessions: whether an intermediate trend persists.
- 250 sessions: longer-term leadership over about a year.
Long-term and short-term RS both high can indicate continuing leadership. Long-term high but short-term weak may show an older leader fading. Long-term weak but short-term strong needs further confirmation from industry and price structure.
Two limits to remember
RS measures price, not business quality, valuation or dividends. It is also relative: in a falling market, RS 99 can still represent a negative return because the stock simply fell less than peers.
Use the market environment first, then RS to reduce the list, then check new highs, moving averages, industry and fundamentals. RS helps make 300 stocks manageable; it does not determine an entry or exit.