How It Works Methodology Strategies Why Scout

How Scout Works

Scout scans 2,200+ ASX small caps up to 6 times daily, scores each stock across 6 dimensions, and gives you one number that tells you how many boxes it ticks.

2,200+
Stocks Scanned
6x
Daily Scans
6
Dimensions

What you get

Scout turns raw market data into a simple conviction score. Here's what it delivers every trading day.
📊

Conviction Score

A single 0-100 number showing how many boxes a stock ticks across technical, fundamental, catalyst, momentum, sentiment, and risk dimensions.

📍

Reference Levels

Auto-calculated ATR-based upper and lower reference levels. Not buy/sell recommendations — data points for your own research.

Catalyst Tracking

Auto-detected ASX announcements classified by type and materiality: takeover bids, clinical trial results, contract wins, capital raises.

💬

Sentiment Gauge

Online buzz tracked across HotCopper, social media, and Google Trends. Spot when attention shifts before the price does.

The process

1

Filter out the junk

Of 2,200+ ASX small caps, about 1,400 pass our minimum liquidity and data quality thresholds.

2

Run the six checks

Each stock is scored 0-100 on six dimensions: technical, fundamental, catalyst, momentum, sentiment, and risk.

3

Blend into one score

Weighted blend produces a single conviction score. The Risk Gate has final say — high bankruptcy or dilution risk pulls the score down regardless.

4

Publish and track

Top signals appear on the dashboard with reference levels and risk indicators. Every signal is tracked from publication — no deleting bad calls.

Data

Numbers not opinions. Proprietary conviction score, reference levels, volume indicators, regulatory flags.

Depth

Six checks, one score. Technical, fundamental, catalyst, sentiment, momentum, risk — all weighted and blended.

Clarity

Signal over noise. Card/table views, sector filtering, position size calculator, CSV export.

Built on research, not gut feel

Every stock gets a report card. Six checks, each graded 0-100, blended into one conviction score. Same numbers in, same score out — no human override.

Multiple checks

One check isn't enough. A stock can look great technically but be running out of cash. Six dimensions catch what one misses.

Maths, not opinions

Computers don't have bad days. The same data always produces the same score — consistent, unbiased, reproducible.

Built for Australia

ASX announcements, ASIC short-selling data, Australian regulatory filings. Not a US screener repurposed.

The six dimensions

📈

Technical Analysis

20%

The stock's heartbeat — price trend, overbought/oversold signals, volume patterns, breakout detection.

Price Trend RSI Volume Breakout Relative Strength
💰

Fundamental Quality

20%

Company financials — profitability, cash runway, burn rate, dilution risk, balance sheet health.

Earnings Cash Runway Burn Rate Dilution Health Score

Catalyst Detection

40%

The heaviest weight. Material ASX announcements — takeovers, trial results, contract wins, approvals. Recency matters.

ASX Announcements News Recency Materiality Market Reaction
🚀

Momentum Quality

10%

Price movement backed by volume — risk-adjusted returns, earnings growth trends, acceleration patterns.

Price Momentum Volume Trends Risk-Adjusted Growth
💬

Sentiment Analysis

5%

Online discussion, social media activity, Google Trends search interest — spot attention shifts early.

Forum Activity Search Trends Social Buzz
🛡

Risk Gate

5%

Safety net with final say. Bankruptcy risk, short-selling activity, insider selling, dilution — high risk pulls the score down.

Solvency Short Interest Insider Trades Liquidity

No deleting bad calls

Every signal is tracked from publication. Good or bad, the numbers stay. Check our track record for full transparency.

Built on proven research

Methods drawn from Piotroski F-Score, Altman Z-Score, Jegadeesh-Titman momentum — tested by universities and published in academic journals.

Four strategies, one engine

Scout's scoring engine blends two forces: momentum (stocks trending up) and mean-reversion (quality stocks that have pulled back). By adjusting the blend ratio, we create four distinct strategies for different investor profiles. All results are backtested over 5 years (Mar 2021–2026) using walk-forward validation. General information only — not financial advice.
S3
Default

Balanced

The sensible starting point. A 60/40 momentum-to-reversion blend that captures trending stocks while keeping a value safety net. Moderate risk, steady compounding. Best suited for investors who want broad exposure without extreme concentration in either style.

+133% / 5yr CAGR 18.4% Max DD -25% 189 trades
S4
Highest Return

True Hybrid

The 50/50 sweet spot. Equal weight momentum and reversion finds stocks at inflection points — quality companies that have pulled back but are showing early signs of recovery. Highest absolute return but requires discipline through drawdowns.

+352% / 5yr CAGR 35.2% Max DD -29% 185 trades
S5
Contrarian

Reversion-Led

Tilted 45/55 toward mean-reversion. Favours oversold stocks with strong fundamentals that the market has temporarily discounted. Less correlated with broad market rallies, better in volatile or range-bound conditions. For patient, contrarian-minded investors.

+219% / 5yr CAGR 26.1% Max DD -29% 179 trades
S6
Conservative

Deep Value

Heavy 35/65 reversion tilt. Prioritises deeply oversold, fundamentally sound companies with the smallest drawdowns of any strategy. Lower absolute returns but the smoothest ride. Ideal for risk-averse investors or as a defensive allocation within a broader portfolio.

+94% / 5yr CAGR 14.1% Max DD -23% 140 trades
All four strategies use the same underlying scoring engine and data sources. The only difference is the blend ratio between momentum and reversion components. Walk-forward cross-validation confirms out-of-sample stability.
See Full Backtest Results →

Why Scout wins

Scout is the only ASX small-cap platform combining real-time signals, AI coaching, and conviction-tier scoring at a fraction of the price.
Feature Scout Under the Radar Motion Trader Free Screeners
Price From $99/yr or Free $697/year $3,495 one-time Free
Stock Coverage 2,200+ (live) ~100 stocks 2,000+ Varies
Update Frequency 6x daily Weekly Daily Real-time charts
Conviction Tiers
AI Research Partner ✓ Scout AI
Behavioral Coaching ✓ Scout AI
Catalyst Calendar ✓ 90-day events
Portfolio Import ✓ CSV upload
Track Record ✓ 5-year backtest 14+ years 15+ years

Real-Time Signals

6x daily updates. Signals shift in 4 hours — you know immediately.

🧠

AI Coaching

Scout AI teaches about exit biases, conviction patterns, and behavioral traps.

📊

Conviction Tiers

Risk-stratified scoring. 80+ vs 70-79 have different risk profiles.

💰

Lowest Price

From $99/year vs $697-$3,495 competitors. Or start free.

🔍

Transparent

All scoring logic published. All backtest results visible. No black box.

📱

Modern UX

Web + mobile. Built for retail investors. Fast, clean, friendly.

Ready to start?

2,200+ ASX stocks scored 6x daily. 6 dimensions. All signals tracked. 30-day free Pro trial.

Scout by SmallCapData provides general financial information and research tools only. It is not personal financial advice. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. All data is for informational purposes only. Built by SCD Labs. Founded by a former licensed financial adviser. No AFSL held. Terms · Privacy · Disclaimer