DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.
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Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."
Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.
With that in mind, let's take a look at several stocks rising on unusual volume recently.
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Green Plains
Green Plains (GPRE) produces, markets and distributes ethanol in the U.S. This stock closed up 7% at $34.49 in Wednesday's trading session.
Wednesday's Volume: 2.39 million
Three-Month Average Volume: 1.45 million
Volume % Change: 61%
From a technical perspective, GPRE gapped sharply higher here and broke out above some near-term overhead resistance at $33.36 with above-average volume. This move is coming after shares of GPRE have recently formed a V-bottom chart pattern, after the stock hit a recent low of $25.92. Since forming that V-bottom, shares of GPRE have now started to uptrend and move back above its 200-day moving average. Market players should now look for a continuation move to the upside in the short-term if GPRE manages to take out Wednesday's intraday high of $36.19 to its 50-day moving average of $37.43 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in GPRE as long as it's trending above Wednesday's intraday low of $32.99 or above its 200-day at $31.90 and then once it sustains a move or close above $36.19 to $37.43 with volume that this near or above 1.45 million shares. If that move gets started soon, then GPRE will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $39.26 to around $42, or even $44.
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Williams Companies
Williams Companies (WMB) operates as an energy infrastructure company. This stock closed up 3% at $55.70 in Wednesday's trading session.
Wednesday's Volume: 11.54 million
Three-Month Average Volume: 6.49 million
Volume % Change: 72%
From a technical perspective, WMB gapped notably higher here back above its 50-day moving average of $55.34 with above-average volume. This spike to the upside on Wednesday also pushed shares of WMB into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $55.19. Shares of WMB are now starting to trend within range of triggering another near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if WMB manages to clear some key near-term overhead resistance levels at $56 to $56.92 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in WMB as long as it's trending above Wednesday's intraday low of $54.68 or above $54 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 6.49 million shares. If that breakout develops soon, then WMB will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance level at its 52-week high of $59.77. Any high-volume move above $59.77 will then give WMB a chance to trend north of $60.
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IPG Photonics
IPG Photonics (IPGP) develops and manufactures fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers and diode lasers that are used in various applications, primarily in materials processing. This stock closed up 1.2% at $70.28 in Wednesday's trading session.
Wednesday's Volume: 1.09 million
Three-Month Average Volume: 352,931
Volume % Change: 250%
From a technical perspective, IPGP spiked modestly higher here with strong upside volume flows. This stock has been uptrending over the last few weeks, with shares moving higher from its low of $60.75 to its intraday high of $71.75. During that uptrend, shares of IPGP have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of IPGP within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit if IPGP manages to take out some key overhead resistance levels at $72.15 to $73.29 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in IPGP as long as it's trending above its 50-day moving average of $67.58 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 352,931 shares. If that breakout develops soon, then IPGP will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $75.73 to $75.75, or even its 52-week high at $79.
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Zeltiq Aesthetics
Zeltiq Aesthetics (ZLTQ), a medical technology company, is engaged in developing and commercializing non-invasive products for the selective reduction of fat. This stock closed up 6.5% at $25.92 in Wednesday's trading session.
Wednesday's Volume: 2.49 million
Three-Month Average Volume: 733,498
Volume % Change: 278%
From a technical perspective, ZLTQ ripped sharply higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $22.78 with strong upside volume flows. This sharp spike to the upside on Wednesday is quickly pushing shares of ZLTQ within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if ZLTQ manages to take out Wednesday's intraday high of $26.52 to its 52-week high at $27.04 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ZLTQ as long as it's trending above Wednesday's intraday low of $23.81 or above its 50-day at $22.78 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 733,498 shares. If that breakout materializes soon, then ZLTQ will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $30 to $35.
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OM Group
OM Group (OMG) operates as a technology-driven industrial company worldwide. This stock closed up 7.6% at $25.05 in Wednesday's trading session.
Wednesday's Volume: 373,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 248,528
Volume % Change: 50%
From a technical perspective, OMG exploded sharply higher here with above-average volume. This strong move to the upside on Wednesday also pushed shares of OMG into breakout territory, since the stock took out some near-term overhead resistance at $23.62. Market players should now look for a continuation move to the upside in the short-term if OMG manages to take out Wednesday's intraday high of $25.15 to its 50-day moving average of $25.69 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in OMG as long as it's trending above $23.62 or above Wednesday's intraday low of $23.34 and then once it sustains a move or close above $25.15 to $25.69 with volume that's near or above 248,528 shares. If that move gets set off soon, then OMG will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $27 to $28.60, or even its 200-day moving average of $29.68.
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To see more stocks rising on unusual volume, check out the Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume portfolio on Stockpickr.
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At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.
Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including
CNBC.com and Forbes.com. You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.
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Getty Images There is no force greater than a reasonably free market economy, but it can only exist if: Companies compete for your business. In other words, there is more than one choice. (No monopolies allowed.) Consumers have the ability to compare, ditch and switch. They can, with a little effort, understand the true cost of competing products, make informed decisions, and change suppliers easily. Companies producing products that no one wants to buy can fail. They will go out of business, and the people who invested in the business will lose their investments. When consumers have choice and transparency, and when companies are never too big to fail, amazing things can happen. The market will be brutal to companies without a compelling product or value. And it will disproportionally reward those who create real value for consumers. Unfortunately, the forces of the market usually don't reach consumer financial products. But, when true markets are created, the results can be dramatic. Price Comparison Sites Work Amazingly Well in U.K. In the United Kingdom, price comparison websites have revolutionized financial services, particularly auto insurance. If you want to buy auto insurance, you can visit a website, enter a few pieces of personal information and immediately see real personalized quotes from most major auto insurance companies. These are not estimates based upon public records or reverse-engineered guesses based upon the clever work of a computer scientist. The auto insurance companies share their pricing information with the price comparison websites. Thus, all three conditions of the market are met. Consumers can go to one website and see the cost of the products being offered. It is very easy to compare, ditch and switch online. And no auto insurance company has a handout from the government. If they don't compete for business, they will fail. Most importantly, the price comparison websites show the cheapest products first, not the products that pay the highest commissions. To be the top recommendation, you have to be offering the best price. Auto Insurance Premiums Have Fallen 30 Percent -- Over There And the result? Since 2011, auto insurance premiums have dropped by more than 30 percent. In the last 12 months, auto insurance premiums dropped a staggering 19.3 percent. How can prices keep going down? The pressure of the market is forcing companies to innovate. They are improving their underwriting models. They are investing in better fraud detection and claims handling processes. But they are doing all of this to lower premiums so that they can stay alive, not because they plan on making more money. The market is forcing them to compete. And it is brutal. Compare the U.K. market to the U.S. auto insurance market, where insurance premiums are generally increasing. One website, www.leaky.com, tried to bring transparency to the auto insurance market. Not surprisingly, the auto insurance companies were not interested in transparency. In fact, the company received a cease-and-desist order every two months of its existence from insurance companies trying to stop it. Eventually, fighting the litigation became too much, and the startup had to shut down its product. Think about what that means to you: Big insurance companies sued a tiny company into oblivion solely because they don't want you to know how much their products cost. And the auto insurance companies are still fighting hard to ensure that it remains difficult for consumers to compare, ditch and switch. And Now Consider Payday Loans Thanks to true price comparison websites, the U.K. consumer has enjoyed ever-reducing insurance premiums, ever-increasing low-rate balance-transfer durations (you can now borrow at 0 percent for 34 months in the U.K.) and ever-lower personal loan interest rates (with excellent credit, it is easy to get a 5.1 percent interest rate). Regulators there have taken note and would like to unleash the power of the market on one of the worst corners of financial services: Payday loans. As the Guardian reported last week, the competition regulator is going to force payday lenders to share their pricing information with price comparison websites. Payday lenders offer short-term loans to consumers who have no other options. On average, payday lenders charge between $15 to $20 for every $100 that you borrow for 14 days. But the real money is made when borrowers roll over the loan. When the debt comes due in 14 days, the borrower has two choices. They can pay back the $100 borrowed or pay another $15 to $20 to extend the loan for another 14 days. According the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, 80 percent of borrowers roll over their loans. Hidden fees can often add up to far more than amount of the loan. Short-term loans turn into long-term loans, loaded with fees, generating annual percentage rates in excess of 1,000 percent. Payday Lenders Scheme Around the Rules Attempts to regulate payday lending have been a complete failure, on both sides of the Atlantic. Payday lenders are clever and find ways of getting around every rule designed to hem them in. In fact, a number of U.S. payday lenders are incorporated on Indian reservations to avoid regulatory oversight completely. The payday loan model remains: Hide the true cost of borrowing. Don't share pricing up-front, making it difficult to compare. Keep people in debt forever, by making it "cheaper" to extend, rather than pay off the loan. But rather than trying to write new rules, which payday lenders will find their way around, we should consider unleashing the power of the market. Imagine if payday lenders had to share all of their pricing model with price comparison websites. Consumers who need cash could go to a single website and see how much it would actually cost to borrow the money until the loan is completely paid off. Remember the most important part of a price comparison website: the person with the lowest price almost always wins. Financial services are a commodity. So, if payday lender A has a 1,000 percent APR, and lender B has a 990 percent APR, then all of the business would shift to lender B. Lender A would see a dramatic drop in business, and would have to respond. Payday lenders could drop their prices by 90 percent and still make great profits. But they don't drop their prices because they don't have to. Forcing transparency on the payday lending market could drive real change. Consumers Would Benefit on Other Products The ability of the price comparison business model to transform financial services inspired me to leave the U.K. and move back to the U.S., where I created MagnifyMoney.com. I believe that complete price transparency quickly rewards companies with the best product, rather than the biggest marketing budget. For example, we have a balance transfer marketplace where PenFed (a credit union that anyone can join) usually takes the top spot. It is there because it has the best product (you can move your debt from other credit cards to PenFed and pay only 4.99 percent for 48 months, with no fee), not because it has the biggest marketing budget. When banks that are too big to fail aren't forced to compete based upon price, consumers lose. We have a lot to learn from the dominance of easy-to-use price comparison websites in the U.K., and I look forward to the day when banks, payday lenders and insurers are racing to drop prices in an effort to survive. 
