Non-gapping, high volume surges provide a comfortable price floor similar to gaps. But support may be more difficult to measure. And momentum can take longer to develop, forcing a stock to swing into a new range rather than rise quickly. Fortunately this scenario also sets up pullback trades as support forces profitable bounces.

The uptrend terrain faces predictable obstacles marked by Clear Air pockets and congestion from prior downtrends. These barriers force frequent dips that mark good buying opportunities. The trader must identify these profitable zones in advance but also recognize that dips will disappear during the strongest rallies. Here price blasts through prior resistance as enthusiasm explodes.

During uptrends, one goal is to locate runaway expansion moves. As trend builds momentum, both gapping and non-gapping surges will register on technical indicators, such as MACD or ADX. Short pullbacks should not violate the math of this developing strength. As volatility absorbs each surge, more powerful rallies should erupt. During these events, price range and volume will expand bar to bar, often culminating in a second (continuation) gap and a final exhaustion spike.