William O'Neil RPS Ranking Tool — Complete Guide to Core Indicators of CANSLIM Stock Selection Method
Key Conclusions:William O'Neil studied all major bull stocks in the U.S. stock market since 1880 and found that their average RPS value reached 87—that is, outperforming 87% of stocks in the market. RPS ≥ 80 is the core threshold for screening strong stocks.
I. Who is William O'Neil?
William O'Neil (William J. O'Neil, 1933-2023)is a renowned American investment master, author of "How to Make Money in Stocks", and founder of Investor's Business Daily (IBD). He became one of the youngest members of the New York Stock Exchange at the age of 30.
O'Neil founded CANSLIM by systematically studying the common characteristics of all historical major bull stocks in the U.S. stock market since 1880, CANSLIM stock picking methodwhich is a complete stock selection system combining fundamental and technical analysis, rated by U.S. News & World Report as one of the "best stock selection strategies in history".
II. What is William O'Neil's RPS (Relative Price Strength)?
RPS (Relative Price Strength) is the core quantitative indicator proposed by O'Neil in the CANSLIM system, corresponding to the "S" (Strength) in CANSLIM, "S" (Strength, Relative Strength)。
The definition of RPS is very concise:the percentile ranking of the individual stock's price appreciation in the overall stock price appreciation ranking within a specific time period. The value range is from 1 to 99:
- RPS = 99: The stock's price appreciation has outperformed 99% of stocks in the entire market (strongest)
- RPS = 85: The stock's price appreciation has outperformed 85% of stocks in the entire market
- RPS = 50: The stock's price appreciation is at the median level of the entire market
- RPS = 1: The stock's price appreciation lags behind 99% of stocks in the entire market (weakest)
O'Neil's Key Discovery
O'Neil discovered through research:
- the largest bull stocks in history before theirstock prices begin to surge significantly, average RPS value has already reached 87
- In other words, the most outstanding stocks have already been superior to about 90% of other stocks before they begin their most explosive price rises.
- William O'Neil suggests purchasing only stocks with RPS ≥ 80, avoiding buying weak stocks with RPS below 70.
- When the overall market declines, stocks with high RPS often experience smaller declines, indicating that institutional funds are continuously buying.
Three, The Difference Between William O'Neil's RPS and RSI
Many investors easily confuse RPS with RSI (Relative Strength Index), but the two are completely different concepts:
| Indicators | Full Name | Comparison Object | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| RPS(William O'Neil) | Relative Price Strength | Comparison with other stocks in the entire market | Measure the relative strength ranking of stocks against the market |
| RSI | Relative Strength Index | Comparison with its own historical prices | Determine overbought/oversold status |
RPS isCross-sectional comparison(Across stocks), RSI isTime-series comparison(Own history). William O'Neil explicitly points out that his RPS is unrelated to RSI, being a completely independent concept.
Four, RPS Multi-period: RPS20, RPS50, RPS90, RPS120, RPS250
RPS Stock provides RPS rankings for five time periods, helping investors evaluate stock strength from different dimensions:
| cycle | Trading days | Approximately equal to | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| RPS20 | 20 trading days | Approximately 1 months | Short-term momentum, recent capital inflow signals |
| RPS50 | 50 trading days | Approximately 2.5 months | Medium to short-term strength, filtering short-term noise |
| RPS90 | 90 trading days | Approximately 4.5 months | Medium-term trend strength |
| RPS120 | 120 trading days | Approximately six months | O'Neil's most commonly used core cycles |
| RPS250 | 250 trading days | Approximately 1 years | Long-term strength, annual capital preferences |
Multi-period resonanceIt is the strongest signal: when RPS20, RPS50, RPS90, RPS120 are all ≥ 80, it indicates that the stock has consistently outperformed the market in the short, medium and long term, which is a strong signal that institutional funds are continuously buying.
Five, How to Use the William O'Neil RPS Ranking Tool for Stock Selection
Based on O'Neil's CANSLIM stock selection method, the practical steps for using the RPS ranking tool:
First step: Screen stocks with RPS120 ≥ 80
在 RPS Stock Here, click the "RPS120" sort button to screen out the top 20% of stocks by gains over the past six months. This is O'Neil's most core screening condition.
Second step: Confirm multi-period resonance
On the basis of RPS120 ≥ 80, further screen for stocks with RPS20 ≥ 80 and RPS50 ≥ 80. Multi-period resonance indicates that recent capital is still continuously buying and momentum has not weakened.
Third step: Observe the comprehensive score
RPS Stock provides a "★ Comprehensive" score, which is the average of the five periods RPS. Stocks with a comprehensive score ≥ 90 are extremely strong targets that are strong in each period.
Fourth step: Combine with technical patterns
William O'Neil emphasizes that stocks with high RPS also need to be paired with technical pattern breakouts to be purchased:
- Cup with Handle Pattern (Cup with Handle): William O'Neil's most recommended buy pattern
- Flat Base Breakout (Flat Base Breakout): Volume expansion breakout across the sideways range
- Double Bottom Pattern (Double Bottom): W-shaped bottom breakout
Fifth step: Confirm fundamentals
In CANSLIM, C (quarterly earnings growth), A (annual earnings growth), N (new products/new management/new highs) need to be met simultaneously. Resonance between technical and fundamental aspects is the most ideal buying opportunity.
Six, William O'Neil RPS Ranking Tool Covers the Market
RPS Stock is currently the most comprehensive William O'Neil RPS ranking tool covering the market, supporting four major markets:
- A-share RPS ranking: Covering more than 5,200 stocks in the Shanghai and Shenzhen markets, updated daily
- US Stock RPS Ranking: Covering more than 9,000 stocks in NYSE/NASDAQ, updated daily
- Hong Kong Stock RPS Ranking: Covering more than 2,800 stocks in the Hong Kong Exchange, updated daily
- Japanese Stock RPS Ranking: Covering more than 3,700 stocks in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, updated daily
Seven, RPS Characteristics of Historical Great Bull Stocks
Through RPS Stock's historical bull stock replay function, the RPS characteristics of recent great bull stocks before their launch can be seen:
- A-shares Zhong Ship Teqi: Before launch RPS120 = 99.98, RPS250 = 99.88, multi-period extremely strong
- US stocks NVDA (Nvidia): 2023 years before launch RPS120 ≥ 95, followed by gains exceeding +756%
- Hong Kong stocks Tencent: Before launch at the end of 2020 year RPS120 ≥ 90, followed by gains +120%
- Japanese stocks SoftBank Group: Before launch RPS120 ≥ 92, followed by gains +599.8%
These cases confirm O'Neil's research conclusion: the largest bull stocks were already one of the strongest stocks in the market before their launch.
Immediately Use William O'Neil RPS Ranking Tool
Free to view real-time RPS rankings of more than 20,000 stocks in A-shares, US stocks, Hong Kong stocks, and Japanese stocks, updated daily.
View the latest RPS ranking →Three, The Core Logic of O'Neil's CANSLIM Stock Selection Method
William O'Neil's CANSLIM is a systematic stock-picking methodology that combines fundamental analysis and technical analysis, in which RPS plays a vital role:
- C (Current Earnings): Substantial growth in current-quarter earnings per share (at least 25% or more).
- A (Annual Earnings): Stable annual earnings growth (compound growth rate of 25% or more over the past three years).
- N (New): New products, new management, or the stock making new highs.
- S (Supply and Demand): Supply and demand, with a relatively small float and volume expanding on breakouts.
- L (Leader or Laggard)：Industry leader or laggard. This is the core application of RPS (relative price strength). O'Neil insists on buying only industry leaders with RPS ≥ 80.
- I (Institutional Sponsorship): Recognition and buying by institutional investors.
- M (Market Direction): Overall market direction; follow the trend and never operate against the market.
IV. How to Apply O'Neil RPS Across the Four Major Markets?
A-share market:The A-share market exhibits pronounced sector rotation. When a sector starts to move, the RPS of core names within that sector rapidly surges above 90. Through RPS Stock's A-share RPS ranking, investors can review the market after the close every day and quickly lock in strong stocks being accumulated by major capital.
U.S. stock market:As the "home ground" of O'Neil's methodology, U.S. tech giants and high-growth stocks fit CANSLIM perfectly. For example, during the AI wave of 2023–2026, NVIDIA (NVDA) maintained an RPS above 95 for an extended period. View US Stock RPS Ranking to capture the next super-growth stock.
Hong Kong stock market:Hong Kong stocks are influenced by both foreign capital and southbound funds, with liquidity concentrated in leading companies. An RPS ≥ 85 typically means the stock has entered the buy lists of core institutions. View Hong Kong Stock RPS Ranking。
V. Common Misconceptions in RPS Stock Selection
Misconception 1: Treating RPS as RSI. RSI is an overbought/oversold indicator; a high reading suggests a possible short-term pullback. RPS is a ranking indicator; a high reading means it is a market-wide leader. O'Neil said: "Buy stocks making new highs with extremely high RPS, not stocks that have fallen sharply and look cheap."
Misconception 2: Looking at only a single period. A stock may see its RPS20 surge on short-term positive news, but if RPS120 and RPS250 are low, it is merely an oversold bounce. True bull stocks exhibit multi-period resonance (RPS20/50/120/250 all greater than 80).