3 Under-$3 Stocks Making Major Upside Moves

WINDERMERE, Fla. (Stockpickr) -- At Stockpickr, we track daily portfolios of stocks that are the biggest percentage gainers and the biggest percentage losers.

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Stocks that are making large moves like these are favorites among short-term traders because they can jump into these names and try to capture some of that massive volatility. Stocks that are making big-percentage moves either up or down are usually in play because their sector is becoming attractive or they have a major fundamental catalyst such as a recent earnings release. Sometimes stocks making big moves have been hit with an analyst upgrade or an analyst downgrade.

Regardless of the reason behind it, when a stock makes a large-percentage move, it is often just the start of a new major trend -- a trend that can lead to huge profits. If you time your trade correctly, combining technical indicators with fundamental trends, discipline and sound money management, you will be well on your way to investment success.

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With that in mind, let's take a closer look at a several stocks under $3 that are making large moves to the upside today.

Life Partners (LPHI)

This a specialty financial services company and the parent company of Life Partners. This stock is trading up 4.7% to $2.62 in recent trading.

Today's Range: $2.53-$2.69

52-Week Range: $1.08-$7.49

Volume: 101,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 480,668

From a technical perspective, LPHI is bouncing here right off its 200-day moving average at $2.49 with light volume. This move is quickly pushing LPHI within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit once LPHI manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $2.73 to $2.78 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in LPHI as long as it's trending above its 50-day at $2.40, and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 480,668 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then LPHI will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels near $3.25 to $4.12.

RadiSys (RSYS)

This company is a provider of innovative hardware and software platforms for Next Generation IP-based wireless, wireline and video networks. This stock is trading up 5.2% to $2.32 in recent trading.

Today's Range: $2.19-$2.33

52-Week Range: $2.02-$8.07

Volume: 117,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 119,495

From a technical perspective, RSYS is bouncing higher here right above some near-term support at $2.10 with decent volume. This stock has been downtrending badly for the last four months, with shares falling from a high of $3.93 to its recent low of $2.02. During that move, shares of RSYS were consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, shares of RSYS have recently started to rebound off that $2.02 low with big upside volume. That move is quickly pushing RSYS within range of triggering a major breakout trade. That trade will hit once RSYS takes out some near-term overhead resistance at $2.31 to $2.33 with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in RSYS as long as it's trending above $2.10, and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 119,495 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then RSYS will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $2.84 to $2.90. Any high-volume move above those levels will then put $3 to $3.30 into focus for shares of RSYS.

Hemispherx Biopharma (HEB)

This is a specialty pharmaceutical company. It is engaged in the clinical development of new drug therapies based on natural immune system enhancing technologies for the treatment of viral and immune based chronic disorders. This stock is trading up 2.8% to 81 cents in recent trading.

Today's Range: $0.80-$0.83

52-Week Range: $0.18-$1.10

Volume: 3.61 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 2.64 million

From a technical perspective, HEB is trending higher here right above its 50-day moving average of 76 cents. This stock has been uptrending modestly for the last two months, with shares moving up from a low of 62 cents to a recent high of 85 cents. During that uptrend, shares of HEB have been mostly making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move is quickly pushing HEB within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit once HEB manages to clear some near-term overhead resistance levels at 83 to 85 cents with high volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in HEB as long as it's trending above 70 to 76 cents, and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 2.64 million shares. If that breakout trigger soon, then HEB will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance level at $1.10. Any move above $1.10 will then push HEB into new 52-week high territory, which is bullish technical price action.

To see more stocks that are making notable moves higher today, check out the Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Winderemere, Fla.

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At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Roberto Pedone, based out of Windermere, Fla., 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.