How to use STX+ — step by step.
Tutorials for every premium intelligence system, plus answers about your membership, pricing and billing.
Insider Cluster Radar
Flags companies where several insiders (executives and directors) buy shares on the open market within a short window. One insider buying can mean many things; several buying at once is a stronger sign of conviction.
How to use it
- 01Open Cluster Radar
From the dashboard, choose Cluster Radar under STX+ Intelligence Suite in the menu.
- 02Check the signal feed
This week's flagged clusters lists names from the core watchlist that currently qualify. It refreshes on its own every 60 seconds.
- 03Scan any ticker
In the Lookup box, type a ticker next to
CLR ›and press Enter or Run scan. Or tap one of the quick tickers (AAPL, NVDA, JPM…). - 04Tune the rules
Change Window (how many days the buys must fall within) and Min insiders (how many different people must buy). Results update instantly.
- 05Research before acting
Treat a cluster as a lead. Look at who bought, how much, and whether there is news that explains it.
Reading the results
- Insiders: how many different insiders bought in the window.
- Window / Date range: the span of days the purchases fall within.
- Combined value: the total dollar value of the purchases.
- Conviction: a 0–9.9 score. Higher means more insiders, bigger buys and tighter timing.
Tips
- Default rules: 3 or more insiders within 14 days. Tighten them for fewer, stronger signals.
- Only open-market purchases count. Option exercises and automatic plan sales are not buying signals.
Cluster Radar FAQs
Why doesn't a ticker show a cluster?
It only qualifies when enough different insiders buy on the open market inside your window. Try widening the window or lowering the minimum insiders to see weaker activity.
How current is the data?
The feed checks the latest reported insider filings every 60 seconds. Insiders have up to two business days to report a trade, so a purchase can appear a day or two after it happened.
Supply Chain Ripple Finder
When a large company makes a big move, such as a major contract, a capacity expansion or a new supplier, the effects ripple out to smaller partners and suppliers. Ripple Finder maps those second- and third-tier names so you can research them early.
How to use it
- 01Open Ripple Finder
Choose Ripple Finder from the Intelligence Suite menu.
- 02Browse the ripple feed
This week's mapped ripples shows trigger events and their downstream beneficiaries. Use the filters (Capacity shifts, Supplier moves, Expansion) to narrow the list.
- 03Trace a ripple
In Tracer, select a trigger company. You'll see the connected companies with their tier, ticker, live price, 1-day move and why it benefits.
- 04Filter by tier
Switch between All tiers, Tier 2 (direct partners) and Tier 3 (second-order names).
- 05Check the analytics
The lead-time chart estimates how many days typically pass between the trigger and the downstream impact.
Reading the results
- Trigger: the large company whose move starts the ripple.
- Tier 2 / Tier 3: direct partners vs. companies one step further away.
- Lead time: the estimated days from the trigger to the impact.
- Why it benefits: a concise summary of the link.
Tips
- Tier-3 names are often smaller and less covered by analysts, but also riskier and less liquid.
- Ripple alerts also appear in Anomalies Detected on your overview when related news breaks.
Ripple Finder FAQs
Are the mapped ripples live data?
The mapped examples are a curated dataset that shows how the model links companies. Prices in the Tracer are live quotes. Ripple alerts in Anomalies Detected come from live news.
Does a ripple mean the stock will go up?
No. It means the company is connected to a major event. Always check the actual terms and financial impact.
Lobbying Alpha Tracker
Tracks how much companies spend on federal lobbying and flags a surge when the latest quarter is well above their normal level. A spending jump can hint that a policy, contract or regulatory decision matters to the company.
How to use it
- 01Open Lobbying Tracker
Choose Lobbying Tracker from the Intelligence Suite menu.
- 02Review flagged surges
This week's flagged spend surges lists watchlist companies whose latest quarter is at least 1.5× their 4-quarter average. It refreshes every 3 minutes.
- 03Scan a company
In Live scan, pick a company next to
LBY ›and press Run scan. Tip: clicking any row in the feed scans that company. - 04Adjust the threshold
Use Surge threshold in the Model settings to make flags stricter or looser.
- 05Read the issues
Check Issues lobbied to see which bills or policy areas the spending targets.
Reading the results
- Current quarter: the reported spend for the latest period.
- 4Q average: the company's normal quarterly spend.
- Multiplier: the current quarter divided by the average (for example, 2.1×).
- Issues lobbied: the policy areas listed in the filings.
Tips
- Lobbying reports are filed quarterly, so data arrives with a delay.
- A surge is context for research, not a trade signal on its own.
Lobbying Tracker FAQs
Where does the lobbying data come from?
Public lobbying disclosure filings that companies are legally required to submit.
Why is a company missing?
Only companies on the tracker's watchlist that file lobbying reports under a matching name are shown. Use Live scan to check a specific company.
Dark Pool Intelligence
Looks at trading that happens off the public exchanges (dark pools and wholesalers) using daily off-exchange data for every US stock. It spots unusual accumulation over a 5–10 day window, then lines it up against upcoming catalysts such as earnings.
How to use it
- 01Open Dark Pool
Choose Dark Pool from the Intelligence Suite menu.
- 02Check the market gauge
The Market dark pool index chart shows how much of all off-exchange volume was short-side each day. Readings above its average often mean buyers are active under the surface.
- 03Read the scanner
The Dark Pool Scanner ranks liquid stocks by unusual off-exchange activity: average daily off-exchange volume, how it compares with the prior 10 days, the dark pool index, a trend sparkline and the next earnings date.
- 04Tune the filters
Window (5–10 days) sets the lookback. Min volume hides thinly traded names. Min DPI sets how buy-leaning the flow must be. Catalyst horizon controls which earnings dates count.
- 05Open a stock
Tap any row to see that stock's daily off-exchange volume and dark pool index, and export it as CSV.
Reading the results
- Off-exch vol/day: average shares traded away from the exchanges per day in the window.
- vs prior 10D: that volume compared with the 10 sessions before (1.5× = 50% more).
- Dark pool index (DPI): the short-side share of off-exchange volume. Market makers usually sell short to fill buy orders, so a high DPI tends to mean buying pressure.
- Accumulation: DPI above your minimum on at least 1.3× normal off-exchange volume.
Tips
- A high DPI is a clue, not proof. Confirm it with price action and news.
- Names flagged right before earnings are worth a closer look.
- Off-exchange data is published each evening, so the scanner updates once per trading day.
Dark Pool FAQs
Where does the data come from?
Public daily reports of off-exchange (dark pool and wholesaler) volume and short volume for every US-listed stock.
Is this real-time?
No. Each trading day's numbers are released that evening, so the scanner shows the latest completed session. The date is shown at the top of the scanner.
Shark Tracker
Follows activist investors. When a fund crosses 5% of a company and files a Schedule 13D to push management, demand board seats or force a sale, the stock can move fast. Shark Tracker surfaces those filings as they are disclosed.
How to use it
- 01Open Shark Tracker
Choose Shark Tracker from the Intelligence Suite menu.
- 02Scan the live feed
Latest activist stake filings refreshes every 2 minutes and lists the target, the filer, the form type, the filing date and the signal.
- 03Filter what you see
Use Show to switch between All 13D, New stakes (original filings), Amendments and Known activists. Change Window to look further back.
- 04Search a name
Type a company or fund next to
SHK ›and press Refresh. - 05Open a filing
Click any filing to see its details and the target's live price reaction.
Reading the results
- Target: the company the activist has a stake in.
- Filed by: the investor or fund.
- Form: SC 13D is a new stake; 13D/A is an update to an existing one.
- Signal: highlights well-known activist funds from the tracked list.
Tips
- New stakes usually matter more than amendments.
- The price may already have moved by the time a filing appears.
Shark Tracker FAQs
What is a Schedule 13D?
A filing required by the SEC when an investor acquires more than 5% of a company and may try to influence it. It must be filed within a few business days of crossing 5%.
Which activists are tracked?
The Watchlist section on the Shark Tracker page lists every fund STX+ flags, such as Elliott, Starboard, Icahn and Trian.
R&D Velocity Tracker
Before a company ships a breakthrough, it has to fund the research. This tracker reads each company's reported R&D spending from its regulatory filings, measures how fast it is accelerating against the company's own history, and flags an R&D Surge when spending jumps well above its normal pace.
How to use it
- 01Open R&D Velocity
Choose R&D Velocity from the Intelligence Suite menu.
- 02Read the surge board
R&D velocity across the watchlist compares each company's latest quarter of R&D spending with its 4-quarter average. Filter by Sector (Tech, Semis, Healthcare).
- 03Set the rules
Surge at (default 1.20×) sets how far above normal counts as a surge. Min YoY growth (default 25%) also requires strong growth versus the same quarter last year.
- 04Open a company profile
Click any company on the board, or use Deep scan: pick a company next to
RND ›and press Run scan. - 05Scan any ticker
In the
or ›box, type any US ticker (for example ISRG) and press Enter.
Reading the results
- Last quarter / 4Q average: the latest quarter's R&D spending vs. the company's recent normal.
- Velocity: the ratio between the two (for example, 1.25×).
- YoY: growth vs. the same quarter a year earlier.
- Signal: shows R&D Surge when both velocity and YoY growth pass your thresholds.
Tips
- Spending isn't the same as results. Read the latest 10-Q to see what the money is funding.
- Each quarter in the profile shows the filing type it came from.
R&D Velocity FAQs
Where does the data come from?
The research & development expense each company reports in its quarterly and annual filings. The fourth quarter is calculated from the annual report minus the first three quarters.
Why does a company show no data?
Some companies (many banks, retailers and energy producers) don't report R&D as a separate line, and foreign companies that don't file 10-Qs aren't covered.
Anomaly alerts & notifications
How the live Anomalies Detected feed on your dashboard overview works.
What is “Anomalies Detected” on my overview?
It's a live feed that combines signals from all six systems into one list. The newest signal is shown at the top as a larger card.
How do I filter the alerts?
Use the chips above the list: All, Ripple, Shark, Dark Pool, Cluster, Lobby and R&D. Your choice is remembered next time.
What do Review Signal and Learn More do?
Review Signal opens the product page behind the alert. Learn More expands the card to show what the signal may mean, which companies to investigate and the key figures.
How do the pop-up notifications work?
New signals slide down from the top of the screen. Tap the banner to expand it, swipe it up to dismiss it, or let it close on its own after about 10 seconds.
Can I get alerts when the tab is in the background?
Yes. Tap the bell in the Anomalies Detected panel and allow notifications in your browser. You'll get a desktop alert when new signals arrive while STX+ is in a background tab.
Membership, pricing & billing
Plans, recurring billing, cancelling and payments.
How much does STX+ cost?
The Free plan costs nothing and includes the dashboard toolkit: Basket Builder, the calculators, the Earnings Calendar and your Watchlist. Premium unlocks all six intelligence systems and is billed $19.99 every month, and you can cancel anytime. Prices are in US dollars.
What's included in Premium?
Every billing option includes the full STX+ Intelligence Suite: Insider Cluster Radar, Supply Chain Ripple Finder, Lobbying Alpha Tracker, Dark Pool Intelligence, Shark Tracker and the R&D Velocity Tracker, plus the live Anomalies Detected feed and alerts.
How do I upgrade?
Tap Upgrade to Premium or Activate on your dashboard (or choose a plan on the homepage). The plan is added to your cart. Make sure you're logged in, go to checkout and you'll be sent to Stripe's secure payment page. Premium switches on within a few seconds of paying.
Is Premium a subscription?
Yes. Premium renews automatically every month, using the card you paid with. You'll get a receipt from Stripe each time. It keeps renewing until you cancel.
How do I cancel?
Go to My Account → Subscription & payment and tap Manage subscription. On Stripe's secure page, choose Cancel subscription. You won't be charged again, and you keep Premium until the end of the period you've already paid for.
What happens when my subscription ends?
Your account goes back to the Free plan. Your account and the free dashboard tools stay available, and you can subscribe again at any time.
Can I switch plans?
Yes. Cancel your current subscription from My Account, and once it ends, choose a new plan. The 3- and 6-month plans cost less per month than monthly billing.
How do I update my card or see my invoices?
Go to My Account → Subscription & payment → Manage subscription. Stripe's secure page lets you change your card and download past invoices.
Is my payment information safe?
Payments are processed by Stripe. You enter your card on Stripe's secure checkout page. STX+ never sees or stores your full card number.
Can I get a refund?
No. Payments are non-refundable, including partial billing periods. When you cancel, you keep Premium until the end of the period you've paid for and you're never charged again. If you think you were charged in error, email support@stxplus.com from the email on your account.
General FAQs
The basics about STX+.
How does the STX+ affiliate program work?
Affiliates earn 25% of every payment made by the customers they refer, for as long as those customers stay subscribed. The program is by application: go to My Account → Affiliate program and tap Apply. Once approved, you'll get your own referral code and link in the same place, along with your referrals, earnings and payouts.
Do people who use a referral code get a discount?
Yes. Anyone who subscribes with a valid referral code (or through an affiliate's link) gets 15% off their first payment. Enter the code in the Referral code box at checkout, if you arrived through a referral link, it's filled in for you.
How are affiliates paid?
Commission is calculated on what your referred customers actually pay. Your balance is shown in My Account → Affiliate program, and STX+ sends payouts directly to the PayPal or bank account you provided in your application. You can't use your own referral code.
Is STX+ investment advice?
No. STX+ is a research and education platform. Signals point to things worth looking into; they're not recommendations to buy or sell. Always do your own research.
Does STX+ trade for me or hold my money?
No. STX+ doesn't hold funds, place trades or manage portfolios. You stay in control of your own brokerage account.
How current is the data?
Each system shows its refresh rate (for example, 60 seconds for Cluster Radar). Many sources, such as insider and lobbying filings, are reported with a delay by the people filing them, so a signal can appear some time after the underlying event.
Are Floor prices live?
No. Prices and quotes on the Floor and in Markets are delayed and aren't suitable for real-time trading. Market caps are approximate. Nothing on STX+ is investment advice; it's research and education to help you decide for yourself.