Relative volume (RVOL)
Relative volume is today's traded volume divided by the stock's own 20-day average volume, so a reading of 2 means twice the stock's normal activity regardless of how large or small that normal is.
`rel_volume` divides the session's volume by that stock's own 20-day average volume. The result is a ratio: 1 means an ordinary day, 2 means twice normal, 0.5 means half. Because each stock is measured against itself, a reading of 3 says the same thing about a smallcap trading 2 lakh shares as it does about a large-cap trading 2 crore.
On end-of-day NSE data, relative volume is mostly used as a confirmation condition. Common floors are 1.5, 2, 3 and 5: a breakout with `rel_volume > 1.5` had participation behind it; one at 0.8 was a drift through the level. It pairs with almost everything — price change, 52-week highs, pivot breaks, delivery — because volume is the input that cannot be redrawn after the fact.
Raw volume comparisons across stocks are meaningless, which is the problem this field exists to solve — but it inherits its baseline's flaws. After a heavy week the 20-day average is inflated, so a genuinely busy day can print a modest ratio. Around results, ex-dates and index events, elevated relative volume is expected rather than informative. And high RVOL says people acted, not why or in which direction.
In Sift
Written as rel_volume — a ratio; 1 is normal, 2 is twice normal. A working scan — Twice normal volume with price up over 3% — something changed today:
where rel_volume > 2 and change > 31
of the 500 most-traded NSE stocks match today, as of 20 Aug 2026
Scans that use it
Prebuilt scans in the library whose query reads this value — each with a hit-rate replay over the last 250 sessions.
52-week high breakout
Closing at a fresh 52-week high on above-average volume — the classic Darvas-style entry.
Bollinger band breakout
Close pushing above the upper band, with volume confirming.
Keltner channel breakout
Clearing the ATR-based upper channel — a steadier breakout signal than Bollinger's.
Crossing above pivot R1
Price clearing the first pivot resistance on strong volume — a classic floor-trader level.
Previous day's high break
Closing above yesterday's high on half again the usual volume — the simplest breakout there is.
Six-month high
The highest close in twenty-six weeks, with volume above the daily norm.
Heikin-Ashi turns green
The first green Heikin-Ashi candle after a red one, on rising volume.
Quiet accumulation
High delivery on ordinary volume while the stock grinds above its 50-day average — accumulation without a headline.
Delivery-backed breakout
A 20-day high where most of the volume was actually delivered — the breakout with real buyers behind it.
Distribution warning
Heavy volume, weak delivery, price down — the shape of a day traders' exit.
Churn without conviction
Two and a half times normal volume with under 30% delivered — a lot of noise, no ownership.
Volume dry-up near highs
Holding within 5% of the 52-week high on barely half its normal volume — supply running out.
Doji on heavy volume
An indecision candle on above-average volume while the trend still holds.
Marubozu on volume
A bar with almost no wicks on above-average volume — one side held the session from open to close.
Common questions
What does RVOL 2 mean?
The stock traded twice its own 20-day average volume. Twice as much stock changed hands as on a normal day, which usually means news, a result, or a large participant acting. It says nothing about direction — the price change alongside it tells you which side was doing the acting.
What is a good relative volume for a breakout?
Most breakout scans on this site use 1.5 as the floor and 2 or more as a strong reading. Below about 1.2 a breakout is a drift to new highs on ordinary interest, which is the variety that tends to fall back through the level. The threshold is a filter, not a guarantee.