Mark Minervini’s Trend Template is a well-known systematic approach for identifying stocks in strong, sustainable uptrends. It combines strict technical rules on moving averages, price position, and relative strength to ensure a stock is in a healthy Stage 2 advance. When paired with fundamental checks for high growth momentum, the strategy aims to find companies where strong price trends are backed by accelerating earnings and sales. The idea is to focus on stocks that are not only moving higher but doing so on the back of real business performance.
COLUMBIA FINANCIAL INC (NASDAQ:CLBK) is a New Jersey-based savings bank with around 68 branches, serving consumers and businesses with traditional loans and deposit products. The stock earns a perfect 10 out of 10 on the ChartMill technical rating, a score that signals an exceptionally well-established uptrend. Looking at the numbers that drive the Minervini Trend Template, CLBK checks every box. The current price of $21.25 sits well above its rising 50-day ($20.15), 150-day ($18.22), and 200-day ($17.43) moving averages. The 200-day SMA is trending up (from 17.40 to 17.43), and the 50-day is above both longer-term averages, confirming the bullish alignment Minervini demands. The stock also trades within 25% of its 52-week high of $21.59 and is roughly 56% above its 52-week low of $13.66, meeting the threshold for significant recovery from lows. With a relative strength ranking of 85.77, it outperforms 85% of all stocks.
A perfect technical setup is only half of the equation for high-growth investors following Minervini’s SEPA method. The underlying fundamentals need to justify the price action. CLBK’s recent figures fit that narrative. The TTM earnings per share stand at $0.55, with EPS growth over the past year surging by an extraordinary 2850%. While that number reflects a sharp recovery from a low base, the acceleration is consistent across recent quarters: EPS growth compared to the same quarter last year was 44.4% in the latest quarter, 171% in the prior quarter, and 150% and 200% in the two quarters before that. This shows a clear pattern of improving profitability. Revenue tells a similar story, with a 41.3% increase over the trailing twelve months and the most recent quarter showing 20% sales growth year-over-year. Profit margins have held steady in the 19-22% range over recent quarters, adding further credibility to the earnings recovery.
These criteria matter because Minervini’s strategy is built on finding stocks that exhibit both price strength and accelerating fundamentals. A stock can be trending higher, but without the fundamental catalyst of rising earnings and sales, the move may lack institutional sponsorship. CLBK combines a textbook technical trend with a clear fundamental turnaround, which is exactly the type of alignment the strategy seeks to exploit.
Looking at the full technical report, available via the detailed analysis here, the outlook is overwhelmingly positive. The short-term and long-term trends are both classified as positive, and the stock has outperformed 87% of its peers in the Banks industry. The main caution is on the setup side: with a setup quality rating of 6 out of 10, the stock has seen some volatility in recent trading, making it less ideal for an immediate entry. The report suggests waiting for a consolidation before establishing a new position, as tighter price action would provide a cleaner risk/reward point for a buy stop order.
For investors looking to apply this screen more broadly, the High Growth Momentum plus Trend Template screener is a useful starting point to find similar candidates. It filters for stocks that meet the Trend Template’s technical requirements while also carrying a ChartMill High Growth Momentum rating of at least 6, helping narrow the field to stocks with both trend strength and fundamental momentum.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always conduct your own research before making trading decisions.
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Columbia Financial Inc (NASDAQ:CLBK) Nears 52-Week High With Perfect Trend Template Score and Accelerating Growth
Mark Minervini’s Trend Template is a well-known systematic approach for identifying stocks in strong, sustainable uptrends. It combines strict technical rules on moving averages, price position, and relative strength to ensure a stock is in a healthy Stage 2 advance. When paired with fundamental checks for high growth momentum, the strategy aims to find companies where strong price trends are backed by accelerating earnings and sales. The idea is to focus on stocks that are not only moving higher but doing so on the back of real business performance.
COLUMBIA FINANCIAL INC (NASDAQ:CLBK) is a New Jersey-based savings bank with around 68 branches, serving consumers and businesses with traditional loans and deposit products. The stock earns a perfect 10 out of 10 on the ChartMill technical rating, a score that signals an exceptionally well-established uptrend. Looking at the numbers that drive the Minervini Trend Template, CLBK checks every box. The current price of $21.25 sits well above its rising 50-day ($20.15), 150-day ($18.22), and 200-day ($17.43) moving averages. The 200-day SMA is trending up (from 17.40 to 17.43), and the 50-day is above both longer-term averages, confirming the bullish alignment Minervini demands. The stock also trades within 25% of its 52-week high of $21.59 and is roughly 56% above its 52-week low of $13.66, meeting the threshold for significant recovery from lows. With a relative strength ranking of 85.77, it outperforms 85% of all stocks.
A perfect technical setup is only half of the equation for high-growth investors following Minervini’s SEPA method. The underlying fundamentals need to justify the price action. CLBK’s recent figures fit that narrative. The TTM earnings per share stand at $0.55, with EPS growth over the past year surging by an extraordinary 2850%. While that number reflects a sharp recovery from a low base, the acceleration is consistent across recent quarters: EPS growth compared to the same quarter last year was 44.4% in the latest quarter, 171% in the prior quarter, and 150% and 200% in the two quarters before that. This shows a clear pattern of improving profitability. Revenue tells a similar story, with a 41.3% increase over the trailing twelve months and the most recent quarter showing 20% sales growth year-over-year. Profit margins have held steady in the 19-22% range over recent quarters, adding further credibility to the earnings recovery.
These criteria matter because Minervini’s strategy is built on finding stocks that exhibit both price strength and accelerating fundamentals. A stock can be trending higher, but without the fundamental catalyst of rising earnings and sales, the move may lack institutional sponsorship. CLBK combines a textbook technical trend with a clear fundamental turnaround, which is exactly the type of alignment the strategy seeks to exploit.
Looking at the full technical report, available via the detailed analysis here, the outlook is overwhelmingly positive. The short-term and long-term trends are both classified as positive, and the stock has outperformed 87% of its peers in the Banks industry. The main caution is on the setup side: with a setup quality rating of 6 out of 10, the stock has seen some volatility in recent trading, making it less ideal for an immediate entry. The report suggests waiting for a consolidation before establishing a new position, as tighter price action would provide a cleaner risk/reward point for a buy stop order.
For investors looking to apply this screen more broadly, the High Growth Momentum plus Trend Template screener is a useful starting point to find similar candidates. It filters for stocks that meet the Trend Template’s technical requirements while also carrying a ChartMill High Growth Momentum rating of at least 6, helping narrow the field to stocks with both trend strength and fundamental momentum.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always conduct your own research before making trading decisions.
Read full article here »