One of the core components of Stan Weinstein's method is the use of Relative Performance compared to an index such as the S&P 500, to a sector or to another stock. Which was referred to in his book as Relative Strength.

The following is a checklist to work through to determine the quality of the breakout and whether it meets the methods requirements. The starting point for Weinstein's method when looking to buy a stock is first to consider Stan's "Forest to the Trees" Approach:

It's hard to sit through an entire Stage 2 advance, as there are usually a number of significant pullbacks towards the 30 week moving average which try to shake people out of the stock. The following is a breakdown of Fords entire Stage 2 advance from late 2012 until the end of 2013