An investor always seeks a win-win strategy. While this sounds like a simple task, it is easier said than done.In the current highly volatile market, it is difficult for even an ardent investor to come up with a foolproof approach. One could resort to the commonly used techniques to find the beaten down stocks that have the potential to recover faster than others. But this also bears the risk of disappointment. Particularly, one could be stuck in the value trap if the hidden weaknesses in the selected stock are not identified. So, wouldn’t be a safer strategy to look for stocks that are winners currently and have the potential to gain further? Here’s how to execute it: One should primarily look for stocks that have recently been witnessing a price increase. Actually, stocks seeing price strength recently have a high chance of carrying the momentum forward. If a stock is continuously moving higher, there must be a good reason for the rise or else it probably would have fallen like the losers.So, looking at those stocks that have already won the game and are capable of beating the benchmark that they have already set sounds rational. However, recent price strength alone cannot create magic, so you need to set other relevant parameters to create a successful investment strategy. Here’s how you should create the screen to shortlist the current as well as the potential winners. Screening Parameters: Percentage Change in Price (4 Weeks) greater than zero:This criterion shows that the stock has moved higher in the last 4 weeks. Percentage Change Price (12 Weeks) greater than 10:This indicates that the stock has seen momentum over the last three months. This lowers the risk of choosing stocks that may have drawn attention due to the overwhelming performance of the overall market in a very short period. Zacks Rank 1:No matter whether the market conditions are good or bad, stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) have a proven history of outperformance. Average Broker Rating 1:This indicates that brokers are also highly hopeful about a stock’s future performance. Current Price greater than 5:The stocks must all be trading at a minimum of $5 or higher. Current Price/ 52-Week High-Low Range more than 85%:This criterion filters stocks that are trading near their respective 52-week highs. It indicates that these are strong enough in terms of price. Here are five of the nine stocks that made it throughthisscreen: Nanometrics Incorporated (NANO) Primo Water Corporation (PRMW) Delta Apparel Inc. (DLA) AMN Healthcare Services Inc. (AHS) Alleghany Corporation (Y) Get the rest of the stocks on the list and start putting this and other ideas to the test. It can all be done with the Research Wizard stock picking and backtesting software. The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out. Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today. Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: http://www.zacks.com/performance. Zacks Restaurant Recommendations: Inaddition to dining at these special places, you can feast on their stock shares. A Zacks Special Report spotlights 5 recent IPOs to watch plus 2 stocks that offer immediate promise in a booming sector. Download it free »Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report PRIMO WATER CP (PRMW): Free Stock Analysis Report NANOMETRICS INC (NANO): Free Stock Analysis Report ALLEGHANY CORP (Y): Free Stock Analysis Report AMN HLTHCR SVCS (AHS): Free Stock Analysis Report DELTA APPAREL (DLA): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research