Core terms
Gap and go
Slang for a stock that gaps at the open and keeps moving in the gap's direction early in the session. It describes price behavior; it is not a reliable pattern.
The phrase usually refers to a gap up that pushes through its premarket high soon after 09:30 instead of fading. Traders often treat it as one possible outcome of a gapper, alongside an early fade or a range.
How often it happens depends on how you define it. In FennEdge's study of 671 gap-ups of 20% or more (2026-07-01 to 2026-10-02; as of 2026-10-02), 34.7% closed at or above their open, while only 7.6% made their high of day in the first five minutes. These two counts describe different things and are not a gap-and-go rate.
What traders should verify
Write down your own definition (for example, a new high above the premarket high within 15 minutes of the open) before counting results.
Do not conflate
Trader usage; no official definition. Results quoted for "gap and go" are rarely comparable because definitions differ.
Primary source
Trader usage: there is no official definition, and platforms and tools may calculate it differently.