When looking for the best stocks to buy and watch, focus on those with rising relative price strength.

One stock that fits that bill is Designer Brands, which had its Relative Strength (RS) Rating upgraded from 79 to 84 Friday.

As you try to find the best stocks to buy and watch, keep a close on eye on relative price strength.

IBD's unique rating identifies market leadership with a 1 (worst) to 99 (best) score. The score shows how a stock's price performance over the trailing 52 weeks compares to all the other stocks in our database.

Decades of market research shows that the best-performing stocks tend to have an RS Rating north of 80 in the early stages of their moves.

See How IBD Helps You Make More Money In Stocks

Designer Brands has climbed more than 5% past a 9.45 entry in a first-stage cup without handle, meaning it's now out of a proper buy zone. Look for the stock to offer a new chance to pick up shares like a three-weeks tight or pullback to the 50-day or 10-week line.

In terms of fundamentals, the company has posted rising EPS growth in each of the last two reports. Sales growth has also risen during the same period.

Designer Brands earns the No. 25 rank among its peers in the Retail-Apparel/Shoes/Accessories industry group. Lululemon Athletica and Revolve Group are also among the group's highest-rated stocks.