Candlestick Patterns - How to read them like a ProOverview
Candlestick charts serve as a cornerstone in technical analysis, presenting price activity in a visually digestible format. By examining how prices move over a given timeframe, traders gain key insights into potential market direction, sentiment shifts, and trend strength.
Mastering candlestick interpretation is essential for identifying bullish or bearish sentiment, as well as for spotting possible trend reversals or continuations. Still, candlesticks alone don’t paint the full picture—using them without broader context increases the risk of false signals.
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What You'll Learn
What are candlestick charts?
Common bearish candlestick patterns
Common bullish candlestick patterns
How to apply candlestick analysis in trading
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What is a Candlestick Chart?
A candlestick provides a snapshot of an asset’s price behavior during a specific time interval, whether it's one minute, one hour, or one day. This format allows traders to quickly assess how the price has moved within that period.
Each candle reveals four price points:
* Open – the price at the beginning of the interval
* Close – the price at the end of the interval
* High – the highest price reached
* Low – the lowest price during that time
Anatomy of a Candlestick:
* Body: The thick section between the open and close. A green (or white) body means the close was higher than the open (bullish), while red (or black) means the opposite (bearish).
* Wicks (or Shadows): Thin lines extending from the body to indicate the high and low.
* Upper wick: Marks the highest traded price
* Lower wick: Marks the lowest traded price
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Bearish Candlestick Patterns
Understanding bearish candlestick patterns helps traders identify moments when buying momentum might be running out—setting the stage for a potential downward shift.
Evening Star
A three-candle formation that signals a shift from buying pressure to selling dominance. It starts with a strong bullish candle, followed by a small-bodied candle of indecision, and concludes with a large bearish candle that cuts deep into the first. This pattern often appears at the end of an uptrend.
Bearish Engulfing
This setup includes a small bullish candle followed by a large bearish candle that completely swallows the previous one. It indicates that sellers have seized control, potentially marking the beginning of a downward trend.
Shooting Star
With a small real body near the low and a long upper wick, this pattern reflects strong early buying that is ultimately rejected by the close—suggesting fading bullish momentum.
Gravestone Doji
This candle opens, closes, and hits its low all around the same price, leaving a long upper wick. It suggests that bulls pushed higher during the session but were overpowered by bears by the close.
Three Crows
Three consecutive bearish candles, all approximately the same size. These indicate that a sell off is coming soon.
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Bullish Candlestick Patterns
Bullish patterns can alert traders to possible reversals after a downtrend or strengthen conviction during an uptrend.
Morning Star
This three-candle formation marks a potential turning point from bearish to bullish. It begins with a strong bearish candle, followed by a smaller candle showing indecision, and ends with a large bullish candle breaking upward—signaling buying strength is returning.
Bullish Engulfing
This two-candle pattern begins with a bearish candle, then a larger bullish candle that completely envelops the previous body. It reflects a sharp transition in sentiment, suggesting renewed buying pressure.
Dragonfly Doji
A single candle where the open, close, and high are all very close, with a long lower wick. It shows sellers pushed prices lower but buyers stepped in and brought them back up—an early sign of possible reversal.
Hammer
A classic bullish reversal signal that features a small real body near the top and a long lower shadow. It indicates a battle where sellers initially dominated, but buyers managed to close near the open price.
Three soldiers
Three consecutive bullish candles, all approximately the same size. These indicate that a big buy is coming soon.
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Trading with Candlestick Patterns
Candlestick patterns become more meaningful when they align with major chart areas—such as previous support or resistance, trendlines, or retracement zones. A bullish signal at a support level can hint that the downward pressure is fading, while a bearish pattern at resistance may warn of an upcoming decline.
To increase the reliability of your trades, combine candlestick patterns with other forms of technical analysis:
* Support & Resistance Zones: These are price levels where the market has historically reacted. Candlestick patterns forming near these zones have stronger potential implications.
* Fibonacci Levels : These help identify likely retracement areas. When a candlestick pattern forms near a key Fibonacci level like 61.8%, it adds strength to a potential reversal setup.
* Liquidity Areas: Clusters of orders (buy or sell) tend to create strong reactions. When patterns appear in these zones, they often precede more decisive moves.
* Technical Indicators : RSI, MACD, Moving Averages, and Stochastic RSI can provide confirmation. For instance, a bullish reversal pattern that appears when RSI is oversold strengthens the signal.
💡 Tip: Don’t rush into trades based on one candlestick alone. Always wait for the next candle or price confirmation (e.g., a break of a previous high/low) to validate your signal.
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