Types of Candlestick Patterns

Candlestick patterns are one of the most powerful technical analysis tools. It provides you with crucial insights into the market sentiment and potential price movements. Whether you are trading or investing, you can use the different types of patterns to make more accurate and well-informed decisions.

Key takeaways

• Candlestick patterns are technical indicators that help traders evaluate historical price patterns and anticipate future price movements.
• Bullish candlesticks are patterns that indicate a continuation of an upward trend, which is marked by a further increase in prices.
• Bearish candlesticks are patterns that signal a continuation of a downward trend, where prices may continue to fall.
• Reversal candlesticks are patterns that help traders prepare for a potential price reversal from a bullish to a bearish market or vice versa.

Wondering how many types of candlestick patterns there are? Currently, there are more than 40 candlestick patterns recognised and actively used by the trading and investing community. In this comprehensive guide, we are going to explore the different types of patterns and how to incorporate them into your trading strategy.

Candlesticks are visual representations of the price movement of a particular asset for a specific time frame, which can range from a minute to a month. They show the opening, highest, lowest, and closing prices for the chosen time frame.

Candlestick patterns, meanwhile, are a sequence of candlesticks arranged in a particular fashion. Traders often view the presence of these patterns in a candlestick price chart as an indication of a future price movement.

Candlestick patterns are usually classified into three categories based on the number of candles. These include single-candlestick patterns, double-candlestick patterns, and three-candlestick patterns. Additionally, the patterns can also be classified into various categories based on market sentiment (bullish, bearish, and neutral) and function (trend continuation and trend reversal).

Use the MMI Index to get real-time insight into investor mood.

Bearish candlestick patterns are unique candlestick formations that indicate a potential downward price movement in an asset. Here is a quick overview of a few of the most common bearish candlestick patterns.

• Bearish engulfing pattern

  The bearish engulfing pattern is another one of the common double candlestick patterns and is the direct inverse of the bullish engulfing pattern. It is characterised by a small bullish (green) candle followed by a larger bearish (red) candle. The bearish candle completely covers the body of the first bullish candle. The appearance of this pattern usually suggests a potential shift to a downtrend.

• Dark cloud cover

  Among the different types of patterns that indicate bearishness in an asset is the dark cloud cover. The pattern consists of a bullish candle succeeded by a bearish candle. The bearish candle opens above the high of the bullish candle but closes below its halfway point. The dark cloud cover pattern suggests an increase in the selling pressure, signalling a possible bearish trend.

• Three black crows

  The three black crows feature three bearish candlesticks with long bodies. The candles appear consecutively on the price chart, with each of them closing higher than the previous one. The pattern suggests a strong bearish sentiment and a potential continuation of a downtrend.

Bullish candlestick patterns are specific candlestick formations that signal a potential price appreciation in an asset. Some of the most common bullish candlestick patterns include the following:

• Hammer

  The hammer is a single candlestick pattern featuring a candle shaped in a form resembling a hammer. The pattern is characterised by a small body with a short or no upper wick and a lower wick that is twice the length of the body at the very least. The hammer is one of the many types of candlesticks that indicate a potential bullish trend.

• Bullish engulfing pattern

  One of the most well-known double candlestick patterns, the bullish engulfing pattern, consists of a small bearish (red) candle succeeded by a large bullish (green) candle. The bullish candle completely covers the body of the first bearish candle. The appearance of a bullish engulfing pattern on the price chart is usually succeeded by a bullish trend.

• Three white soldiers

  As the name implies, the three white soldiers are a three-candlestick pattern. It is characterised by three bullish candles with long bodies appearing consecutively on the price chart. Each of the three candles closes higher than the previous one. The pattern typically indicates strong bullish sentiment and a potential continuation of an uptrend.

Among the different types of patterns, traders often consider reversal candlestick patterns to be the most important and useful. The appearance of these patterns usually indicates a potential trend reversal from bullish to bearish and vice versa.

The hammer, engulfing patterns (both bullish and bearish), and dark cloud cover that were discussed above are among the most common reversal candlestick patterns. In addition to these, there are other types of candlesticks as well. Here is a quick overview of a few of the other reversal candlestick patterns.

• Doji: The doji is a single candlestick pattern that resembles a cross. The unique appearance of this candlestick is due to the opening and closing prices being very close to each other, which creates a small or no body. The upper and lower wicks, however, are quite long. Although the doji is a neutral candlestick pattern, it could indicate a potential trend reversal if it appears at the end of an uptrend or a downtrend.
• Shooting star: The shooting star candlestick pattern that resembles the appearance of an inverted hammer. The pattern is characterised by a small body at the bottom with a short or no bottom wick and a long upper wick that is at least twice the length of the body at the very least. The shooting star commonly appears at the top of an uptrend and signals the start of a bearish trend reversal.

• Harami: The harami is one of the many double candlestick patterns that indicate reversal. The pattern is characterised by a long candlestick succeeded by a short candlestick. The short candlestick is completely contained within the body of the long candlestick. There are two variants of the harami: bullish harami and bearish harami.

  
  

The bullish harami features a long bearish candle succeeded by a short bullish candle, whose body is contained within that of the first candle. This variant of the pattern usually indicates indecision and could indicate a potential bullish reversal if it appears at the end of a downtrend.

The bearish harami, meanwhile, features a long bullish candle succeeded by a short bearish candle, whose body is contained within that of the first candle. This variant also indicates indecision in the market and could signify a potential bearish reversal if it appears at the top of an uptrend.

Knowing how to use the different types of patterns is crucial for making informed trading and investment decisions. Here is a quick overview of how you can effectively incorporate candlestick patterns into your trading strategy.

• Familiarise yourself with the basics: Knowing the basics of candlestick patterns is crucial since it can help you quickly spot them on the price charts. Spend some time learning the common bullish and bearish candlestick patterns, why they form, and what they signify.
• Practice with historical charts: Use historical price charts to learn how to identify patterns and predict their outcomes. This will help you gain experience and give you confidence. You could also practise backtesting your trading strategy against historical charts and analysing the outcomes.
• Consider the overall trend: When analysing the various types of candlesticks, always remember to take the overall trend into consideration. This is because the effectiveness of a pattern can depend on its position within the larger market trend.
• Wait for confirmation: Before making any trading decision based on the appearance of a candlestick pattern, remember to first wait for additional price action or volume confirmation. Sometimes, trend reversals and continuations may not materialise despite the appearance of a particular candlestick due to various reasons. Waiting for confirmation before taking any action can ensure that you do not get trapped.
• Use the right time frame: Different trading strategies and styles warrant the use of different time frames. For instance, if you are planning to employ a scalping strategy, consider using a 1-minute timeframe for candlestick charts. On the other hand, if you are planning on trading intraday, you can use a slightly longer timeframe of 30 minutes to an hour.
• Combine with other technical indicators: Making trading decisions solely based on candlestick patterns can be risky, especially if the intended market movement does not materialise. However, you can increase the effectiveness and accuracy of trading signals by combining candlestick patterns with other technical indicators and analysis techniques like support and resistance levels, trend lines, and momentum indicators.