Candlestick Charting

• History
• Candlestick Terms
  • Candle
  • Long and Short Bodies
  • Doji's
  • Engulfing
  • Hammer/Hanging Man
  • Gaps
• charts on the Web
• Candle Glossaries
• Recommended Reading

Candle



The candle is comprised of two parts, the body and the shadows. The body encompasses the open and closing price for the period. The candle body is black if the security closed below the open, and white if the close was higher than the open for the period. The candlestick shadow encompasses the intraperiod high and low.
(Note: In candlestick charting the following periods are often used; 5 min, 15 min, 1 hour, daily and weekly). Long shadows, show that the trading extended well beyond the opening and/or closing price, while short shadows, show that trading was confined closely to the open and/or closing price.

Long, and Short Bodies; Marubozo and Spinning Tops

A long body, is a candlestick with a very long body when compared with other recent candles. White bodies show intense buying pressure, where as black bodies show intense selling pressures. Long white candles are generally bullish, but are also found at blowout tops, so they must be interpreted with surrounding candles. Similar long black candles are generally bearish, but are also found at capitulation bottoms. Long bodies with no upper and lower shadows are called Marubozo's. Marubozo's are more powerful than long candles as they show a steady advance (or decline if black)throughout the trading period. A short candle is the opposite of a long candle and usually implies consolidation, as the stock traded in a narrow range during the period. Short candles with long upper and lower shadows are called spinning tops, and are potential reversal signs, as it shows that despite trading in a wide range, the security closed close to the open. A spinning top becomes a doji as the closing price approaches the open price.

Doji's

Doji's are powerful reversal indicating candlesticks and are formed when the security opens and closes at the same level, implying indecision in the stock price. Depending on the location and length of the shadows, doji's can be categorized into the following formations: doji, long legged-doji, butterfly doji, gravestone doji, 4 price doji, etc. Doji's become more significant when seen after an extended rally of long bodied candles (bullish or bearish) and are confirmed with an engulfing.( a long candlestick formed over the next period which engulfs the doji body).

A long legged-doji is formed when the stock opens at a level, trades in a considerable trading range only to close at the same level as it opened. Long legged-doji's become more powerful when preceded by small candles, as a sudden burst of volatility in a relative unvolatile stock, can imply a trend change is coming.


Dragonfly Doji's are doji's that opened at the high of a session, had a considerable interperiod decline, then find support to rally back to close at the same level as the open. Dragonfly Doji's are often seen after a moderate decline, and are bottom reversal indicators when confirmed with a bullish engulfing.

Gravestone Doji's are the opposite of the Dragonfly Doji and are top reversal indicators when confirmed with bearish engulfings. As the name implies, gravestone doji's look like a gravestone, and could signal impending doom for a stock.

4 price doji's occur when the stock opens, trades and closes at virtually the same level for the period. These are very rare, except with thinly traded securities.

Engulfings

An engulfing occurs when the candle body engulfs the previous candles body. White engulfing candles are bullish engulfings, where as black engulfing candles are bearish engulfings. Bullish engulfings are commonly found at short term bottoms, where as bearish engulfings at tops. Many candlesticks, such as dojis, hammers, hanging mans need confirmation of a trend change with an engulfing (bullish engulfing at bottoms, bearish engulfings at tops).

Hammers/ Hanging Man

Hammers and hanging man's are short body candle's with little or no upper shadow, and a lower shadow at lease twice as long as the candle body. Hammers are formed after declines, and hanging man's after advances. When confirmed they become powerful reversal signals, especially the hammer. The expression "hammers out a bottom" refers to when after the open, the downtrend in a stock continues, until at some point, enough buying interest is generated, to bring prices close to where they open. Confirmation comes from a bullish engulfing, showing the trader that the up trend is established. The color of the hanging man/hammer is unimportant, but some consider white hammers and black hanging man's more potent reversal signals.

Gaps

A gap occurs when a candlestick body doesn't fall within the range of the previous candlestick body, a more loosely interpreted definition of a gap, requires no overlap between the shadows, making it obvious on a bar chart as well. You will often hear "All Gaps Get Filled", which is untrue. While the vast majority of gaps do get filled, you can find some charts, where a gap has never filled. Depending on how you define a gap, should base your definition of a gap fill. For instance I consider a gap when 2 bodies don't overlap, so I wait for a body fill to call the gap close. If one was using the criteria of shadow overlap, a gap fill would occur with a shadow fill. Gaps are typically continuation patterns, and sometimes mark the 50% point of a move. They become more significant as the stock approaches the level of the gap as it often acts as a magnet. During a gap fill, it is considered bearish closing below the bottom of the gap and bullish closing above it. Once formed gap's will often serve as strong support/resistance levels even after being closed for some time.

Exhaustion gaps signify the end of market bottoms and tops, where initially overwhelming buying pressure, is soon consumed by selling pressure (and vice versa for bottoms). Exhaustion gaps have significant volume associated with them, and are often closed within 3 trading days. Sometimes an exhaustion gap will be followed by another gap at the same levels, some examples are shooting stars, doji stars, abandoned baby, etc. These 2 gap formation are powerful reversal signal's.

Three Gap Play occurs when a stock gaps in the direction of the trend for close to 3 consecutive periods, with the final gap is an exhaustion gap that is larger then the previous gaps with respect to size and volume. After the exhaustion gap, the trend changes all of the gaps immediately get filled. After the final gap is filled, the stock turns and continues well beyond the initial exhaustion gap. Although pretty rare, they can be very profitable if recognized early and swing traded.

• Stock Charts:Some of the best free candlestick charts available on the web.
• Ask Research:The best intra-day candles on the web. Free real time index, delayed intra-day, real time intraday for a price.

• Stock chart summary: Read with Arthur Hill has to say on the subject of Candlestick Charting
• Lit Wick Candle Glossary:Glossary of almost all candlesticks and candlestick patterns

Fibonacci Numbers

Overview
Use in Trading
ABC's
Confluence
Trading Strategies
Links (Elliot Wave Tutorials)

Overview
Fibonacci numbers are the result of work by Leonardo Fibonacci in the early 1200's while studying the Great Pyramid of Gizeh. The fibonacci series is a numerical sequence comprised of adding the previous numbers together, i.e.,

(1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144,233 etc..)

An interesting property of these numbers is that as the series proceeds, any given number is 1.618 times the preceding number and 0.618% of the next number.

(34/55 = 55/89 = 144/233 =0.618) (55/34 =89/55 =233/144 =1.618), and 1.618 =1/0.618.

This properties of the fibonacci series occur throughout nature, science and math and is the number 0.618 is often referred to as the "golden ratio" as it is the root of the following polynomial x^2+x-1=0 which can be rearranged to x= 1/(1+x).

So that's were the fib # 0.618 comes from. The other fibs 0.382 and 0.5 commonly used in technical analysis have a less impressive background but are just as powerful in Technical analysis.

0.382=(1-.618)=(0.618*0.618)

and 0.5 is the mean of the two numbers.

Other neat fib facts (0.618*(1+0.618)=1 and (0.382*(1+.618))=0.618.

Use of Fibonacci #'s in Technical Analysis
Fibonacci numbers are commonly used in Technical Analysis with or without a knowledge of Elliot wave analysis to determine potential support, resistance, and price objectives. 38.2% retracements usually imply that the prior trend will continue, 61.8% retracements imply a new trend is establishing itself. A 50% retracement implies indecision. 38.2% retracements are considered nautral retracements in a healthy trend.

ABC's
Price objectives for a natural retracement (38.2%) can be determined by adding (or subtracting in a downtrend) the magnitude of the previous trend to the 38.2% retracement. After the 38.2% retracement the stock should break through the previous swing point(B) on heavier volume. If the volume isn't there the magnitude of the move will usually be diminished, especially on very low volume. A-B =C-D when B-C =38.2% of A-B
61.8% retracements are warning signs of a potential trend changes. For a more detailed explanation of Fibonacci price projections and price wave theory I highly recommend the Elliot Wave Principle links below.

Confluence Confluence occurs when you take fibonacci projections off of multiple trends and get the same number and strengthens when it corresponds with other technical advents such as gaps, swing high/lows, chart indicators crossovers (MACD, RSI, Stochastics, etc.), trading congestion, etc. The more confluence, the more significant the level. I really take notice when I get two or more fib #s (say a 38.2% and 61.8%) to correspond with a gap in the chart or a swing high. Confluence is very powerful as it combines multiple technical analysis techniques to arrive at the same conclusion, and should be relied on accordingly IMHO

Trading Strageties  JMHO

Once a new swing point is established in an equity, a new set of fibonacci numbers should be calculated, and confluence checked to determine potential support/resistance levels and trading strategies. (let the Fibonacci Calculator do most of the work for you). For instance:


If a stock is trending up, one may watch it until it forms a top then calculate the fibs. If she retraces 38.2% and turns with confluence, one could bite with an automatic stop under the 50% retracement and objective of the ABC. The Risk/Reward ratio for that trade is 0.118. (If you got stopped out 8 times and hit once you would have a 5.6% profit).

If she's trending down, you could bite at the 38.2% bounce with a stop at the 50% and get the same risk/reward ratio. Would both strategies it is critical for the volume to be heavier on the swing point breakout.

If a position is going with you and you're looking for an exit point, calculate the 38.2% fib once a top is clear and put a stop below it. Won't get you out at the top but you may not miss that monster rally either.

Think a stock is a dog but it's trading at it's high wait for a 61.8% retracement from the last trend and sell it, with the stop below the 50% retracement.

Post your favorite fib strategies or give feedback

• The Fibonacci Calculator A fib calculator. Input wave high and lows and get the fib #'s automatically, saves allot of wear and tear on your calculator batteries. This calculator will be improved over the next couple of weeks
• Elliott Wave Principle 201 You can learn to use the Elliott Wave Principle starting today, at your own pace. We offer the most comprehensive educational course available -- for free -- right here on our web site.
• Elliot Wave Principle 101 Introduction to The Wave Principle: A capsule summary of the Wave Principle
• Equis Fibonacci Description of using fibonacci #'s in charting
• Equis Retracement Summary Describes using methods to calculate retracements and projections
• Elliot Wave Principle Detailed description of fibonacci #'s and Elliot waves.