Learning Not to TradeThe ability to wait for your setup is the most important skill a trader can have.
Strangely enough, in trading, you absolutely must learn not to trade. Patience is key. We’re like predators lying in ambush: no sudden moves, no panic, just waiting for the right moment.
No setup — no trade.
Sometimes it's a day or two without trades, sometimes a week or even more.
Hard? Very. It feels like you have to participate in every move, squeeze the maximum out of every market, trade daily, nonstop — hands itching, mind racing, gotta make money. Some traders even set financial goals — I’m totally against that. You’ve got a "monthly target"? Great — now you're forced to find trades where there are none.
But there’s an awesome fix for that: create trading-related activities for yourself during downtimes:
1. Analyze your past trades.
In detail: average gain, average loss, win rate, risk/reward ratio, and more. Where are your strengths? Which markets and instruments work best for you? Where do you tend to screw up — late stops, premature exits, re-entries? How can you minimize losses?
2. Study price action after you close a trade.
Maybe you’re exiting too early and missing the rest of the move. Tons of traders scalp and make money, sure — but if they didn’t scalp, they could’ve made twice as much. Data from successful traders shows a clear edge in holding positions for at least a few days. Also — let’s not forget commissions: fewer trades means lower costs.
3. Test new setups.
Use TradingView's replay function to go back in time and trade historical data as if it were live. It’ll sharpen your eye for candle and chart patterns, help validate new strategies, and overall — it’s just super useful.
4. Read books.
All good traders read — a lot, constantly, forever. Sit down with a highlighter, mark up important ideas, and better yet — take notes. Learning never stops.
And now — plot twist: this is your actual job.
Not sitting and hypnotizing charts all day. Not entering a trade and staring at every pip like a madman — one second you're thrilled, the next you’re sweating bullets.
Yes, we look at charts and order books — all useful tools — but we analyze smartly, not emotionally.
Trading is everything that happens before the trade.
Waiting for your moment. Knowing exactly where your stop loss and take profit should be.
I was analyzing my trading and realized that my main recurring mistakes right now is exiting too early , then re-entering with a tight stop, getting stopped out, and then entering again.
Overtrading.
And the worst part — this isn’t the first time. But I know how to fix it!
In my next educational post, I’ll write about the most common trading mistakes and how I personally worked through them.
Because honestly — I’ve made every mistake you can possibly make, even the ones you’re not supposed to be able to make. I’ve been in all kinds of psychological states, and I’ve tried a ton of different ways to deal with each issue.
See you in the next one.
Community ideas
Instructional for my brother. IThis is a bad swing trade, it is under the 180 day moving average. You wouldn't enter this using a swing trading system alone, its more advanced to identify. But you can see the yellow line I drew, that is strong resistance. That means the price don't want to go below that line.
I put what a trade would look like on it. You see how in this trade there is much more green than red? That is a good risk to reward ration.
Now here is CBOE. See how the green and red of this projected trade are nearly equal? Yeah, that is a bad risk to reward ration. At a 1:1 (that is for each dollar you can gain, you are risking) you are at a coin toss odds. Which is better than gambling but isn't trading.
You pretty much have the gist of Bravo simple trading, these are more advanced things. IF you are trading, you want to know where you will set your stop loss and where you will set your take profit BEFORE you buy anything. And then set those with the trade. That way you know beforehand what a worse case scenario looks like. If you do this, you will very likely succeed in the long run.
Mastering Volatile Markets: Liquidity Makes or Breaks Trades█ Mastering Volatile Markets Part 2: Why Liquidity Makes or Breaks Your Trades
If you've read the first part of this four-part series, you know that reducing position size is a key strategy for surviving volatile markets. The second crucial factor that determines success or failure in wild markets is understanding liquidity.
In volatile markets, liquidity is often the real reason behind those massive price spikes — whether 300-500 point moves in the NAS100, violent whipsaws in crypto or stop hunts in forex.
█ Liquidity: The Silent Killer in Wild Markets
In normal market conditions, liquidity is everywhere. You can enter and exit trades with minimal slippage, and everything feels smooth. But in volatile conditions, liquidity can disappear quickly.
Here's why it happens:
Market makers pull back to avoid getting caught in wild moves.
Spreads widen , making execution harder.
Order books thin out , meaning there aren't enough buy or sell orders to absorb aggressive price movements.
Even small orders can cause significant price changes when liquidity is low.
This is what causes those huge candles you often see in volatile markets. It's not just about more buyers or sellers; it's about less liquidity available to absorb those trades.
There’s also a common misunderstanding at play here: High Volume = High Liquidity
Many newer traders see a big volume candle and think, "Oh, high volume means it's safe to trade." But that’s an inaccurate conclusion.
⚪ Volume refers to the number of transactions happening.
⚪ Liquidity refers to how much depth the market has to handle those transactions without causing price instability.
In volatile markets, high volume doesn't mean there's enough liquidity.
And low liquidity causes wild wicks, huge spreads, higher slippage and unstable price action.
█ How to Navigate Low Liquidity in Volatile Markets
So, how can you trade effectively in these conditions?
1) Expect Crazy Moves — Levels Will Get Violated
In high-volatility, low-liquidity markets:
Support and resistance levels won't hold as they usually do.
Price will blow through key levels like they were nothing.
Fakeouts become extremely common.
2) Don't Rely Solely on Support & Resistance
As a newer trader, it's vital not to blindly rely on S/R levels in these markets. Here's why:
Don't expect clean bounces or perfect reactions.
Fakeouts, wicks, and stop hunts are normal.
Tight stops right behind these levels? You'll get stopped out a lot.
Experienced traders know this, which is why we adapt the strategies to handle the market's unpredictability.
3) Split Your Orders Into Smaller Chunks
One of the most effective techniques in volatile markets is order splitting.
Break it into smaller chunks instead of entering your full position at one price. This would help you survive fakeouts, scale in better across larger price moves and avoid becoming liquidity for bigger players.
Example: Let's say you want to go long at support (15,000 on the NAS100), instead of entering all at 15,000. Instead Enter:
25% at 15,000
25% at 14,950
25% at 14,900
25% at 14,850
This way, if the market fakes out below support due to low liquidity, you get filled at better prices without panic.
4) Control Your Emotions — Understand the Environment
This is HUGE in volatile markets.
Many retail traders panic when prices move against them quickly. But if you understand the nature of low liquidity , you can remain calm:
It's normal for the price to move wildly.
Levels will get swept.
Fake moves are common before the market plays out the right way.
█ Summary
Let’s take stock of what we learned today about liquidity in highly volatile markets:
High volatility often equals low liquidity.
High volume does not equal high liquidity.
Expect fakeouts , wild price behavior, and wide spreads.
Don't rely blindly on support/resistance levels.
Split your orders into smaller chunks to manage risk.
Trade smaller position sizes and stay calm.
Remember, you must adapt not only your size but also your execution . Understand liquidity, or it will punish you.
█ What We Covered Already:
Part 1: Reduce Position Size
Part 2: Liquidity Makes or Breaks Trades
█ What's Coming Next in the Series:
Part 3: Patience Over FOMO
Part 4: Trend Is Your Best Friend
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Disclaimer
The content provided in my scripts, indicators, ideas, algorithms, and systems is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice, investment recommendations, or a solicitation to buy or sell any financial instruments. I will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from the use of or reliance on such information.
All investments involve risk, and the past performance of a security, industry, sector, market, financial product, trading strategy, backtest, or individual's trading does not guarantee future results or returns. Investors are fully responsible for any investment decisions they make. Such decisions should be based solely on an evaluation of their financial circumstances, investment objectives, risk tolerance, and liquidity needs.
RSI 101: Revealing the Special Characteristics of RSIWhy does RSI have support and resistance levels at 40 and 60?
Why does divergence happen between RSI and price?
What is RSI momentum?
All the characteristics of RSI (that I know) will be explained here.
Formula and Meaning
If you are using TradingView, you probably already know what RSI is and what "overbought" and "oversold" mean. So, I won’t repeat it here. Instead, I’ll dive deeper into the true nature of RSI, giving you a different perspective.
You can skip the mathematical formula of RSI, it’s already discussed everywhere online. Just remember this ratio table:
Here’s how I explain the table:
At RSI = 50, the average gain equals the average loss (I'll call this the buy/sell ratio). This is a balanced point. Buyers and sellers are equally strong.
At RSI ~ 60 (66.66), the buy/sell ratio = 2/1. Buyers are twice as strong as sellers.
At RSI ~ 40 (33.33), the buy/sell ratio = 1/2. Sellers are twice as strong as buyers.
At RSI = 80, the buy/sell ratio = 4/1. Buyers are four times stronger.
At RSI = 20, the buy/sell ratio = 1/4. Sellers are four times stronger.
The formula shows that when RSI reaches 80 or 20, the buyer or seller is extremely strong — about four times stronger — confirming a clear trend.
At these levels, some Trading strategies suggest placing a Sell or Buy based on the overbought/oversold idea.
But for me, that’s not the best way. The right approach is: when a trend is clearly formed, we should follow it.
I'll explain why right below.
Look at this chart showing RSI changes with the buy/sell ratio:
When RSI > 50:
When RSI < 50:
You can see that the higher RSI goes, the slower it climbs, but the high buy/sell ratio makes price move up faster.
Similarly, when RSI goes lower, it drops slower but price drops faster.
That’s why at overbought (RSI=80) or oversold (RSI=20) areas, you need to be careful. Even a small RSI moving can lead to big price changes, easily hitting your stop loss.
On the other hand, if you follow the trend and wait for RSI to pull back, you will trade safer and more profitably.
RSI Key Levels
Here are some special RSI levels I personally find useful when observing FX:XAUUSD :
(These levels are relative. They might vary with different timeframes or trading pairs. Check historical data to find the right ones for you. On bigger timeframes like M15 or above, the accuracy is better.)
RSI = 20
When RSI hits 20, sellers dominate. This confirms a trend reversal to bearish.
RSI = 80
When RSI hits 80, buyers dominate. This confirms a trend reversal to bullish.
RSI = 40
This is a sensitive level. Sellers start gaining the upper hand (sell/buy = 2/1).
If buyers lose 40, they lose their advantage.
So RSI >= 40 is "buyer territory". In an uptrend, RSI usually stays above 40.
RSI = 40 acts as support in an uptrend.
RSI = 60
Same idea. RSI <= 60 is "seller territory".
RSI = 60 acts as resistance in a downtrend.
40 and 60 are considered the key levels of RSI.
Now you guys know why RSI has support/resistance around 40/60!
RSI Range
As you know, RSI moves between 0 and 100.
Since RSI >= 40 is buyer territory, we can see the relationship between price and RSI:
When RSI stays above 40, price tends to move in an uptrend:
When RSI stays below 60, price tends to move in a downtrend:
When RSI stays between 40 and 60, buyers and sellers are balanced, and price moves sideways in a box:
When RSI is moving, It creates a RSI Range.
Whenever the trend switches between the three states — uptrend, sideways, and downtrend — a Range Shift is formed.
At first, RSI moves in 40-60 range, price moves sideways. A strong price move pushes RSI to 80. Later, RSI stays above 50, helping price grow strongly. When momentum fades, RSI returns to 40-60 and price moves sideways again.
Note:
RSI reflects Dow Theory by showing the stages of accumulation, growth, and distribution.
And as you see, when RSI touches key levels, the trend often pulls it back.
RSI Momentum
Price momentum means how fast price changes.RSI momentum represents the change in the strength between buying and selling forces.
When RSI > 50:
If price falls, RSI shows high momentum — RSI drops fast but price drops slowly.
If price rises, RSI shows low momentum — RSI rises slowly but price rises fast.
For example, at first RSI is above 50.
Price drops from (a) to (b) by 44 units, RSI drops from (Ra) to (Rb) by 25 units.
Later, RSI drops from (Rb) to (Rc) (also 25 units) but price drops from (b) to (c) by 73 units.
When RSI < 50:
If price falls, RSI has low momentum — RSI drops slowly but price falls fast.
If price rises, RSI has high momentum — RSI rises fast but price rises slowly.
RSI and Price Divergence
Divergence happens when price and RSI move in opposite directions:
Price goes up but RSI goes down, or vice versa.
Why does divergence happen?
In a strong downtrend, price forms a bottom at point (1), and RSI drops to level (r1).
When a price pullback happens, price pushes up to a peak at point (2), and RSI also bounces back to level (r2).
Because the downtrend is strong, after completing the pullback (1-2), price continues to make a lower bottom at point (3).
At this point, remember the behavior of RSI momentum when RSI is below 50:
It takes a large price drop (from 2 to 3) to cause a small RSI drop (from r2 to r3).
Meanwhile, even a small price increase (from 1 to 2) causes a large RSI rise (from r1 to r2).
Since the distance (1-2) is smaller than (2-3), but the RSI move (r1-r2) is bigger than (r2-r3), divergence is created.
Divergence shows that the current trend is very strong, not a complete signal of a trend reversal.
(I might share with you how to spot a complete RSI reversal signal in future posts.)
As shown in the example above, after forming bottom (5) and creating a bullish divergence between (3-5) and (r3-r5), price still kept dropping sharply while RSI kept rising.
In these areas, if you keep trying to catch a reversal just based on divergence, you will likely need to DCA or cut your losses many times.
That’s why the most important thing in trading is always to follow the trend.
RSI Exhaustion
RSI Exhaustion happens when RSI keeps getting rejected by a resistance or support zone and can’t break through.
After a strong downtrend, RSI recovers but stalls around the 5x zone.
It tries many times but fails, showing buying power is weakening.
Then the downtrend continues:
Exhaustion near high or low RSI levels creates stronger divergences than exhaustion in the middle range:
Double or triple tops/bottoms on RSI (M or W shapes) basically indicate RSI exhaustion.
RSI Can Identify Trend Strength
In an uptrend:
If RSI pulls back to a higher level before going up again, the trend is stronger.
The pullback should not fall too deep (below 40).
Example:
First rally: RSI drops to 60 before rising again → strong rally (273 units).
Second rally: RSI drops to 50 before rising again → weaker rally (94 units).
Same idea for a downtrend:
If RSI pullbacks to 50 then drops again, the downtrend is stronger than if it pullbacks to 60.
RSI Support and Resistance
Besides 40-60 acting as support/resistance, RSI also reacts to old tops and bottoms it created.
Why does this happen?
RSI is calculated from closing prices.
On a higher timeframe, the candle close price is a high/low or support/resistance price on lower timeframes.
When RSI moves in a trend on a higher timeframe, it maintains a buy/sell ratio, forcing lower timeframe RSI to oscillate within a range.
Example:
On H4, RSI stays above 40 → uptrend.
It makes H1 RSI move between 30-80.
Sharp RSI tops/bottoms react even stronger because they show strong buying/selling forces.
Summary
When looking at the price chart, we can see that price can rise or fall freely without any defined boundaries.
However, RSI operates differently: it always moves within a fixed range from 0 to 100.
During its movement, RSI forms specific patterns that reflect the behavior of price.
Because RSI has a clear boundary, identifying its characteristics and rules becomes easier compared to analyzing pure price action.
By studying RSI patterns, we can make better assumptions and predict future price trends with higher accuracy.
I have shared with you the core characteristics of RSI, summarized as follows:
Besides overbought (80) and oversold (20), RSI respects 40 and 60.
40 is support level in an uptrend. 60 is resistance level in a downtrend.
In an uptrend, RSI stays above 40.
In a downtrend, RSI stays below 60.
An RSI Range-Shift leads to a trend change.
RSI Divergence shows strong trends.
Double or triple tops/bottoms show RSI exhaustion → potential reversals.
The higher the RSI level, the slower it moves, but the faster the price rises.
The lower the RSI level, the slower it moves, but the faster the price falls.
A strong uptrend can be identified when RSI moves within a higher range or shows continuous bearish divergences.
A strong downtrend can be identified when RSI moves within a lower range or shows continuous bullish divergences.
RSI reacts to its old tops and bottoms.
Sharper RSI peaks show stronger selling.
Sharper RSI bottoms show stronger buying.
In the next parts, I’ll show you how to apply these RSI's Characteristics to trend analysis, multi-timeframe analysis, and trading strategies, that you might have never seen before.
I trade purely with RSI. Follow me for deep dives into RSI-based technical analysis and discussions!
Are You Taking the Right Risks in Trading? RISK Per Trade Basics
What portion of your equity should you risk for your trading positions?
In the today's article, I will reveal the types of risks related to your position sizing.
Quick note: your risk per trade will be defined by the distance from your entry point to stop loss in pips and the lot size.
🟢Risking 1-2% of your trading account per trade will be considered a low risk.
With such a risk, one can expect low returns but a high level of safety of the total equity.
Such a risk is optimal for conservative and newbie traders.
With limited account drawdowns, one will remain psychologically stable during the negative trading periods.
🟡2-5% risk per trade is a medium risk. With such a risk, one can expect medium returns but a moderate level of safety of the total equity.
Such a risk is suitable for experienced traders who are able to take losses and psychologically resilient to big drawdowns and losing streaks.
🔴5%+ risk per trade is a high risk.
With such a risk, one can expect high returns but a low level of safety of the total equity.
Such a risk is appropriate for rare, "5-star" trading opportunities where all stars align and one is extremely confident in the positive outcome.
That winner alone can bring substantial profits, while just 2 losing trades in a row will burn 10% of the entire capital.
🛑15%+ risk per trade is considered to be a stupid risk.
With such a risk, one can blow the entire trading account with 4-5 trades losing streak.
Taking into consideration the fact that 100% trading setups does not exist, such a risk is too high to be taken.
The problem is that most of the traders does not measure the % risk per trade and use the fixed lot.
Never make such a mistake, and plan your risks according to the scale that I shared with you.
❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️
I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis.
What happens to markets when the dxy rallies?!Scanning through the markets during these turbulent times has me, wondering what would happen when the dollar index rallies to new highs? Will the real estate market be higher? Will Gold be higher? Will inflation be higher? With the great reset well underway and the sheep buying the left- right blame game, what will happen to our beloved investments?
LiteCoin (LTC) - Chart reading with Weis Wave with Speed Index
Lesson 15 Methodology:
1. Largest up volume wave at the bottom after while (probable buyers but let's confirm using AVWAP and Weis Wave with Speed Index and it's Plutus Signals.
2. Placed AVWAP at the beginning of the previous down wave and wait for price to pullback to it.
3. Price Respects AVWAP.
4. Abnormal Speed Index 40.8 is a sign that price has a hard time to move down.
5. Enter Long on PL signal.
... and up we go!!!!
Target Fib area which was reached!
No entries now - Fib could risky!
Mastering Volatile Markets: Why Reducing Position Size is Key █ Mastering Volatile Markets Part 1: Why Reducing Position Size is Key
Trading is always challenging, but how do you navigate today's markets? That's a whole different level. Today, we'll move away from the usual "Trump's tariffs are horrendous" discussions. We'll instead focus on how experienced traders profit in the current volatile market.
Right now, we're seeing extreme volatility across many assets. It's not uncommon for markets to move 3% to 10% in a single day , and for indices like NAS100 (Nasdaq), intraday swings of 300 to 500 points can happen in just 5 to 30 minutes.
This can seem like bad news, but as Warren Buffet said in 2008, "In short, bad news is an investor's best friend."
Volatile markets can shake even experienced traders — but they don’t have to. With 16 years of trading experience , we’ll show you exactly how to approach conditions like these with confidence and clarity.
█ Reducing position size is the key to surviving volatility:
The most critical adjustment in a volatile market is reducing position size.
Why? Because when the market moves faster and with bigger swings, your potential risk per trade automatically increases. The key is to keep your d ollar risk the same — even when volatility is exploding.
⚪ Let's take a look at how position size changes when markets change:
2 Weeks Ago — Stable Market:
NAS100 average move per trade = 50 to 100 points
Risk per trade = 100 points = $500 risk (for example)
Position Size = 5 contracts
Today — Volatile Market:
NAS100 average move per trade = 300 to 500 points
To maintain the same $500 risk per trade → Position Size = 1 contract
⚪ The Benefit:
With a smaller position, you can still earn the same profit because the price is moving much more. At the same time, your risk stays controlled , even in these wild markets.
This is exactly how professional traders survive and thrive in volatile conditions — by adjusting to what the market is giving them.
⚪ What Happens If You Don't Reduce Size?
Let's say you keep the same position size as in stable markets, but now the market moves 300-500 points against you instead of 50-100. Here's how it plays out (example):
In Stable Markets (NAS100 average move: 50-100 points):
Position Size: 5 contracts
Risk per contract: $10 per point
Risk per trade: 100 points x $10 x 5 contracts = $5,000 risk per trade
In Volatile Markets (NAS100 average move: 300-500 points):
Position Size: 5 contracts (unchanged)
Risk per contract: $10 per point
Risk per trade: 500 points x $10 x 5 contracts = $25,000 risk per trade
Without reducing position size, your risk increases dramatically as the market moves wildly. As a result, your losses will skyrocket when the market moves against you.
█ Summary:
Huge volatility = Smaller position size
Same risk = Same profit potential
Trade smarter, not bigger
This is rule number one when navigating wild markets like the ones we have today.
█ What's Coming Next in the Series:
Part 2: Liquidity Is the Silent Killer
Part 3: Patience Over FOMO
Part 4: Trend Is Your Best Friend
Stay tuned for the next part — and remember, adapting to volatility isn't just about managing risk, it's about mastering the market!
-----------------
Disclaimer
The content provided in my scripts, indicators, ideas, algorithms, and systems is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice, investment recommendations, or a solicitation to buy or sell any financial instruments. I will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from the use of or reliance on such information.
All investments involve risk, and the past performance of a security, industry, sector, market, financial product, trading strategy, backtest, or individual's trading does not guarantee future results or returns. Investors are fully responsible for any investment decisions they make. Such decisions should be based solely on an evaluation of their financial circumstances, investment objectives, risk tolerance, and liquidity needs.
Learning The Excess Phase Peak Pattern : How To Identify/Use ItThis new tutorial video is for all the new followers I have on TradingView who don't understand the Excess Phase Peak pattern (EPP) yet.
I received a question from a new follower yesterday about the EPP patterns. He/She could not understand what they were or how to use/identify them.
This video should help you understand what the EPP patterns are, how to identify them, how to trade with them, and how to identify/use proper expectations with them.
I hope this video is informative and clear. Remember, price only does two things...
FLAG or TREND - NOTHING ELSE
And the EPP pattern is the CORE STRUCTURE of price that happens on all charts, all intervals, and all the time.
The second pattern, the Cradle pattern, is part of the EPP pattern, but it acts as another price construct related to how to identify opportunities in price action.
Get some.
#trading #research #investing #tradingalgos #tradingsignals #cycles #fibonacci #elliotwave #modelingsystems #stocks #bitcoin #btcusd #cryptos #spy #gold #nq #investing #trading #spytrading #spymarket #tradingmarket #stockmarket #silver
Learn These Patterns And You'll Never Regret ItEVERYTHING ON THE TRIANGLE PATTERN
a triangle chart pattern involves price moving into a tighter and tighter range (like a consolidation phase which has a triangle-like shape) as time goes by and provides a visual display of a battle between bulls and bears.
The triangle pattern is generally categorised as a “continuation pattern”, meaning that after the pattern completes, it’s assumed that the price will continue in the trend direction it was moving before the pattern appeared.
note: the triangle pattern depends on the trend however don't hold on to that thought since fake-outs are possible. the point i am trying to make is that you should not be obsessed with which direction the price goes, but you should be ready for movement in either direction.
there are three triangle patterns:
a) the ascending (upward slope consisting of higher-lows and a consistent resistance),
b) descending (downward slope consisting of lower-highs and a consistent support)
c) symmetrical (equal slopes the market is forming lower-highs and higher-lows)..
the triangle is different from a wedge. however, a wedge can be in a triangle or better put the general formation of a wedge is a triangle-like shape (in some cases).
point to note:
• you need at least two points (bullish or bearish) to connect for a triangle to be considered, and a consistent support or resistance.
• the volatility of price of any instrument decreases when there's a triangle pattern and increases on breakout of the pattern.
• measuring the size of the triangle can serve as a good profit target (will explain in meeting)
• keep an open mind at all times.
📝..
Trading A Divergence Trade (Breakdown) with Pivots and LiquidityTrading divergences was always a problem for me in the past. I did the same thing you did and got it wrong every time. I was trading divergences when i saw them instead of realizing a divergence is a flip of support and resistance levels. I just needed to know where they are.
In this video:
Internal vs External Pivot divergence confirmation:
You can have two types of pivots on your chart. One for long term and one for short term.
Using them to confirm short and long term price action is intuitive as youll be able to see the market squeezing on the short term while knowing where your long term price structure exists.
Price action to Divergence Confirmation:
A divergence on a short term pivot is an indication of short term loss of trend or reversal.
If the short term has no divergence but the long term does, you are about to end up with some pretty large price moves.
Youll be confirming the divergence by looking for highs, lows, and closes moving the wrong way from current price action.
This video will give you a method you can use to draw out your support zone / resistance zone / divergence zone and use them to your advantage.
The "Divergence Zone" that you draw out is the very reason why so many people fail at divergences.
Bare in mind that when you have a divergence, support and resistance are on the WRONG sides as their normally are so you'll learn here how to find those zones as well.
Then in the end of the video ill show you how to use lower timeframes to confirm the new move of the market.
Thanks, everyone. For coming through to the CoffeeShop.
What on Earth Is a Circuit Breaker?!Every couple of days since April 2nd, everybody's been talking about a stock market halt all day. You're left there trying to Google it so you're not the only person in the group chat who doesn't know what's going on. But actually, nobody else in your group chat knows what's going on either. They're low-key Googling it under the desk. You don't have to know everything in the market to be a "seasoned" trader. What does get disappointing is when people guess instead of providing facts or a direct link to an article about market halts.
So, this is your quick-but-detailed-read article/ guide to market halts and circuit breakers. Send it to your friends in that group chat. Why today's dump happened in the first place? More on that later. It's a long story. 🥹
What is a circuit breaker?
It's simple: a circuit breaker is a 15 minute OR whole-day market-wide HALT when the market reaches 1 of 3 decline levels. It all depends on the level, how fast the decline is, and potentially other factors that we are not aware of. Keep in mind this is not something we have to deal with often.
When does it happen? And what stock does it track?
Good question. The halt is triggered following declines in the S&P 500 only . That is: AMEX:SPY SP:SPX $CME_MINI:ES1!.
If these level 1 & 2 are reached before 3:25 PM EDT , there is a 15 minute market-wide trading halt. Meaning you cannot enter or exit positions. If level 3 is reached at any time in the day, the entire day's trading will come to an end.
Level 1: -7.00% | 15 minute halt
Level 2: -13.00% | 15 minute halt
Level 3: -20.00% | Entire day halt
So when the S&P 500 index reaches -6.98%, be sure a halt is coming very soon at -7.00%. Sure, like today, "they" might pump it and use that as support and prevent a halt (we got very close to -6.35% on CME_MINI:ES1! if I'm not mistaken). But it's good to be vigilant and make sure you're not in any daytrades.
Does CME_MINI:NQ1! NASDAQ:QQQ CBOT_MINI:YM1! trigger the halt also?
No. The halt is only triggered by the S&P 500. The Nasdaq Composite famously moves much more than S&P 500, so a 7% drop in S&P is way more dramatic than a 7% drop in Nasdaq and it's highly likely at -7% in S&P that Nasdaq would be at -8% or -9%. Although, both are undoubtedly decimating for any long positions.
Why does this rule exist?
This was introduced after Black Monday of 1987 where the market was free falling ( DJ:DJI dropped 22.6%) with no safety stops in place to prevent a market-wide disaster. This prevents further panic selling and massive stop loss raids, and also gives institutional traders time to zoom out and see the bigger picture.
How close did we get recently?
Today we got within 0.7% of getting a 15 minute halt.
See for yourself:
And the intraday 15 minute chart:
FUN FACT: What if I shorted the top on CME_MINI:ES1! ?
Assuming your time machine goes back 24 hours (some time machines only go back 10 years minimum), you'd have booked 1500 ticks at $12.50 per tick. So around $19k per contract. You know that's not too bad. It's almost a Toyota Camry per contract. Do better! 😆
How do I trade this?
Do you really have to? Please do not FOMO & catch a falling knife. Trade light. The market is open for the rest of the year. Trade with a stop loss, and remember, if you FOMO'd and bought at -3% just because it's down 3%, you'd have gotten decimated. Use the charts not the % on your screen. 🔥
Hit the follow button for free educational content because knowledge is free. KD out.
The Flag Chart Pattern ExplainedHello, traders! 👋🏻
If price action had a way of saying, “HOLD MY BEER, I’M NOT DONE YET,”— it would be through a flag pattern. This classic continuation setup is where strong trends take a breather before launching their next move. Whether you're seeing a bullish flag chart pattern or a bearish flag pattern, you’re looking at a market that’s just catching its breath before running again.
Let’s break down how this works and what to watch for!
What Is a Flag Pattern?
A flag pattern forms when the market makes a strong move (called the “flagpole”), then consolidates in a narrow, counter-trend range that looks like a flag. Eventually, the price breaks out in the direction of the original trend.
Think of it like a runner sprinting, slowing down to recover, and then taking off again. That pause? That’s your flag.
There Are Two Main Types:
🟢 Bull Flag Pattern (Bullish Flag Pattern)
It appears after a sharp upward move. The flag part slopes downward or moves sideways.
It also might signal a continuation of the bullish trend. This is the kind of setup that gets traders excited — it’s all about momentum.
🔴 Bear Flag Pattern (Bearish Flag Pattern)
It appears after a sharp downward move. The flag part slopes upward or consolidates sideways. It also might signal a continuation of the bearish trend. When the market pauses in a falling trend, the bear flag pattern warns that sellers are just regrouping before the next drop.
How to Recognize a Flag Chart Pattern
Spotting a Flag Trading Pattern Is Fairly Straightforward — Just Look For:
✔ A Strong Price Move (the Flagpole)
✔ A Tight Consolidation That Slopes Opposite the Trend
✔ Lower Volume During Consolidation
✔ A Breakout in the Direction of the Original Trend
📊 Real Example: BTC Flag Pattern in 2024
Take a look at the chart above. From October to March 2024, Bitcoin made a massive upward move from around $40,000 to $72,000+ — this was the flagpole.
Then, from March through November 2024, BTC entered a long, downward-sloping consolidation channel, forming the flag itself. Despite the lower highs and lower lows, the pullback was contained within parallel trend lines — a classic setup.
Once the price broke above the top of the flag, it kicked off a second leg, surging to a new all-time high above $108,000. That breakout confirmed the bullish flag pattern and rewarded traders who recognized the structure early.
This BTC move is a textbook example of how a bull flag chart pattern plays out in real markets — offering clean entry signals and strong momentum if the pattern completes.
There are variations, too — like the rising flag pattern, which can appear in both bullish and bearish conditions, depending on the context. Some traders even debate whether a flag pattern is a continuation or a subtle reversal flag pattern — so CONTEXT MATTERS.
Final Thoughts: Trust the Flag, Not the Noise
The flag chart pattern is a reminder that not every pullback means the trend is over. Sometimes, it’s just the market catching its breath. Whether you’re spotting a bull flag pattern in a crypto rally or a bear flag pattern in a downtrend, learning to trade these setups can possibly add precision to your strategy.
So, next time you see a price taking a nap in a narrow channel, ask yourself: Is this a bullish flag chart pattern gearing up for another leg up? Or is it a bearish flag pattern just waiting to drop the floor out? Let the structure tell the story and the trend do the rest.
This analysis is performed on historical data, does not relate to current market conditions, is for educational purposes only, and is not a trading recommendation.
US-China Trade War: Impacts on Financial Markets
The trade war between the United States and China has reached unprecedented levels, with the imposition of reciprocal tariffs that are upsetting the global economic balance. China has recently increased tariffs on American products up to 50%, while President Trump has temporarily suspended tariffs for three months, trying to negotiate with other nations. This scenario is generating strong volatility in the financial markets and profoundly affecting the Forex market.
Analysis of the Impacts on Financial Markets
Stock Markets: The main world stock exchanges are recording significant fluctuations. Asian and European indices have suffered drastic drops, reflecting investor uncertainty.
Raw Materials: The price of oil and precious metals shows instability, with oscillations that reflect global nervousness. Gold, considered a safe haven, is gaining ground, exceeding the threshold of 3,000 dollars.
Economic Sectors: Sectors such as technology and agriculture are particularly hard hit, with export restrictions and rising production costs.
Impact on Forex
The trade war is directly impacting the currency market:
US Dollar (USD): The dollar is coming under pressure due to economic uncertainty and recession fears in the United States. The Federal Reserve may be forced to cut interest rates further.
Chinese Yuan (CNY): The yuan is under pressure, with the risk of lower exports to the US and a slowdown in Chinese economic growth.
Safe Haven Currencies: The Swiss Franc (CHF) and the Japanese Yen (JPY) are gaining ground, as investors seek stability amid global volatility.
Commodity Currencies: The Australian Dollar (AUD) and the Canadian Dollar (CAD) could be negatively impacted by fluctuations in international trade.
Forex Strategies for Traders
In a context of high volatility, traders must adopt targeted strategies:
Constant Monitoring: Follow the developments of the trade war and the decisions of central banks.
Diversification: Invest in safe haven currencies to reduce risk.
Technical Analysis: Use analysis tools to identify trading opportunities based on market movements.
Risk Management: Set stop-loss and take-profit to protect capital.
This situation requires attention and flexibility from traders, who must adapt their strategies to the new market dynamics. If you need further insights or a specific analysis on a currency, I am here to help!
Connecting Your Tickmill Account to TradingView: A Step-by-Step In this step-by-step guide, we’ll show you exactly how to connect your Tickmill account to TradingView in just a few seconds.
✅ Easy walkthrough
✅ Real-time trading from charts
✅ Tips for a smooth connection
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All Strategies Are Good; If Managed Properly!
~Richard Nasr
Examples of invalid setups | Judas Swing Strategy 07/04/2025As traders, it's crucial to spend time in the lab backtesting your strategy and exploring ways to optimize it for better performance in live markets. You’ll start to notice recurring patterns, some that work in your favor, and others that consistently lead to unnecessary losses. It might take time to spot these patterns and even longer to refine them to fit your trading system, but going through this process is what helps you evolve. In the long run, this is what you need to do to become a better trader.
We spent a considerable amount of time refining our entry technique for the Judas Swing strategy after noticing a recurring issue where entering with a limit order sometimes gets us stopped out on the very same candle. After testing a few alternative entry methods and making some key adjustments, we finally found an approach that worked consistently for us. On Monday, April 7th, 2025, this refinement proved its worth by saving us from two potentially painful losses. In this post, we’ll walk you through exactly what happened and how the improved entry made all the difference.
We got to our trading desks ready to scout for setups and were drawn to promising setups forming on both FX:AUDUSD and $NZDUSD. This was exciting since the previous week offered no solid trading opportunities. As price swept the liquidity resting above the highs of the zone our bias quickly shifted toward potential selling setups for the session. But before taking any trade, we always ensure every item on our entry checklist is met. Here’s what we look for:
1. A break of structure to the sell side
2. The formation of a Fair Value Gap (FVG)
3. A retracement into the FVG
4. Entry only after a confirmed candle close
With the first two requirements on our checklist confirmed, all that remained were the final two and at this stage, patience is key. As price began retracing toward the FVG on both FX:AUDUSD and OANDA:NZDUSD , things got interesting. Price came into the Fair Value Gap on both pairs, checking off the third requirement. Now, all that was left was to wait for the current candle to close.
But that’s where things will be clear to you now.
Had we jumped in early with a limit order, we would’ve been stopped out on the same candle. This moment served as a perfect reminder of why we now wait for a confirmed candle close before taking any trade. It’s this extra step that helps us avoid unnecessary losses and stick to high-quality setups.
This entry technique like any other, comes with its own set of pros and cons. At times a limit order might offer a more favorable entry price compared to waiting for a candle close and that can influence both your stop-loss and take-profit placements. On the flip side, there are also instances where waiting for the candle close gives you a better entry than the limit order would have. That’s why it’s so important to backtest.
Your job as a trader is to put in the time to study and test what works best for your system. We chose this candle close entry method because we did the work. After extensive backtesting and data analysis, we found this approach aligns best with the results we aim for in the long run.
Market Cap Is Not Real Money InflowThe Market Cap Illusion — The Most Dangerous Misunderstanding in Finance Right Now
⚪ Let's talk about what nobody else wants to tell you.
Everywhere you look right now on social media, you're seeing the same recycled headline:
"$4 Trillion added to stocks in 10 minutes!" "$236 Billion added to crypto in 12 hours!"
Sounds exciting, right?
It’s also deeply misleading.
⚪ Here’s The Harsh Truth:
A rising market cap does NOT mean that billions or trillions of new money just magically flowed into the market.
It means prices went up. That’s it.
Market Cap = Last Traded Price x Total Supply/Shares
If Bitcoin moves up 8% → The entire Bitcoin market cap increases 8%. Even if only a small percentage of Bitcoin actually traded hands.
This is not "fresh capital inflow." It’s just higher prices multiplying across existing supply.
⚪ Let’s Be Super Clear:
WRONG:
"$236 Billion flowed into the crypto market." "$4 Trillion entered the stock market."
RIGHT:
"Market cap increased by $236 Billion because prices went up." "Stock market cap increased by $4 Trillion due to price movement — not because new money entered."
Big difference. Please stop confusing these.
⚪ So Why Does This Misunderstanding Exist?
Simple.
Most social media traders out there have consistently FAILED to educate their audience properly.
They focus on hype, engagement, and surface-level headlines because that’s what generates likes, not truth.
But here’s the problem:
This misinformation leads to false confidence. It leads to poor decision making. And worst of all — it misleads new traders into thinking markets work in ways they absolutely don’t.
⚪ It’s Time To Be Real.
Stop blindly trusting everything you see on social media. Stop believing every influencer who screams "money is flowing in!!"
Most of them don’t even understand what they’re talking about.
Real traders, real investors — they ask questions. They double check the facts. They understand the mechanics behind market moves.
And so should you.
⚪ The Real Difference:
Market Cap shows valuation based on price
Liquidity shows real money inflow based on actual capital entering
If you want to survive and thrive in these markets, start separating hype from reality.
Be smarter. Be curious. Be aware.
Disclaimer: This information is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Please consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
12 Tips Every New Forex Trader Should Know!New to Forex? These 12 tips will save you months of frustration.
Forex trading can be overwhelming in the beginning, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you're just starting out or still finding your feet, these tips are designed to help you avoid common mistakes and fast-track your learning curve.
✅ Save this post
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✅ Drop a comment with your biggest struggle as a beginner, I might turn it into the next tip!
Let’s grow together. 📈💪
Fear and Greed: How Extreme Emotions Can Wreck Your TradesThere’s an old saying on Wall Street: Markets are driven by just two emotions — fear and greed. It’s been quoted so many times it’s practically cliché, but like most clichés, it’s got a thick slice of truth baked in.
Fear makes you sell the bottom. Greed makes you buy the top. Together, they’re the dysfunctional couple that wrecks your portfolio, sets your confidence on fire, and leaves you staring at your trading screen, wallowing in disappointment.
But here’s the good news: you’re not alone. Everyone — from the newbie scalper with a $500 account to the fund manager with a Bloomberg terminal and a caffeine drip — fights these exact same emotional demons.
Let’s break down how fear and greed mess with your trades, and more importantly, what to do about it.
The Greed Trap: From Champagne Dreams to Margin Calls
Add some more to this one… this one’s going to the moon . Suddenly, you’re maxing out leverage on a hot altcoin because your cousin’s barber said it's “the next Solana.”
This is how traders end up buying tops. Not because they lack information — we’ve got more charts, market data , and indicators than ever before — but because they chase the feeling. The high. The fantasy of catching a once-in-a-lifetime move. Safe to say that’s not investing, that’s fantasy trading.
Greed doesn’t show up in your P&L right away. At first, it may reward you. You get a few wins. Maybe you double your account in a week. You start browsing the million-dollar houses. You post a couple of wins on X. You’re unstoppable… until you’re not.
Then comes the inevitable slap. The market reverses. You didn’t take profits because “it’s just a pullback.” Your unrealized gains evaporate. You panic. You sell the bottom. And just like that, you’re back where you started — only now with a bruised ego and fewer chips on the table.
The Fear Spiral: Paralysis, Panic, and the Art of Missing Every Rally
Fear doesn’t need a market crash to show up. Sometimes all it takes is a bad night’s sleep and a red candle.
Fear tells you to cut winners early — just in case. Fear reminds you of every losing trade you’ve ever taken, every blown stop loss, every time you told yourself, “I knew I should’ve stayed out.”
It’s what makes you exit a long position at break-even, only to watch it rip 20% after you’re out. It’s what keeps you on the sidelines during the best days of the year. It’s what turns potential gains into chronic hesitation.
And the worst part? Fear disguises itself as “discipline.” You think you’re being cautious, but you’re really just self-sabotaging under the banner of risk management. Yes, there's a difference between being prudent and being petrified. One saves your capital. The other strangles it.
The Greed-Fear Cycle: The Emotional Roundabout That Never Ends
Here’s how the emotional hamster wheel usually goes:
You start with greed. You chase something because it looks like easy money.
You get smacked by the market. Now you’re afraid.
You hesitate. You miss the recovery.
You get FOMO. You jump back in… late.
The cycle repeats. Only now your account is lighter, and your confidence is shot.
Wash. Rinse. Regret. Repeat.
This cycle is what turns many promising traders into burnt-out bagholders. It’s not a lack of intelligence or strategy — it’s the inability to manage emotions in a game where emotions are everything.
The Emotional Gym
You can’t eliminate fear and greed — they’re wired into our monkey brain. But you can train your emotional responses the same way you train a muscle.
How? Structure, repetition, and brutal honesty.
Start with a trading journal . Not a Dear Diary, but a cold, clinical log of what you did and why. Include your emotional state. Were you excited? Anxious? Overconfident? Bored? (Yes, boredom is a silent killer. It’s how people end up revenge trading gold futures at 2AM.)
Review it weekly. Look for patterns. Did you always overtrade after three green trades in a row? Did your losses happen when you broke your own rules? Bingo. Now you have something to fix.
The Rules Are the Ritual
Every seasoned trader eventually realizes this: rules are freedom. The more emotion you remove from the decision-making process, the more consistent your results.
Set rules for:
Entry criteria
Risk per trade
Stop placement
When to sit out
Then — and this is key — follow them even when you don’t feel like it. Especially when you don’t feel like it. If it feels uncomfortable, that’s usually a sign you’re on the right path. You’re breaking your old habits.
And if you break a rule? Cool. Own it. Log it. Learn from it. No need to self-flagellate, but don’t pretend it didn’t happen. This is the emotional weightlifting that builds your trading spine.
Story Time: The Trader Who Cried “Breakout”
Let me tell you about Dave. Dave loved breakouts. He’d buy every single one, no matter the volume, structure, or trend. His logic? If it breaks the line, it’s going up. Simple.
One week, Dave hit it big on a meme stock that doubled in a day. His greed kicked in hard. He started adding leverage, sizing up, swinging for the fences.
You can guess what happened. Three fakeouts later, Dave blew half his account. So he stopped trading. Fear took over.
Weeks passed. He watched from the sidelines as clean setups came and went. When he finally got back in, he was so timid he under-sized every position and exited too early. He made nothing — but the emotional damage cost him more than the red trades ever did.
Dave didn’t lose because he lacked a strategy. He lost because he was letting emotions drive. And when fear and greed are in the driver’s seat, they don’t use the brakes.
Be the Trader Your Future Self Will Thank (Not Tank)
Markets may sometimes be chaos wrapped in noise wrapped in hype (as we’ve seen with the recent drama around Trump’s tariffs ). There will always be something to fear, and always something to chase. But if you can stay calm while others are panic-buying Nike stock NYSE:NKE or rage-selling the S&P 500 SP:SPX , you’ve already got an edge.
The best traders aren’t fearless or greedless. They’re just better at recognizing when those emotions show up — and they don’t let them steer the ship. They’ve built processes to trade through uncertainty, not react to it.
So next time you feel that itch to click “Buy” at the top or “Sell” at the bottom, pause. Ask yourself: Is this my setup — or is this just emotion pretending to be insight? Take another look at the Screener , scroll through the latest News , and take a minute to think it over.
Final Thoughts: Feelings Aren’t Signals
Trading is emotional — but trading on emotion is a fast track to regret.
Fear will always be there. So will greed. But you don’t have to let them wreck your trades. Build systems. Log your trades. Know yourself. That’s how you survive the jungle with your capital — and sanity — intact.
And if nothing else, remember this: Warren Buffett didn’t get rich by panic-buying breakouts on a Tuesday morning.
Let's hear it from you now — how do you deal with fear and greed in your trades? Or are you still fighting them in the wild?
The Most Overlooked Setup in Trading: Your Own Decision ProcessTrading psychology at its finest — where the real edge begins.
Over time, I’ve realized that most traders obsess over systems, setups, and signals... but very few ever stop to ask: “How do I actually make decisions?”🧩
The truth is — every trade I take is a result of an internal process. Not just some rule from a strategy, but a sequence of thoughts, comparisons, and feelings I go through (sometimes without even realizing it). And when I mapped it out, it changed the way I approached the market. 🔄
Here’s what I found:
1.There’s always a trigger.
Sometimes it’s a chart pattern. Other times, it’s a shift in sentiment or an alert I’ve set. But that moment when I *start* to consider entering — that’s the spark. Recognizing that moment is the first step. ⚡
2.Then comes the operation phase.
That’s when I begin scanning. I look for setups, patterns, confluences — not just at face value, but through the lens of my experience. I start running mental “what-if” simulations, visualizing what the trade could become. 🔍
3.The test phase is critical.
This is where I mentally compare the current opportunity with past winners or losers. Does it “look right”? Does it “feel like” a good trade? That moment where a setup clicks isn’t just about indicators — it’s about internal alignment. 🧠
4.Exit isn’t just a price level — it’s a decision threshold.
Knowing when to act (or not) often comes down to a shift in internal state. For me, it’s usually a combination of visual confirmation + a gut signal. When both align, I act. 🎯
📌 Why does this matter?
Because most failed trades aren’t just “bad signals” — they’re *poorly made decisions*. If I don’t understand my internal process, I’m flying blind. But when I do, I can refine it, track it, and improve it.
If you’ve never mapped out your decision-making strategy, do it. You’ll learn more about your trading than any indicator could ever teach you. 💡
👉 Keep following me for decision-making insights and real trading psychology facts — the stuff that actually moves the needle.
Falling Wedge Trading Pattern: Unique Features and Trading RulesFalling Wedge Trading Pattern: Unique Features and Trading Rules
Various chart patterns give an indication of possible market direction. A falling wedge is one such formation that indicates a possible bullish reversal. This FXOpen article will help you understand whether the falling wedge pattern is bullish or bearish, what its formation signifies about the market direction, and how it can be used to spot trading opportunities.
What Is a Falling Wedge Pattern?
Also known as the descending wedge, the falling wedge technical analysis chart pattern is a bullish formation that typically occurs in the downtrend and signals a trend reversal. It forms when an asset's price drops, but the range of price movements starts to get narrower. As the formation contracts towards the end, the buyers completely absorb the selling pressure and consolidate their energy before beginning to push the market higher. A falling wedge pattern means the end of a market correction and an upside reversal.
How Can You Spot a Falling Wedge on a Price Chart?
This pattern is usually spotted in a downtrend, which would indicate a possible bullish reversal. However, it may appear in an uptrend and signal a trend continuation after a market correction. Either way, the falling wedge provides bullish signals. The descending formation generally has the following features.
- Price Action. The price trades lower, forming lower highs and lower lows.
- Trendlines. Traders draw two trendlines. One connects the lower highs, and the other connects the lower lows. Finally, they intersect towards a convergence point. Each line should connect at least two points. However, the greater the number, the higher the chance of the market reversal.
- Contraction. The contraction in the price range signals decreasing volatility in the market. As the formation matures, new lows contract as the selling pressure decreases. Thus, the lower trendline acts as support, and the price consolidating within the narrowing range creates a coiled spring effect, finally leading to a sharp move on the upside. The price breaks through the upper trendline resistance, indicating that sellers are losing control and buyers are gaining momentum, resulting in an upward move.
- Volume. The trading volume ideally decreases as the pattern forms, and the buying volume increases with the breakout above the upper trendline, reflecting a shift in momentum towards the buyers.
Falling and Rising Wedge: Differences
There are two types of wedge formation – rising (ascending) and falling (descending).
An ascending wedge occurs when the highs and lows rise, while a descending wedge pattern has lower highs and lows. In an ascending formation, the slope of the lows is steeper and converges with the upper trendline at some point, while in a descending formation, the slope of the highs is steeper and converges with the support trendline at some point.
Usually, a rising wedge indicates that sellers are taking control, resulting in a downside breakdown. Conversely, a descending wedge pattern indicates that buyers are gaining momentum after consolidation, generally resulting in an upside breakout.
The Falling Wedge: Trading Rules
Trading the falling wedge involves waiting for the price to break above the upper line, typically considered a bullish reversal. The pattern’s conformity increases when it is combined with other technical indicators.
- Entry
According to theory, the ideal entry point is after the price has broken above the wedge’s upper boundary, indicating a potential upside reversal. Furthermore, this descending wedge breakout should be accompanied by an increase in trading volume to confirm the validity of the signal.
The price may retest the resistance level before continuing its upward movement, providing another opportunity to enter a long position. However, the entry point should be based on the traders' risk management plan and trading strategy.
- Take Profit
It is essential to determine an appropriate target level. Traders typically set a profit target by measuring the height of the widest part of the formation and adding it to the breakout point. Another approach some traders use is to look for significant resistance levels above the breakout point, such as previous swing highs.
- Stop Loss
Traders typically place their stop-loss orders just below the lower boundary of the wedge. Also, the stop-loss level can be based on technical or psychological support levels, such as previous swing lows. In addition, the stop-loss level should be set according to the trader's risk tolerance and overall trading strategy.
Trading Example
In the chart above, there is a falling wedge. A trader opened a buy position on the close of the breakout candlestick. A stop loss was placed below the wedge’s lower boundary, while the take-profit target was equal to the pattern’s widest part.
Falling Wedge and Other Patterns
Here are chart patterns that can be confused with a falling wedge.
Falling Wedge vs Bullish Flag
These are two distinct chart formations used to identify potential buying opportunities in the market, but there are some differences between the two.
A descending wedge is a bullish setup, forming in a downtrend. It is characterised by two converging trendlines that slope downward, signalling decreasing selling pressure. A breakout above the upper trendline suggests a bullish move.
A bullish flag appears after a strong upward movement and forms a rectangular shape with parallel trendlines that slope slightly downward or move sideways. This formation represents a brief consolidation before the market resumes its upward trajectory.
While the falling wedge indicates a potential shift in a downtrend, the bullish flag suggests a continuation of an uptrend.
Falling Wedge vs Bearish Pennant
The falling wedge features two converging trendlines that slope downward, indicating decreasing selling pressure and often signalling a bullish reversal when the price breaks above the upper trendline.
Conversely, the bearish pennant forms after a significant downward movement and is characterised by converging trendlines that create a small symmetrical triangle. This pattern represents a consolidation phase before the market continues its downward trend upon breaking below the lower trendline.
While the falling wedge suggests a potential bullish move, the bearish pennant indicates a continuation of the bearish trend.
Falling Wedge vs Descending Triangle
The falling wedge consists of two downward-sloping converging trendlines, indicating decreasing selling pressure and often signalling a bullish reversal when the price breaks above the upper trendline. In contrast, the descending triangle features a flat lower trendline and a downward-sloping upper trendline, suggesting a buildup of selling pressure and typically signalling a bearish continuation when the price breaks below the flat lower trendline.
While the falling wedge is associated with a potential bullish move, the descending triangle generally indicates a bearish trend.
Falling Wedge: Advantages and Limitations
Like any technical pattern, the falling wedge has both limitations and advantages.
Advantages
- High Probability of a Reversal. The falling wedge is often seen as a strong, bullish signal, especially when it occurs after a downtrend. It suggests that selling pressure is subsiding, and a reversal to the upside may be imminent.
- Clear Entry and Exit Points. The pattern provides clear points for entering and exiting trades. Traders often enter when the price breaks out above the upper trendline and set stop-loss orders below a recent low within the formation.
- Versatility. The wedge can be used in various market conditions. It is effective in both continuation and reversal scenarios, though it is more commonly associated with bullish reversals.
- Widely Recognised. Since the falling wedge is a well-known formation, it is often self-fulfilling to some extent, as many traders recognise and act on it, further driving the market.
Limitations
- False Breakouts. Like many chart patterns, the falling wedge is prone to false breakouts. Prices may briefly move above the resistance line but then fall back below, trapping traders.
- Dependence on Market Context. The effectiveness of the falling wedge can vary depending on broader market conditions. In a strong downtrend, it might fail to result in a significant reversal.
- Requires Confirmation. The wedge should be confirmed with other technical indicators or analysis tools, such as volumes or moving averages, to increase the likelihood of an effective trade. Relying solely on the falling wedge can be risky.
- Limited Use in Low-Volatility Markets. In markets with low volatility, the falling wedge may not be as reliable, as price movements might not be strong enough to confirm the falling wedge's breakout.
The Bottom Line
The falling wedge is a powerful chart pattern that can offer valuable insights into potential trend reversals or continuations, depending on its context within the broader market. By understanding and effectively utilising the falling wedge in your strategy, you can enhance your ability to identify many trading opportunities. As with all trading tools, combining it with a comprehensive trading plan and proper risk management is crucial.
FAQ
Is a Falling Wedge Bullish?
Yes, the falling wedge is a bullish continuation pattern in an uptrend, and it acts as a bullish reversal formation in a bearish market.
What Does a Falling Wedge Pattern Indicate?
It indicates that the buyers are absorbing the selling pressure, which is reflected in the narrower price range and finally results in an upside breakout.
What Is the Falling Wedge Pattern Rule?
The falling wedge is a technical analysis formation that occurs when the price forms lower highs and lower lows within converging trendlines, sloping downward. Its rule is that a breakout above the upper trendline signals a potential reversal to the upside, often indicating the end of a downtrend or the continuation of a strong uptrend.
How to Trade Descending Wedge Patterns?
To trade descending wedges, traders first identify them by ensuring that the price is making lower highs and lows within converging trendlines. Then, they wait for the price to break out above the upper trendline, ideally accompanied by increased trading volume, which confirms the breakout. After the breakout, a common approach is to enter a long position, aiming to take advantage of the anticipated upward movement.
What Is the Target of the Descending Wedge Pattern?
The target for a descending wedge is typically set by measuring the maximum width of the wedge at its widest part and projecting that distance upwards from the breakout point. This projection gives a potential price target.
What Is the Entry Point for a Falling Wedge?
The entry point for a falling wedge is ideally just after the breakout above the upper trendline. Some traders prefer to wait for a retest of the broken trendline, which may act as a new support level, before entering a trade to confirm the breakout.
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Why you should WAIT for trades to come to YOU!In this video, we dive deep into one of the most underrated but powerful habits that separates consistently profitable traders from the rest: waiting for the trade to come to you.
It sounds simple, even obvious. But in reality, most traders—especially newer ones—feel the constant urge to do something. They scan for setups all day, jump in at the first sign of movement, and confuse activity with progress. That mindset usually leads to emotional trading, overtrading, and eventually burnout.
If you've ever felt the pressure to chase price, force trades, or trade just because you're bored… this video is for you.
I’ll walk you through:
1. Why chasing trades destroys your edge—even when the setup “kind of” looks right
2. How waiting allows you to trade from a position of strength, not desperation
3. The psychological shift that happens when you stop trading to feel busy and start trading to feel precise
4. How the pros use waiting as a weapon, not a weakness
The truth is, trading is a game of probabilities and precision. And that means you don’t need 10 trades a day—you need a few good ones a week that truly align with your plan.
Patience doesn’t mean doing nothing, it means doing the right thing at the right time. And when you develop the skill to sit back, trust your process, and wait for price to come to your level… everything changes. Your confidence grows. Your equity curve smooths out. And most importantly, your decision-making gets sharper.
So if you're tired of overtrading, feeling frustrated, or constantly second-guessing your entries—take a breath, slow it down, and start thinking like a sniper instead of a machine gun.
Let the market come to you. That’s where the real edge is.