Advanced Technical
Analysis
CONTENTS
3 CHART PATTERNS
10 JAPANESE CANDLESTICK PATTERNS
25 FIBONACCI TRADING
Advanced Technical Analysis 2
CHART PATTERNS
Contents
5 Cup and Handle
6 Ascending and Descending Triangles
7 Rising and Falling Wedges
8 Triple Top and Bottom
9 Head and Shoulders
Advanced Technical Analysis 4
Cup and Handle
The Cup and Handle is a bullish continuation pat-
tern. It consists of two parts: the cup and the handle.
Once the cup is completed, the handle is formed on
the right side of it. If it is followed by a breakout from
the resistance line, traders consider it a signal of an
uptrend.
This pattern can only be recognized on long-term
charts. The cup takes one to six months to be
formed, while the handle’s formation spans from one
week to a month.
Advanced Technical Analysis 5
Ascending and Descending Triangles
The Ascending Triangle is a bullish pattern that
usually forms during an uptrend while the Descend-
ing Triangle is its bearish counterpart.
For the pattern to be complete, the price needs to
bounce twice off the support level and twice off the
resistance level. When it subsequently breaks out of
the triangle, the price is assumed to continue in that
direction. It is important to note that the resistance
line for an Ascending Triangle and the support line
for a Descending Triangle must be horizontal and
not inclined.
The strongest signals come from triangles that take
three to four weeks to form, however they could ap-
pear in shorter time frames.
Advanced Technical Analysis 6
Rising and Falling Wedges
Wedges are reversal patterns that form when price
waves move within a narrowing range. They are sim-
ilar to Ascending and Descending Triangles with the
fundamental difference being that, with the Trian-
gles, one of the two lines has to be horizontal. In a
Wedge, both lines must be inclined.
As with the Triangle, the pattern completes with
a breakout, which indicates that the price is go-
ing to continue in that direction. If a Wedge is an-
gled downward, it is called a Falling Wedge and
the prices are expected to break out of its top line.
The opposite is known as a Rising Wedge and the
breakout is typically on the downside.
Advanced Technical Analysis 7
Triple Top and Bottom
A Triple Top and a Triple Bottom are reversal pat-
terns. A Triple Top starts when the price subse-
quently bounces off a resistance level three times
after being in an uptrend. The pattern completes
when the price drops below the latest pullback low.
That is considered a signal to sell, as the uptrend is
over and lower prices are on the way.
A Triple Bottom is the opposite of a Triple Top. It oc-
curs after a downtrend and indicates that the price
is no longer falling and a reversal is about to begin.
Advanced Technical Analysis 8
Head and Shoulders
Head and Shoulders is believed to be one of the
most reliable reversal patterns. It starts after a long
bullish trend when the price rises to a peak and pulls
back. Then, the price soars again to a significant-
ly higher peak, but declines again. Finally, the price
goes up for a third time, but only reaches the level of
the first high. It subsequently pulls back, completing
the pattern, which signals that the uptrend is end-
ing and the price is about to decline.
The first and third peaks are shoulders, while the
second peak is the head. The support level is called
the neckline.
As with other patterns, there could also be an in-
verse Head and Shoulders, which occurs after an
extended downward trend and indicates that the
price will go up.
Advanced Technical Analysis 9
JAPANESE CANDLESTICK
PATTERNS
Contents
12 History of Japanese Candlestick Analysis
13 Benefits of Using Candlesticks
14 Candlestick Structure
16 Doji
17 The Long-Legged Doji and the High Wave
18 The Gravestone Doji and the Dragonfly Doji
19 Shooting Star and Inverted Hammer
21 Dark Cloud Cover
22 Three White Soldiers and Three Black Crows
23 Morning Star and Evening Star
Advanced Technical Analysis 11
History of Japanese Candlestick Analysis
One of the first people known to use past prices to
predict future price movements was Japanese mer-
chant Munehisa Homma. He raised his fortune trad-
ing in the rice market in the 18th century. Homma's
family had a huge rice farming estate which meant
that the information about the rice market was al-
ways available to them.
In order to learn about the psychology of inves-
tors, Homma kept and analyzed records of yearly
weather conditions going back more than a hun-
dred years.
To receive the market news faster, Homma set up
his own communications system. He placed men on
rooftops to send signals using flags at prearranged
times. These men stretched all the way from Osaka
to Sakata, covering more than 600 kilometres.
Over his lifetime, Homma had written several books
and the candlestick patterns he described in them
became known as the Sakata Rules. They are be-
lieved to have become the basis of modern candle-
stick charting.
You can spot the militaristic Japanese spirit in pat-
tern names, such as Night and Morning Attacks,
Three Advancing White Soldiers, Counterattack
Lines, Gravestone, and others.
Advanced Technical Analysis 12
Benefits of Using Candlesticks
Candlestick charts excel in visual appeal and read-
ability. A trader can glance at a candlestick chart
and will quickly understand what is going on with
the price of a security and who has dominated a
given period — buyers or sellers.
In addition, candlesticks form patterns that can be
used to identify suitable points to enter or exit the
market. Traders can use these patterns by them-
selves, but usually they combine the patterns with
technical indicators to get more reliable predictions.
Advanced Technical Analysis 13
Candlestick Structure
The thick part of the candlestick is called the real
body. It represents the range between that session's
opening and closing prices.
When the real body is red, it means the closing price
of the session was lower than the opening price.
If the real body is green, it means the security price
went up over that time period. 1
The thin lines above and below the real body are
called the shadows. They represent the session's
price extremes.
The shadow above the real body is called the upper 2
shadow. The peak of the upper shadow is the high-
est level the price has reached during the session.
The shadow under the real body is known as the
lower shadow. The bottom of the lower shadow is
the lowest price of the session.
3
If a candlestick has no upper shadow, it is said to
have a shaved head. A missing lower shadow on the
other hand is called a shaved bottom.
Advanced Technical Analysis 14
Candlestick Structure
If a candlestick has a short real body positioned in
the middle, that means a struggle between the bulls
and the bears. Such a pattern is known as a spin-
ning top.
Sometimes a trader can stumble upon a candlestick
where the real body is so short it is almost impossi-
ble to see. That means that the price returned to its
initial level over the course of the session and such a
candlestick is called a doji.
Advanced Technical Analysis 15
Doji
A perfect doji session has almost no difference be-
tween the opening and the closing prices. Howev-
er, if recently there’s been increased volatility on the
market, a candlestick with a real body a few ticks
long would still fall under the definition of doji.
A doji can be an important trend change indica-
tor because it embodies traders’ indecision and a
possibility that they will not be able to maintain the
current trend. The significance of a doji heavily de-
pends on the context, for example, if there is a se-
ries of small real bodies preceding the doji, it would
not be considered a valid signal. If, however, a doji
is formed after a very long trend or there are signs
that a reversal is due, it is deemed significant.
Some traders treat the doji as a warning that is bet-
ter to adhere to, so they choose to take their profits
in case it’s a sign of a prior trend losing its strength.
Advanced Technical Analysis 16
The Long-Legged Doji and the High Wave
The Long-Legged Doji pattern can be identified as
having long upper and lower shadows and a near-
ly non-existent real body located near the middle
of the candle. The pattern, also known as the Rick-
shaw Man, indicates a period of indecision in the
market as during the trading session the price has
risen, then plummeted before returning to the open-
ing level.
The Long-Legged Doji plays a particularly import-
ant role when it appears during a strong trend as
the indecision could result in a price reversal. Traders
can enter the market right after the candle closes, or
wait for a confirmation. The signal could be consid-
ered valid if in an uptrend the following candlestick
closes below the pattern’s lower shadow. During a
downtrend, the next candle needs to close above
the upper shadow of a Long-Legged Doji.
The Long-Legged Doji can be confused with a
candlestick pattern called the High Wave. It also
has long shadows from both sides, but the body of
the High Wave is slightly bigger. This pattern indi-
cates the market's confusion about where prices
are heading as well, so you should wait for the next
candle to confirm whether the trend will continue or
reverse.
Advanced Technical Analysis 17
The Gravestone Doji and the Dragonfly Doji
The Gravestone Doji is formed when the opening
and closing prices are at the level of the daily mini-
mum with a long upper shadow. Most of the time the
pattern appears after an uptrend, but occasionally
it can be encountered after a downtrend as well. In
either case, it signals a reversal.
The pattern starts with the price going up sharply
after the trading session opens. Then for those who
have opened long positions, trouble begins: by the
end of the session, prices drop straight to the ses-
sion’s minimum. The higher the upper shadow, the
stronger the bearish potential of the doji.
The opposite of the Gravestone Doji is the Dragonfly
Doji. It’s a bullish pattern that looks like a reversed
Gravestone Doji and can usually be found during
a downtrend, but sometimes appears during an
uptrend. The Dragonfly Doji also marks a potential
reversal, but both patterns require volume and the
next candle for confirmation.
Some traders argue that the Gravestone Doji and
the Dragonfly Doji should be seen simply as indica-
tors of indecision in the market rather than strong
bullish or bearish signals.
Advanced Technical Analysis 18
Shooting Star and Inverted Hammer
The shooting star is a one-candle pattern encoun-
tered after an uptrend that can signal a reversal. It
has a long upper shadow and a small real body lo-
cated at the bottom of the candle. Similar to other
star patterns, the color of the body is insignificant. An
ideal shooting star has a gap between its body and
the body of the previous candlestick, but a gap is not
necessary.
If the price drops over the next session, it could be
considered a confirmation of the reversal and traders
may open a sell position. But if the price rises after a
shooting star, then its upper shadow could become
a resistance level. If it continues to rise further, the
signal should be deemed false as the uptrend is still
ongoing.
A similar pattern to the shooting star is the inverted
hammer. Visually, they’re identical — both have long
upper shadows and small real bodies near the bot-
tom of the candle, with little or no lower shadow. The
difference lies in the context. While the shooting star
occurs after an uptrend, the inverted hammer is a
bullish pattern that is formed after a downtrend and
signals a potential bottom reversal. To validate the
pattern, a confirmation is required as well. It can be
a gap up while the volume is high, or a bullish candle
with a higher price level.
Advanced Technical Analysis 19
Shooting Star and Inverted Hammer
To explain why this pattern is considered a signal of
a reversal, let’s look at the session of the following
day. If the opening price is higher than the body of
the inverted hammer, those who have taken short
positions at the opening or closing prices of the pre-
vious day start to lose money. The longer the mar-
ket holds above the body of the inverted hammer,
the more likely it is that these short positions will be
closed. This may cause a jump in price which will en-
courage traders who are waiting for the end of the
downtrend to open long positions, which in turn will
lead to further price increase.
Advanced Technical Analysis 20
Dark Cloud Cover
The dark cloud cover is a top reversal pattern that
consists of two candles, appearing after an uptrend
or at the upper border of a price range.
The first session needs to be a candlestick with a
strong real body. The next day the opening price
must be above the upper shadow of the first candle,
but at the end of the day the candlestick must close
below the midpoint of the previous bullish candle. It
is preferred for the body of the second candlestick
to cover more than 50% of the first one and if there
is a bearish candle right after the pattern, it can be
considered a confirmation.
Most traders also look to other indicators for ad-
ditional confirmation. For example, if RSI is greater
than seventy, it means the asset is overbought and
a reversal is more likely.
Advanced Technical Analysis 21
Three White Soldiers and Three Black Crows
Three White Soldiers is a group of three bullish can-
dlesticks with consistently rising closing prices. The
opening price of each candlestick is within or near
the real body of the preceding candle and the clos-
ing prices are equal to the maximum prices or trying
to reach them. When this pattern appears after a
downtrend, it’s a sign of a potential bullish domi-
nance on the market.
To be considered a reliable reversal signal, the Three
White Soldiers pattern needs to be confirmed by
technical indicators like the RSI. Sometimes, there is a
short consolidation period following the pattern even
though overall market sentiment remains bullish.
Consolidation could also take place if a significant
move to the upside reaches major resistance levels.
The opposite of the Three White Soldiers is the Three
Black Crows pattern; it indicates that an uptrend
might have just reversed into a downtrend. Volume
and technical indicators should also be looked at
for confirmation in this case.
It’s worth noting that in both the Three White Soldiers
and the Three Black Crows, all three candles must
have long bodies. If the bodies get progressively
shorter with each candle, that is known as either the
Advance Block pattern, or the Stalled pattern.
Advanced Technical Analysis 22
Morning Star and Evening Star
The morning star is a bottom reversal pattern that
evolves over a three-day period and signals that
the bulls have seized the initiative. It starts with a
candle with a long bearish body, followed by a gap
and a candle with a small body. On the third day, a
bullish candle appears. It needs to have a body al-
most as big as the first candle’s to finish the pattern.
An ideal morning star pattern contains price gaps
both before and after the middle candlestick, but
in fact the second gap can be observed quite
rarely. However, real-world experience proves that
its absence does not diminish the significance of
this model.
To understand the logic of the pattern, let’s go over
each of its stages. The first candle with a red body
means that the price is falling and the bears rule the
market. Then there is a candle with a small body,
which shows that the sellers are running out of the
forces necessary to further move the market down.
Finally, the appearance of a strong green body the
next day proves that bulls are starting to seize the
initiative.
Advanced Technical Analysis 23
Morning Star and Evening Star
The counterpart of the morning star is the evening
star. It you see it after an uptrend, it can be consid-
ered a signal of a reversal. It consists of a long bullish
candle, followed by a small bullish or bearish candle,
and finalised by a red candle that’s similar in size to
the first candlestick.
Like a morning star, the perfect evening star has two
gaps, but an instance with a gap only between the
first two candles is also considered valid.
Advanced Technical Analysis 24
FIBONACCI TRADING
Contents
27 What is Fibonacci Trading?
28 How Reliable are Fibonacci Retracements
29 How to Trade Fibonacci Retracements
31 How to Trade Fibonacci Extensions
32 Common Mistakes with Fibonacci Tools
Advanced Technical Analysis 26
What is Fibonacci Trading?
Fibonacci tools are based on the series of num-
bers identified in the 13th century by mathematician
Leonardo Bonacci, commonly known as Fibonacci.
The sequence is infinite and each number is the sum
of the two numbers before it, so 3 comes from add-
ing up 2 and 1, and 21 is a sum of 13 and 8. The main 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34
characteristic of the sequence is that each number is
approximately 61.8% of the next number, 38.2% of the
following number, and 23.6% of the number after that. 8/13 = ~ 61.8%
Trading platforms usually offer several Fibonac-
8/21 = ~ 38.2%
ci drawing tools: retracement, extension, fan, arcs, 8/34 = ~ 23.6%
and time zone. We’ll focus on retracements and ex-
tensions as they are the most popular among trad-
ers. The concept behind Fibonacci retracements is
based on a theory that after a significant movement
the price will pull back to a previous price level before
continuing in the original direction, which means the
Fibonacci levels can act as support and resistance.
The opinions regarding which levels to use differ, but
the three most common Fibonacci retracements are
38.2%, 50%, and 61.8%. The 50% level is not derived
from a Fibonacci number, but is included because
assets tend to continue moving in a certain direction
after they complete a 50% retracement.
Fibonacci extensions are used to identify Take Profit
levels, anticipate how far the price can reach once
a retracement is finished, and establish potential
reversal levels. The most common Fibonacci exten-
sions are 61.8%, 100%, and 161.8%.
Advanced Technical Analysis 27
How Reliable are Fibonacci Retracements
All Fibonacci tools are based on ratios that are de-
rived from what is essentially a mathematical irreg-
ularity without any logical foundation. While not
fundamentally wrong, some traders would like to
understand the logic a trading strategy is built upon.
There is also an opinion that Fibonacci levels work
only because many traders use the same levels
to enter and exit the market which makes them a
self-fulfilling prophecy. However, this argument can
be applied to all universal trading strategies, if not
technical analysis in general.
Another argument against Fibonacci retracements
is that they can only point to potential reversals and
corrections, not providing easily identifiable signals.
All of that said, plenty of traders have made profits
from Fibonacci retracements.
Advanced Technical Analysis 28
How to Trade Fibonacci Retracements
Fibonacci retracements work best during long-term
trends, so make sure you find the primary uptrend
or downtrend. Then identify Swing High and Swing
Low points. A Swing High is a peak reached by the
price that forms when the high of a price is greater
than a number of highs around it. A Swing Low is the
opposite of a Swing High, it appears when a low is
lower than surrounding prices.
When you’ve found the lowest Swing Low and the
highest Swing High of the main trend, use the Fibo-
nacci retracement tool to connect the starting point
with the end point. Once you’ve applied the Fibo-
nacci levels, simply treat them as potential support
and resistance levels. The most proven retracements
are 38.2%, 50%, and 61.8%.
No matter which direction the current trend is go-
ing, wait for a pullback to complete and open a po-
sition once you have a confirmation that the price
has bounced off a retracement level. Don’t forget
to place a stop loss slightly below that retracement
level for an uptrend and just above it for a down-
trend, in case the price breaks through it after all.
Advanced Technical Analysis 29
How to Trade Fibonacci Retracements
The commonly monitored levels for a strong trend
are 38.2% and 50%, while in a weak trend the price
could retrace to the 61.8% level.
If you decide to use Fibonacci retracement levels,
keep in mind that they are not to be treated as hard
reversal points, but rather as levels to be aware of.
You should always wait for a confirmation of a re-
versal from technical indicators.
Advanced Technical Analysis 30
How to Trade Fibonacci Extensions
While Fibonacci retracements show where the price
could stop its pullback and revert to the original
trend direction, Fibonacci extensions help establish
how far the price can reach before another retrace-
ment.
To add the extension tool on the chart, you need to
choose three points. The first point should be placed
at the start of a price move, the second point at the
end of it, and the third point at the end of the re-
tracement. Subsequently you will see extensions
levels appear over the chart.
Common Fibonacci extension levels are 61.8%, 100%,
and 161.8%. They act as potential resistance levels so
traders can use them to place Take Profit orders or
open positions in the opposite direction of the trend.
Fibonacci extensions alone are not supposed to be
used for making trading decisions. It is recommend-
ed to combine them with other indicators or pat-
terns to confirm that a reversal is indeed about to
take place.
Advanced Technical Analysis 31
Common Mistakes with Fibonacci Tools
When applying Fibonacci tools to the chart, be con-
sistent with choosing the reference points: connect
either wick to wick, or candle body to candle body.
Also make sure you correctly identify the main long-
term trend as less experienced traders tend to mea-
sure pullbacks in the short term which leads to weak
signals.
Another common mistake is using Fibonacci tools on
short time frames. High volatility during day trading
means that support and resistance levels are less
reliable which makes it hard for a trader to pick re-
tracement levels and set stop losses and take prof-
its, although it’s worth noting that some traders
don’t see it this way and apply Fibonacci tools even
to tick charts.
Finally, do not make trading decisions based on Fi-
bonacci tools alone. Waiting for a confirmation from
technical indicators like MACD and stochastic oscil-
lators will help you avoid false alerts, increasing the
probability of a successful trade.
Advanced Technical Analysis 32
T H A N K YO U F O R C H O O S I N G O U R S E R V I C E .
W E W I S H YO U S U C C E S S F U L T R A D I N G !
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