Commodity Trading Systems – Candlestick Signals

One of the most effective commodity trading systems is the analysis of Candlestick signals. Candlestick signals were developed trading rice for hundreds of years. Most commodity trading systems are usually implemented using fundamental analysis to determine what the supply and demand of that particular commodity will be in the future.
Candlestick signals provide a very effective format for setting up profitable commodity trading systems.

Commodities, usually leveraged extensively for trading purposes, need to have a trading system that immediately tells you what is going on with price movement. A small move in price can affect profits dramatically one way or the other.

Commodity trading systems require much closer analysis. Major reversals in trends are much more easily identified when using Candlestick signals. In normal commodity trading movements, “normal” meaning other than extraordinary events causing massive price movements, investor sentiment is much easier to identify than in the equities. The investor sentiment usually evaluates the supply and demand influencing that commodity price.
Crude Oil prices can be effectively analyzed. The major corporations that utilize commodity trading systems for hedging their energy or inventory costs can benefit immensely through Candlestick analysis.

As demonstrated in the Crude Oil chart, the June contract, the recent Dark Cloud signal illustrated that crude oil prices may not have too much strength left in the current up-move. A gap down below the 50 day moving average was an indication that investor sentiment was back to the bearish direction.

Commodity trading systems evaluated correctly can also be utilized for analyzing the direction of the equity markets. Crude oil prices, which have recently been affecting the market direction, are a prime example.

The fact that crude oil prices are now showing weakness, due to the larger than expected reserves, can add strength to the equity markets. For commodity traders, the analysis of the weak Candlestick signals, close to the 50 day moving average, becomes a clear indication that prices might be in a bearish mode.

One of the most effective commodity trading systems is the analysis of Candlestick signals. Candlestick signals were developed trading rice for hundreds of years. Most commodity trading systems are usually implemented using fundamental analysis to determine what the supply and demand of that particular commodity will be in the future.
Candlestick signals provide a very effective format for setting up profitable commodity trading systems.

Commodities, usually leveraged extensively for trading purposes, need to have a trading system that immediately tells you what is going on with price movement. A small move in price can affect profits dramatically one way or the other.

Commodity trading systems require much closer analysis. Major reversals in trends are much more easily identified when using Candlestick signals. In normal commodity trading movements, “normal” meaning other than extraordinary events causing massive price movements, investor sentiment is much easier to identify than in the equities. The investor sentiment usually evaluates the supply and demand influencing that commodity price.
Crude Oil prices can be effectively analyzed. The major corporations that utilize commodity trading systems for hedging their energy or inventory costs can benefit immensely through Candlestick analysis.

As demonstrated in the Crude Oil chart, the June contract, the recent Dark Cloud signal illustrated that crude oil prices may not have too much strength left in the current up-move. A gap down below the 50 day moving average was an indication that investor sentiment was back to the bearish direction.

Commodity trading systems evaluated correctly can also be utilized for analyzing the direction of the equity markets. Crude oil prices, which have recently been affecting the market direction, are a prime example.

The fact that crude oil prices are now showing weakness, due to the larger than expected reserves, can add strength to the equity markets. For commodity traders, the analysis of the weak Candlestick signals, close to the 50 day moving average, becomes a clear indication that prices might be in a bearish mode.

Being able to analyze a commodity chart can produce extremely large profits. Not only does Candlestick analysis produce profitable trades, the stop loss process involved with Candlesticks allows an investor to set up a format for cutting losses quickly.

To learn more about Commodity and Futures Trading – Click Here for our Free 10 Part Lesson

Learn the 12 major signals in Candlestick analysis and you can develop very effective commodity trading systems.

Best Option Trading System Begins with Candlestick Analysis

What is the best option trading system? A system that can utilize price direction with a high degree of predictability. Most investors want to implement the best option trading system that they have learned. They want to apply their best option trading system with less emphasis on trying to find the best price movement of an underlying stock. The best option trading system is knowing a multiple number of options strategies. The candlestick signals provide the information needed for projecting the best price moves. Knowing a number of options strategies allows the investor to exploit the price move.

Options provide many benefits versus buying or shorting the stock outright. Because candlestick analysis incorporates the use of probabilities in its evaluation, that same thought process can be extrapolated into option strategies. The best option trading system is one that involves taking advantage of the upside potential while minimizing an investor’s risk exposure. These strategies can be applied with some simple common-sense evaluations. How much time is left until expiration? What has been the previous volatility of the underlying stock? What is the likely target for this price move based upon the potential pattern formation, resistance levels, and strength left in the stochastics? Analyzing this information with the evaluation of what the candlestick signals are revealing allows an investor to put the proper option trade in place.

Understanding  how to use candlestick signals and options strategies correctly expands the profit opportunities that most investors do not take advantage of. For example, a stock price that appears as if it could move from the $40 area to the $45 area in a specific time frame may have call options that do not provide a significant profit for the risk exposure. In this case, selling the puts may make much more sense. Alternatively, buying the 40 calls and selling the 45 calls might produce the optimal option trade. A spread reduces the amount of money exposed to the trade. It also increases the percent of profit that can be made in the trade. It does reduce the potential upside that could be made if the price movement is much greater than analyzed for the time remaining. However, the best option trading system should incorporate the same probability projection as the underlying stock position. What are the probabilities of the price moving to a certain level based upon the candlestick signals and the confirming indicators? That is the basis that the option trade should be made. Worrying about price movement opportunities that ‘could’ occur in a price move is where most option traders reduce their percentage returns dramatically. Utilize the signals to project the correct direction. Utilize the confirming indicators to decide which option trading strategy is the best for the analysis of that trade.

Option trading is just a spoke of the investment wheel. Learn how to use numerous options strategies successfully. This knowledge, combined with  candlestick analysis, becomes a powerful tool for extracting profits out of the markets.  Review Options Trading with Candlesticks in our Free Resources Category. Bullish – Bearish – Neutral – Breakout Option Trading Strategies.

 Market Direction

The large Hammer/Doji formation that appeared in all the indexes on Thursday was a ‘possible’ reversal signal. The Dow formed the signal as the prices came down through the 200 day moving average and then came back up and closed above it. However, the Hammer/Doji signal occurred in the NASDAQ, the S&P 500, and the Russell 2000. But in those indexes, stochastics had not yet gotten to the oversold condition.

Identifying Candlestick Patterns – Stock Market Graphs

The basic characteristics of Candlestick signals can produce extremely strong profits. The signals become an integral part of analyzing that a high profit pattern may be forming. The first indication of the development of a high profit pattern can be identified when Candlestick signals appear.

Stock market graphs have become dramatically more sophisticated in the past 10 years. Computer software services provide excellent stock market graph capabilities. Candlestick signals allow investors to clearly evaluate price movements using online stock market graphs.

The major benefit today’s investors have is the ability to do multiple technical analysis research processes instantly. Most online stock market graphs can be customized to the investors specifications. Having stock market graphs clearly illustrating Candlestick signals makes finding high profit patterns very easy to find.

Candlestick signals make analyzing reoccurring patterns much easier to evaluate on stock market graphs. An investor will be able to identify reoccurring human reactions much faster when knowing the implications of the signals. The benefit of being able to identify Candlestick signals is that it alerts an investor that high profit patterns are developing. Candlestick signals can provide immediate proper analysis of many patterns. Being able to identify a high profit pattern developing, and visualizing the confirmation with the signals, allows an investor to exploit profits at the most opportune times. One of the most profitable signals is the Scoop pattern.

The Scoop pattern works very effectively. It can be visually recognized easily. The Candlestick signals allow an investor to exploit it properly. The explanation of how and why it works is subjective.

The pattern is formed after a lengthy period of flat trading. The flat trading is usually composed of small, indecisive trading days. After a recognized flat trading time frame, the price starts to back down. The flat trading period is considered the “handle” to the scoop.

The term “recognized” is visually determining a flat trading area. The flat trading will usually sustain for a longer length of time than what is usually seen in the price movement of that trading entity. It becomes obviously lengthy to the point where it becomes boring.

It may be the boredom that finally makes the price head down. Investors get tired of waiting for it to do something. However, after a few days the small “buy” signals start showing up. The price starts moving back up toward the flat area, creating the scoop.

An inordinate percentage of the time, when the price comes back up to the flat trading area, the trend continues in a strong upward direction. This may be the result of everybody that was bored with the trading seeing that it is finally moving and start adding to their positions again.

Scoop Pattern

Scoop Pattern

The visual recognition of the handle, being followed by the pullback, should be the “alert”. Seeing new buying, after a few days of a pullback, is a set up for a low risk trade. Buying near the bottom of the scoop allows the stop loss area to be at the low of the scoop. The first test should be the flat trading area. A breakout through that area indicates that a good trend is in the making.

The Affiliated Computer Services chart reveals a flat trading period followed by the price breaking down. After just a few days of a pullback, bullish Candlestick signals started to appear. Being able to visualize the handle, followed by a pullback, then witnessing Candlestick “buy” signals, should alert the Candlestick investor to the potential of a Scoop pattern forming.

Affiliated Computer Services

Affiliated Computer

Having the ability to recognize when a potentially high profit pattern is forming will dramatically increase profit potential. The use of simple visual chart analysis can be fine-tuned when recognizing when a trend is about to reverse. That knowledge allows an investor to take advantage of Scoop pattern profits at their optimal buying points.

The Separating Lines Candlestick Pattern

SEPARATING LINES
(iki chigai sen)

Separating Lines

Description

Iki chigai sen is defined as ‘lines that move in opposite directions.’ The market is in an uptrend when there is a pullback, exhibited by a long black candle. However, the next day opens back up at the same level as it open the prior day. The Separating Lines Candlestick Pattern has the same open and is the opposite color. This is the exact reverse of the Meeting Line Pattern. In other Japanese circles, this is also known as Furiwake or Dividing Lines.

Criteria

  1. An uptrend is in progress.Then a day occurs that is the opposite color of the current trend.
  2. The second day opens at the open of the previous day.
  3. The second day, should open on its low for the day and proceed to go higher

Pattern Psychology

During the uptrend, a black body occurs. This causes some concern to the Bulls. But the next day the prices gap back up to the previous day’s open. This gives the bulls confidence that the trend still has life in it. They jump back in and move prices higher. Confidence is renewed and the trend continues. The bearish Separating Line works the exact same way in the opposite direction.

Back to Continuation Patterns

Commodity Value

What is the value of a commodity? Commodity value is the price that the commodity will fetch in the commodities markets. This market value can be predicted by use of time honored technical analysis tools such as Candlestick charting and Candlestick trading tactics. The factors that determine what the market considers to be commodity value come from fundamental analysis of commodities. A good place to learn about commodity value and about successful commodity trading is with Commodity and Futures TrainingTraders buy and sell futures in commodities using Candlestick basics to help predict what the market will think a commodity will be worth in coming weeks, months, and years.

The official economic description of commodity value is its free market intrinsic value under optimal use conditions.h In buying and selling corn futures or in live cattle commodity trading the market will assume that the farmer or rancher will put his resources to best use.h In regular terms this means that in a free market the producer will do his or her best to produce a product most efficiently and economically. He or she will expect to receive more or less for his or her product based upon market demand, product availability, and product quality. In a free market traders will buy and sell futures contracts on oil futures, gold futures, interest rate futures and the like with the expectation that supply and demand will determine the spot price of the commodity at contract expiration.

Commodity value is typically stated in terms of a base currency such as the US dollar. However, as anyone who engages in Forex trading knows, currencies vary in value in relation to each other and in relation to commodities. In times of high inflation the commodity value of things such as oil and gold go up in relation to the Dollar, Euro, or Pound Sterling as traders come to expect that holding commodities will be a more secure means of protecting wealth than holding fiat currencies. Hedging by producers and buyers of commodities is the basis of the commodity market. By selling futures the producer will guarantee an income at a given commodity price at a future date. Buyers will likewise obtain a price guarantee of part, or all, of the commodity they will need in coming months or years. Airlines, railroads, and shipping lines commonly buy futures to protect themselves from the effects of inflation on the cost of fuel.

Because commodities have an intrinsic value based upon supply and demand they are most efficiently traded in free markets. When countries such as Venezuela try to control the value of their currency and commodities, black markets develop. These black markets are actually free markets which are only illegal because the country or jurisdiction in question attempts to artificially control commodity value and currency value. In Poland before the fall of Communist Eastern Europe there were continual food shortages as the government attempted to control food production and prices. However, cut flowers were plentiful and cheap. The government did not control production and the basic commodity value is what people paid for flowers.In trading commodities it is wise to remember that very basic factors will decide what a commodity will sell for on contract expiration date. This places reasonable limits on commodities trading which the wise trader will heed.

Market Direction

There are very simple price patterns that develop using candlestick signals. The simple rules applied to Doji’s make for easy trade entries and very profitable day-trades. The long-legged Doji of Monday was a clear indication the uptrend had failed at the 50 day moving average. It became more evident as the Dow sold off on Tuesday. Wednesday indicated indecisiveness in the form of a Doji day. However, this Doji becomes very informative. The downtrend had started with a strong selling day. Yesterday’s Doji indicated the Bulls and the Bears were in conflict. Yesterday’s trading was close enough to the tee line to still make it a factor. Fortunately for candlestick investors, there are expectations after a Doji day like we saw yesterday. One of the simple rules of candlestick’s is the trend will move in the direction of how they open prices the next day after a Doji. Today’s pre-market futures indicated a lower open. This was an immediate alert for adding more short positions to the portfolio.

Commodity Value DOW June 24

DOW

Candlestick signals and patterns provide a set of expectations. This makes analyzing a price trend much more accurate. Had the pre-market futures showed positive trading this morning, a completely different scenario would have been put in place. The Doji, very close to the tee line, would have been indicating the tee line was going to act as a support level, had the market open positive today and traded positive. Utilizing the expected results on a day-to-day basis allows an investor to accurately assess day trades or short-term swing trades. The analysis of a price move can be evaluated with a high degree of accuracy when applying the visual characteristics of a signal in conjunction with confirming indicators.

This technique allows for low risk, high probability entry strategies. As witnessed in the entry of a short position in July Lean Hogs, a very low risk trade entry could be put in place. Note how the price had traded positive from where it opened today, creating the upward shadow. Had the price of July Lean Hogs remained positive during the day, the analysis would have been the tee line was acting as support. However, there were some indications that the Bears ‘could be’ in control.

Tuesday’s trading formed a long-legged Doji with a tweezers top. Yesterday’s trading, although somewhat indecisive, closed more than half way down the big bullish candle of Monday. This could have been evaluated as an Evening Star signal. This makes for a very low risk trade. While the price was trading positive today, putting a sell stop one tick below yesterdays low would have been a safe entry to go short.

July Lean Hogs

Commodity Value LH3

The logic being if the price stayed positive, then tomorrow would have warranted looking for the uptrend to continue.However, if the price came back down through yesterday’s low, that would have revealed some very important information. The price was now going to trade below the tee line and the stochastics trajectory would be more oriented toward rolling over. It was the accumulation of analysis of the past two or three trading days that would have made this a logical sell stop entry.

As a day-trader, having the ability to analyze what is occurring in the daily chart as well as the one minute chart and five minute chart, makes for extremely accurate trade evaluations. For the swing trader, anticipating the results of existing signals allows for an entry into a trade that should immediately produce profits. This factor is important for keeping the mental process clear. A price move that creates good profits immediately allows for safe stop loss levels to be implemented. This saves an investor from having the anguish of watching their trade get executed and then have the price hover around that level. This usually takes an investor’s time and energy to watch that trade much more closely, having to worry whether the price is going to bounce in the opposite direction. The use of simple trading techniques helps an investor make profits in a much more comfortable fashion.

Stock Market Programs – When to Sell, Candlestick Sell Signals

Stock market programs, what every investor should have!!! However, most investors have no inkling of how to research stock market programs. Unfortunately most investors put their portfolio together with a scattered approach to buying positions. Because they do not have stock market programs for defining when to buy, they definitely do not have a program for when to sell.

Candlestick signals are as accurate for defining the time to sell as they are for showing the time to buy. Considering that the signals are still around after hundreds of years of utilization and producing profits, it should be assumed that there is something in the signals that work. As hard as it is for most investors to find a system that produces many good trades, it is even harder to figure out when to sell, especially when the enthusiasm is running over for owning a particular stock.

Buy low, sell high. The same emotional problems that most investors have when buying into a stock, when there is panic in the streets, occurs just as frequently when investors try to figure out when to sell.

The Japanese traders say “let the market tell you what the market is going to do.” The utilization of Candlestick signals makes analyzing the direction of the markets and stock price trends relatively easy. It becomes difficult at times to sort out what the price intentions are when listening to the many scenarios from the so-called “market experts.” Watching the financial news stations will always provide a multitude of opinions on where the market or a stock price is going. Using Japanese Candlestick signals will circumvent all that noise.

The one basic factor built into Japanese Candlestick signals is that they are formed by the cumulative knowledge of all of the investor input, the buying and selling, of a trading entity or trading entities, during a certain time period. No matter what you hear elsewhere, the Candlestick signals tell you exactly what the investor sentiment is doing.

When an investor is fortunate enough to be holding a stock that has made a strong up-move, the same emotional factors enter the selling decision. Where do I sell? Two emotional elements enter the picture. First, there is greed. The average investor wants to hold on to profitable stock positions because one could keep going to the moon and ‘make me rich’. We imagine how much money we would make if the trend continued for another profitable 20 points. This emotional strategy now deters the rational decision of selling when it is time to sell. Instead of analyzing where the trend could be ending, what the stock price could potentially do becomes the overriding factor. Unfortunately investment prices do not give a hoot about what an investor is “hoping” for.

Fear is the next factor. How stupid we would look if we sold a stock at $20.00 and it went to $30.00. The biggest fear becomes selling out too early. Investors usually have a hard enough time identifying profitable trades. They definitely do not want to sell out too early. That fear now causes investors to hold on to a position well past the time that it should have been sold, giving back a good portion of the profits. Candlestick signals eliminate that dilemma. Hundreds of years of refinement have defined “high probability” sell signals. Using the major Candlestick “sell” signals will immensely increase your profits. Candlestick analysis provides a format for establishing buys and sells.

Most investors do not have a game plan when it comes to their investment dollars. They buy when somebody tells them about a good stock to buy. The next purchase might be something they read in the newspaper or a magazine article. After a while, they have a portfolio of positions of which they don’t remember why they bought each position, which certainly means they do not have a program for when to sell the positions.

Buying a position using a Candlestick buy signal puts the probability of being in a correct trade highly in the investors favor. Conversely, selling a position when the Candlestick sell signals start to appear puts the probabilities of being out of a trade near the optimal sell areas highly in the investors favor also. The critical word is probabilities. The probabilities already have been identified through the use of Candlestick signals for centuries.

Does that mean that every buy signal is going to work correctly? Definitely not! But it does put the Candlestick investor into positions that have a great probability of working. It also allows the investor to close out trades that aren’t working immediately, cutting the losses short.

The Candlestick sell signals create a high probability situation indicating that is time to take profits. Does this mean that every sell signal indicates the absolute top of a trend? Definitely not! But it does provide a format to indicate that the probabilities are that the top is near. Additionally, there is nothing wrong with selling a position when the probabilities say it is time to sell and buying back later when the signals indicate that is time to buy again.

There is nothing wrong with getting out of a position when the signals say it is a good time to get out and buying back, even at a higher price, when the signals indicate the buyers are coming back in. The point of investing is not to maximize your profits on each trade. The point of investing is to maximize your profits in your account.

When the Candlestick signals indicate that the probabilities are not in your favor, why fight it? As illustrated in the Dow chart, the bullish trend from late October into mid-November started to reveal Candlestick sell signals, an Evening Star signal, a Bearish Engulfing signal, and a few Doji’s. This congestion area became an opportune time to take profits in some of the stock charts that had moved up and were now getting toppy. And with simple analysis, upon seeing the trend exhibiting bullish Candlestick formations coming up out of the congestion area would have been a signal to buy back into the positions that had pulled back or buy new positions that were showing good strong buy signals at the time the Dow was moving up again.

Candlestick Sell Signals Congestion 1

Candlestick Sell Signals Large Bullish

This is not rocket science. This is being able to visually analyze what the Candlestick signals are telling us. The final trend has come to an end when stochastics show an overbought condition and Candlestick sell signals appear. Once again, the probabilities tell us that it is time to take profits.

When the market in general starts to get toppy, the valuation of individual stock charts becomes more easy to analyze. If the markets are getting toppy and a stock position is getting toppy, again, why go against the probabilities? Take profits. If the market turns back up or the stock starts showing buy signals again, it can always be bought back. Why sit in a position when the Candlestick signals that have worked effectively for centuries are challenging investors to get out?

Online Stock Trading Forum – The Candlestick Forum Summer Review

The summer of 2005 was a very profitable one. The ideas that were discussed in the Candlestick Forum’s online stock trading forum resulted in some big profits. The online stock trading forum has multiple benefits. First, it exposes investors to stock trading ideas that they may not have found themselves. Additionally, an online stock trading forum oriented toward a trading methodology, such as Candlestick signals, allows investors to get better insights on how that trading methodology operates.

Unlike last summer, the stock market was much more active this summer. This made the activity on an online stock trading forum much more relevant. The nature of the market this summer allowed investors to participate in some very profitable moves. “Let the markets tell you what the markets are going to do.” This is the primary function of Candlestick signals. The Japanese rice traders use the signals to analyze the direction of trends.
Candlestick formations allow a Candlestick investor to much more accurately evaluate the investor sentiment of a trend. As you may have noticed, the advice from the Candlestick Forum had been that although the overall trend in the beginning of the summer was not strongly bullish, it would be a slow uptrend. The call for late June was to take profits and go short. The call for early July was to go long. The call from late July to the end of August was that although a downtrend was going to be slow, there were too many stocks/sectors that were still acting strong. How did the Candlestick analysis project the trend so accurately? That will be a topic for discussion in an upcoming chat session.

The ability to analyze the directions on the market with relative accuracy allows the Candlestick investor to exploit the big profit potentials. Although most of the summer trading activity seemed relatively boring, the Candlestick signals were exemplary in one vital facet. They pinpointed the stocks that had the probability of profitable moves.
Although the markets have been relatively lethargic over the summer, the Candlestick signals identified some high profit potential trades. Not only will Candlestick signals identify profitable trades, the correct formations set-ups identify high-profit trades. Does this mean that every established position results in good profits? Definitely not! But it did create a trading program where many trades were slightly positive, flat, or slightly negative, maintaining the equity of the account. However, the inherent attributes of the Candlestick signals put us in positions that did result in a high profit situation. These results were nothing more than placing funds in what potentially was a high profit possibility. Being able to participate in an occasional high profit trade, especially in a flat trading market, helps increase the total monthly returns.

Online Stock Trading Forum 1

Online Stock Trading Forum 2

Online Stock Trading Forum 3

Online Stock Trading Forum 4

Online Stock Trading Forum 6

Online Stock Trading Forum 5

These are just a few examples of some of the big trade results from the Candlestick Forum picks during the summer. They are not being presented for any bragging purposes. The point that is trying to be demonstrated is that even when the markets were not all that wildly exciting, the Candlestick signals pinpointed some high profit trade potentials.

With the markets being in a slow steady downtrend, not all recommendations performed properly. However, just as the Candlestick signals illustrate when it is time to buy, they also illustrate when a trade is not working. That provides an excellent stop-loss management process. The vast majority of losing trades have minimal losses. If the signals do not confirm, they are closed out immediately. Those losses were well offset with numerous positions that worked moderately well, being up 3%, 5%, and 7%. The combination of the majority of positions produce a respectable positive return each month. What greatly enhances the returns is being able to participate in an occasional big profit position.

Bottom line, the point of this illustration is to educate investors of the fact that Candlestick signals will have an investor in large profit trades in an inordinate percentage of the time. “Let the markets tell you what the markets are going to do.” This summer the markets showed us that the majority of stocks would be trading relatively flat but that there would be pockets of stocks moving. The Candlestick signals easily identified those pockets.

The Inverted Hammer Signal

Learning how to play the stock markets an endeavor that most investors never master.  Learning how to play the stock market involves controlling one’s emotions.  Candlestick signals are a great benefit for the beginning investor as well as the experienced trader.  The information conveyed in the major candlestick signals is the visual depiction of investor sentiment.  Most investors’ sentiment unfortunately involves the extremes of human emotions, fear and greed.  Learning how to play the stock market is an educational process.  An investor should learn the basics of why prices move.  The candlestick signals, especially the 12 major signals, involve the visual elements produced by human emotions.  Being able to correctly analyze what these emotions are doing at specific points of a trend become a valuable pool for successful investing.

The information incorporated into a major candlestick signal provides a huge advantage for those investors just learning how to play the stock market.  The result of simple visual analysis permits an investor to take advantage of high probability situations.  The major signals are created by the aspects of human emotions being put into trading decisions.  Investor psychology produces reoccurring thought processes as investors go through different stresses of a price trend.  The 12 major signals are a very important tool when learning how to play the stock market.  Understanding the investment psychology that creates each signal is an important element for understanding how professional investors think. One of the most important facets for learning how to play the stock market is knowing how to put the probabilities in your favor.  The candlestick signals create a format that does just that.  Hundreds of years of observations have resulted in reversal signals that are easy to identify.  When learning how to play the stock market, it is very important to find indicators that have a high probability of producing profits and a low probability of producing losses. This may be stating the obvious.  However, the utilization of candlestick signals is being done by a very small percentage of the investment population.  Use the major signals to start profiting from your investment decisions immediately.

The Inverted Hammer  produces some very important attributes when analyzing a potential reversal.  It is considered one of the 12 major signals.  Learn how to use an inverted hammer signal correctly.

Inverted Hammer

Description

The Inverted Hammer is comprised of one candle. It is easily identified by the small body with a shadow at least two times greater than the body. Found at the bottom of a downtrend, this shows evidence that the bulls are stepping in, but the selling is still going on. The color of the small body is not important but the white body has more bullish indications than a black body. A positive day is required the following day to confirm this signal.

Criteria

1.  The upper shadow should be at least two times the length of the body.
2.  The real body is at the lower end of the trading range. The color of the body is not important, although a white body should have slightly more bullish implications.
3.  There should be no lower shadow, or a very small lower shadow.

Signal Enhancements

1. The longer the upper shadow, the higher the potential of a reversal occurring.
2.  A gap down from the previous day’s close sets up for a stronger reversal move.
3.  The day after the inverted hammer signal opens higher.
4.  Large volume on the day of the inverted hammer signal increases the chances that a blow-off day has occurred.

Pattern Psychology

After a downtrend has been in effect, the atmosphere is bearish. The price opens and starts to trade higher. The Bulls have stepped in, but they cannot maintain the strength. The existing sellers knock the price back down to the lower end of the trading range. The Bears are still in control. But the next day, the Bulls step in and take the price back up without major resistance from the Bears. If the price maintains strong after the Inverted Hammer day the signal is confirmed.

 Training Tutorials

The Major Signals Educational Package  has over 8 Hours of training for trading Candlestick Signals or The Inverted Hammer individual training video available for Quick Download.

Candlestick Forum Flash Cards  These unique Flash Cards will allow you to be “trading like the Pro’s” in no time.

Return to Candlestick Explanation of the Major Signals

Market Analysis Systems – Seeing The Market Move

If you only knew what the market was going to do before it did it, you would be rich by now. If a thought like that has run through your mind before, you are going to love this topic. It may seem like successful traders have the ability to see movement in the market before it happens. While there are no known psychic stock investors, it is possible to develop the ability to determine movements in the market before they occur and you won’t even have to use a crystal ball or bend spoons with your mind! All you need is to do your technical analysis and use the best market analysis system available.

What Is a Market Analysis System?

This sounds so good that if you don’t know, you are probably wondering what a market analysis system is. This is a method for tracking the market and looking for stock market trends, either of the entire market or of a particular stock. A market analysis system can be something simple like a bar chart or something more sophisticated like the Japanese Candlesticks. Both are market analysis systems but there are substantial differences between them and that difference can help you know what is happening in the stock market.

Bar Charts and Japanese Candlesticks

Bar charts, like Japanese Candlesticks charts, are a type of market analysis system. Bar charts consist of a series of ranges, the open and close for the market or a particular stock each day. By studying this data, an investor can try to determine a day’s event and when he or she analyzes the data for a week or month and tries to find trends. The problem with bar charts as a market analysis system is that there just isn’t much data provided and there is no underlying stock technical analysis provided. For example, if a stock closed yesterday at $5, opened today at $5, rose to $20 at mid-day, then fell to $6 at close, only the range between $5 and $6 would be reflected in your bar chart.

With candlestick analysis, the level of data provided is much higher. You still have open and close prices but you also have things like daily high, daily low and comparisons to previous close. If you use the example we mentioned for bar charts, you would have a body that reflected the difference between $5 and $6, a vertical line that extended up to $20 and the body color would represent the relationship of the opening price to the previous close. It is easy to see that this market analysis system provides much more stock market information than a simple bar chart.

Candlestick charts are the oldest type of price predicting charts, dating back to the 1700’s when they were used for predicting rice prices. In fact, during this era in Japan, Munehisa Homma became a legendary rice trader and gained a huge fortune using candlestick analysis. He is said to have executed over 100 consecutive winning trades! Candlestick charting still has a strong reputation as a market analysis system today. It is said to enable the investor to spot market trends three days before they occur.

Conclusion

A market analysis system is an important part of your stock trading plan. With a system like Japanese Candlesticks an investor has access to more data and the analysis abilities only Candlesticks provides. The strength of this system gives the investor the ability to see the market move without having to buy a crystal ball!

Trading the Mat Hold Candlestick Pattern

Mat Hold
(uwa banare sante oshi)

Mat Hold

Description

Similar to the ‘Rising Three Method’, it has the look of an Upside Gap Two Crows except that the second black body (third day) dips into the body of the large white candle. It is followed by another small black body that dips a bit further into the white candle body. The final day gaps to the upside. It continues its upward move to close higher than the trading range of any of the previous days.

The implication is that the trend has not been stalled. This is a good point to add to positions. The Mat Hold pattern is a stronger continuation pattern than the Rising Three Method. During the days of ‘rest,’ unlike the Rising Three Method, the price stays close to the top of the white candle’s upper range.

Criteria

  1. An uptrend is in progress. A long white candle forms
  2. A gap up day that closes lower than its open creates a small black candle
  3. The next two days form small candles somewhat like the Rising Three Method.
  4. The final day gaps up and closes above the trading ranges of the previous four days.

Pattern Psychology

The Mat Hold pattern does not pull back as much as the Rising Three Method. It is easier to identify. The pull-back days are less concerning. The relatively flat rest period does not create the concern that the Rising Three Method does. After three days of the bears not being able to knock the price down to any great degree, the bulls step back in with confidence.

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