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Candlestick patterns
Every candlestick pattern the Finabase scanner detects — the exact formation, the psychology behind it, confirmation and how reliable it really is.
Reading candlesticks
Single-candle patterns
- Hammer candlestick pattern: meaning, rules and reliability How to identify a hammer candle, the exact rules Finabase’s scanner uses, why it needs confirmation, and what 167 real hammers did next.
- Doji candlestick: meaning, exact rules and what the data shows What a doji candle tells you, the exact body test Finabase uses, why it fires on about one day in seven, and what 4,119 real dojis did next.
- Dragonfly doji: meaning, TA-Lib rules and a 380-case test How to read a dragonfly doji, the three conditions Finabase’s detector checks, how it differs from a hammer and a takuri, and what 380 real cases did next.
- Gravestone doji: meaning, rules and why Finabase files it bullish How to read a gravestone doji, the exact TA-Lib test behind Finabase’s markers, why the scanner lists it as bullish, and what 351 real gravestones did next.
- Long-legged doji: rules, the TA-Lib quirk and real results How a long-legged doji differs from a plain doji, why TA-Lib flags exactly the same 4,119 candles for both, and how to find the genuinely wide ones.
- Rickshaw man candlestick: the centered doji, rules and results How to spot a rickshaw man, the midpoint test TA-Lib applies, why it fires on 10% of trading days, and what 3,133 real cases did next.
- Takuri line candlestick: definition, TA-Lib test and results What a takuri line is, how TA-Lib’s CDLTAKURI differs from the textbook and from the dragonfly doji, and what 376 detections on large US stocks did next.
- Hanging man candlestick: rules, context and what the data shows What separates a hanging man from a hammer, the exact TA-Lib test Finabase runs, why most never confirm, and what 483 real ones did next.
- Inverted hammer candlestick: TA-Lib rules and real results How an inverted hammer forms after a decline, the body-gap test TA-Lib requires, why confirmation mattered most here, and 352 real cases.
- Shooting star candlestick: definition, TA-Lib test and track record Spot a shooting star after a rally, learn the gap-up rule Finabase’s detector applies, and see how 450 real shooting stars performed afterwards.
- Spinning top candlestick: meaning, color quirk and real results How to read a spinning top, the TA-Lib test behind Finabase’s markers, why its body color decides the Bullish or Bearish label, and what 6,572 cases did next.
- High-wave candle: what it means, TA-Lib rules and test results How to identify a high-wave candle, the double-shadow rule Finabase’s detector applies, why its label follows body color, and what 3,876 real cases did next.
- Marubozu candlestick: the shadowless candle, rules and real data What a white or black marubozu shows, how TA-Lib decides a candle has “no shadows”, why every one is also tagged three other ways, and 1,227 tests.
- Closing marubozu: a candle that ends at its extreme, tested How a closing marubozu differs from a full marubozu, the one-shadow rule TA-Lib uses, and why a pattern on 13% of all days says little.
- Belt hold candlestick: opening at the extreme, rules and data The bullish and bearish belt hold explained: the clean-open rule TA-Lib uses, the gap it leaves out, and what 4,514 belt holds actually did next.
- Long line candle: what TA-Lib’s CDLLONGLINE really measures The long line candle defined precisely, why it fires on about one day in five, how it overlaps other patterns, and what 5,743 cases did next.
- Short line candle: a quiet day, the TA-Lib rule and the data What TA-Lib’s short line candle is, how it differs from a doji or spinning top, why its color sets the signal, and what 3,587 short lines did next.
Two-candle patterns
- Engulfing candlestick pattern: bullish and bearish rules and data How bullish and bearish engulfing patterns form, what TA-Lib’s +80 and −80 scores mean, and how 2,218 real engulfings on large US stocks played out.
- Harami candlestick pattern: the inside body and what it signals Learn to spot a bullish or bearish harami, how TA-Lib scores it (including the ±80 variant), and what 2,278 haramis on US large caps did afterwards.
- Harami cross: a doji inside a long candle, rules and results What a harami cross is, how TA-Lib decides the inner candle is a doji, why it always doubles as a harami in Finabase, and what 739 real cases did next.
- Piercing line pattern: how it forms, TA-Lib rules and track record The piercing line explained: a gap below the prior low that recovers past the midpoint, the stricter test TA-Lib applies, and why 92 real cases disappointed.
- Dark cloud cover: the pattern and its penetration setting How dark cloud cover forms, how TA-Libâs penetration parameter works, why Finabaseâs setting of 10 means it never fires, and what TA-Lib finds at 0.5.
- Doji star candlestick: a gapping doji after a long candle What a bullish or bearish doji star is, how TA-Lib detects the body gap, why it is only two-thirds of a star, and how 689 real doji stars played out.
- Counterattack lines: matching closes after a strong move How bullish and bearish counterattack (meeting) lines form, TA-Lib’s equal-close tolerance, and why 47 real cases are far too few to trust.
- Homing pigeon candlestick pattern: rules, examples and data How to spot a homing pigeon, the two-black-candle bullish pattern, the TA-Lib rules behind Finabase’s markers, and what 416 real cases did next.
- Matching low candlestick pattern: equal closes as support What a matching low is, the loose TA-Lib rule behind Finabase’s Matching Low marker, two real examples, and how 461 cases on 60 large US stocks played out.
- In-neck candlestick pattern: a bearish continuation line How the in-neck line forms, the narrow TA-Lib band that separates it from on-neck and thrusting lines, and what 31 real in-necks on US stocks did next.
- On-neck candlestick pattern: when the old low becomes a ceiling Learn the on-neck line, the exact TA-Lib test behind Finabase’s On-Neck marker, a worked and a failed example, and why 82 real cases did not act bearish.
- Thrusting candlestick pattern: rules, examples and real results What a thrusting line is, how TA-Lib bounds it between in-neck and piercing, and why 214 real thrusting lines on US stocks did not behave like the bearish label.
- Kicking candlestick pattern: two marubozu and a gap How the kicking pattern works, how TA-Lib’s Kicking and Kicking-by-length functions decide direction, and why it never appeared in 29,760 daily bars.
- Separating lines candlestick pattern: a trend-continuation signal How bullish and bearish separating lines form, the belt-hold test TA-Lib applies on Finabase charts, and how 151 real cases on 57 US stocks turned out.
Three-candle patterns
- Morning star candlestick pattern: rules, examples and test results How the three-candle morning star forms, the exact TA-Lib rules, why Finabase’s default setting never flags it, and what 155 real morning stars did next.
- Evening star candlestick: how to spot a three-day top The evening star pattern explained: its three candles, TA-Lib’s exact test, the settings quirk that hides it in Finabase, and how 154 real cases played out.
- Morning doji star: the doji version of the bullish star pattern What makes a morning doji star different from a plain morning star, how TA-Lib defines the doji, and why 48 real cases on US stocks disappointed.
- Evening doji star pattern: a doji at the top of a rally Learn to recognize the evening doji star, TA-Lib’s doji and gap tests, why Finabase’s own signals skip it, and what 50 real occurrences did afterwards.
- Abandoned baby candlestick: the rare double-gap reversal How the abandoned baby pattern works, the two price gaps TA-Lib demands, why Finabase never flags it, and the single real case in 29,760 daily bars.
- Three inside up and three inside down: the confirmed harami How the three inside up and three inside down patterns form, TA-Lib’s exact test, two real cases from 2026, and how 467 detections on US stocks performed.
- Three outside up and down: engulfing plus a follow-through day The three outside up and three outside down patterns: how they form, TA-Lib’s size-free test, real 2025 examples, and results from 994 detections.
- Three white soldiers candlestick pattern: rules and real results How to identify three white soldiers, the strict shadow rule that makes TA-Lib’s version rare, real examples from Walmart and Citigroup, and what 12 cases did next.
- Three black crows: meaning, TA-Lib rules and real examples What three black crows look like, the four-candle test TA-Lib actually runs, two real cases on DIA and Eli Lilly, and why four detections settle nothing.
- Identical three crows: the no-relief bearish pattern How identical three crows differ from three black crows, the open-at-the-close rule TA-Lib checks, and what the three real cases in our study show.
- Advance block candlestick pattern: a rally running out of breath How to spot an advance block, the four weakening tests TA-Lib applies, why it warns rather than reverses, and what 164 real advance blocks did next.
- Stalled pattern (deliberation): rules, examples and real results The stalled or deliberation pattern explained: two strong white candles and a small one at the top, TA-Lib’s exact test, and what 67 real cases did.
- Two crows candlestick pattern: how it forms and how often it fails Learn to identify two crows, a bearish three-candle reversal, the precise TA-Lib definition, and why 31 real cases on US large caps mostly went up.
- Upside gap two crows: the bearish pattern that leaves its gap open How the upside gap two crows forms, why its second crow engulfs the first, TA-Lib’s exact rules, and what 18 real occurrences on US large caps did next.
- Three stars in the south: a rare bullish bottom, explained What the three stars in the south pattern looks like, the nine conditions TA-Lib checks, and why it never appeared once in 29,760 daily bars of US large caps.
- Stick sandwich candlestick: matching closes as hidden support How to read a stick sandwich, the matching-close tolerance TA-Lib uses, why it can clash with a bearish engulfing, and what 39 real cases did next.
- Tristar candlestick pattern: three dojis and a turn How bullish and bearish tristars form, why TA-Lib’s doji test can accept a $1 body in a volatile market, and how 44 real tristars on US large caps behaved.
- Unique three river bottom: rules, real examples and test results Identify the unique three river bottom, see how loosely TA-Lib defines its third candle, and what 44 real occurrences on large US stocks did next.
- Tasuki gap (upside and downside): a gap that holds on a pullback How the upside and downside tasuki gap work, the equal-body rule TA-Lib adds, how it differs from gap three methods, and what 195 real cases did next.
- Side-by-side white lines: the twin-candle gap continuation Learn the upside and downside gap side-by-side white lines, why Finabase labels its markers "Evening Star", and what 63 real cases on US large caps did next.
- Upside and downside gap three methods: when a gap gets filled How the upside and downside gap three methods form, how TA-Lib separates them from the tasuki gap, and what 194 real cases on 60 US large caps did next.
Multi-candle patterns
- Three-line strike: the four-candle pattern and its sign trap How the three-line strike forms, why TA-Lib scores it in the direction of the first three candles, and what 20 real strikes on US large caps did next.
- Breakaway candlestick pattern: five candles that close a gap The five-candle breakaway pattern explained: the gap, the drift, the candle that closes back into the gap, TA-Lib’s rules and seven real cases.
- Concealing baby swallow: a rare four-candle bottom explained What the concealing baby swallow looks like, the exact TA-Lib test behind it, and why it never appeared once in 29,760 daily bars of US large caps.
- Ladder bottom candlestick pattern: rules, examples and data How to spot a ladder bottom, the loose TA-Lib test Finabase uses, two real cases from March 2026, and what 60 ladder bottoms on US large caps did next.
- Mat hold candlestick pattern: a bullish pause that holds high The mat hold continuation pattern, TA-Lib’s penetration rule, how Finabase’s setting of 10 changes it, and why it never formed in two years of US data.
- Rising and falling three methods: candlestick continuation guide How rising and falling three methods form, the strict and loose parts of TA-Lib’s test, and what 11 real cases on US stocks did over the next two weeks.
- Hikkake pattern: trading the false breakout of an inside bar How the hikkake inside-bar trap works, what TA-Lib’s ±100 and ±200 values mean, and what 3,452 hikkake signals on 60 US stocks did next.
- Modified hikkake: the stricter two-inside-bar reversal trap How the modified hikkake adds a second inside bar and a close-location test to the hikkake, how TA-Lib scores it, and what 36 real signals did next.
Educational content, not investment advice. Finabase Learn explains how markets and tools work. It does not recommend any security or strategy, and examples are for illustration only. Investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. Rules and figures are for the United States unless stated and can change — check the cited source before you act.