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Written by Olivia Shin
Fact checked by Antonio Di Giacomo
Updated 19 June 2025
Single Candlestick Patterns are essential tools for traders, providing valuable insights into market behavior and potential price movements. This article will explore the various types of single candlestick patterns and how they can enhance your trading strategy.
Here is the list of the 13 single candlestick patterns in 2025:
Hammer Candlestick Patterns
Shooting Star Candlestick Patterns
Doji Candlestick Patterns
The Spinning Top Candlestick Patterns
Marubozu Candlestick Patterns
Morning Star Candlestick Patterns
Dragonfly Doji Candlestick Pattern
Rickshaw Man Doji Candlestick Pattern
Long-Legged Doji Candlestick Pattern
Four-Price Doji Candlestick Pattern
Hanging Man Candlestick Pattern
Belt Hold Candlestick Pattern
Gravestone Doji Candlestick Pattern
Single candlestick patterns reflect market sentiment and signal potential reversals or continuations.
Single candlestick patterns, such as the hammer, doji, and shooting star, offer quick insights but require confirmation to avoid false signals.
Using indicators like RSI and moving averages enhances the accuracy of single candlestick-based strategies.
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Single candlestick patterns represent individual candlesticks that reflect market psychology and trading signals over a specific timeframe, providing insights into bullish or bearish pressures. Recognizing and interpreting these patterns, such as long candles, short candles, marubozu, spinning tops, and doji, allows traders to identify shifts in momentum and potential trend reversals.
Single candlestick patterns offer unique insights into the ongoing psychological battle between bullish and bearish forces during a trading session. The shape, color, and structure of each candlestick reflect the dynamics of buyers and sellers, revealing sentiments that may influence future price movements.
Long green or white candles indicate strong buying momentum, while long red or black candles show intense selling pressure. Short candles reflect indecision, marubozus signify control by buyers or sellers, and spinning tops and doji candles suggest potential reversals, highlighting the importance of using these patterns alongside other technical analysis tools for accurate price forecasting.
The hammer candlestick pattern is a bullish reversal pattern that appears after a downtrend, characterized by a small body at the top of the trading range with a long lower shadow. This pattern indicates potential buying pressure.
Location: Typically found at the end of a downtrend.
Shape: Small body with a long lower shadow.
Indication: Suggests a potential reversal to bullish momentum.
Pros: Signals a potential trend reversal, easy to spot, reflects buying interest.
Cons: False signals may occur, requires confirmation from subsequent candles, best used with additional analysis.
A hammer indicates that buyers are stepping in, possibly leading to upward price movement.
The shooting Start star is a bearish reversal pattern that appears after an uptrend, characterized by a small body at the bottom and a long upper shadow. This signifies rejection at higher price levels.
Location: Typically found at the top of an uptrend.
Shape: Small body with a long upper shadow.
Indication: Suggests a potential reversal to bearish sentiment.
Pros: Indicates seller strength, can signal quick moves, clearly shows price rejection.
Cons: May produce false signals, needs confirmation from further candles, may be misleading in strong uptrends.
A shooting star indicates that buyers tried to push prices higher but failed, pointing toward a likely downturn.
The doji candlestick pattern forms when the open and close prices are nearly equal, resembling a cross and indicating market indecision. It can appear in various contexts and signals uncertainty among traders.
Location: Can appear at any time, and is more significant during trend reversals.
Shape: Cross-like with small body.
Indication: Represents market indecision and a potential reversal signal.
Pros: Serves as a strong warning sign, indicates market shifts, versatile across trends.
Cons: Alone it may be unreliable, needs context for proper analysis, can be misleading without confirmation.
A doji suggests uncertainty among traders, indicating a potential change in market direction.
The spinning top features a small body with longer wicks, indicating market indecision and volatility in sentiment. It often appears after strong trends without signaling a specific direction.
Location: Can occur at any point in a trend.
Shape: Small body with long upper and lower shadows.
Indication: Suggests indecision and possible reversal.
Pros: Highlights market uncertainty, can mark potential trend pauses, visually represents conflict.
Cons: Requires confirmation from subsequent moves, does not indicate direction, can mislead traders.
The spinning top signifies that neither buyers nor sellers dominate the market, often indicating a potential pause in the trend.
The marubozu candlestick pattern has no shadows, indicating strong momentum in either direction; a bullish marubozu reflects strong buying pressure, while a bearish marubozu reveals selling pressure.
Location: Can appear in any market context.
Shape: Long body with no shadows.
Indication: Strong momentum towards a specific direction.
Pros: Clearly shows dominance of bulls or bears, indicates strong price movement, effective for trend confirmation.
Cons: Can lead to overconfidence, requires context for true validation, may result in sudden reversals.
A bullish marubozu suggests ongoing bullish strength, while a bearish marubozu indicates that bearish conditions are likely to continue.
The morning star pattern typically consists of a sequence where a bullish candle follows several bearish candles, suggesting a trend change from bearish to bullish. This pattern highlights potential for reversal.
Location: Found at the bottom of downtrends.
Shape: A small-bodied candle between large bearish candles, followed by a bullish candle.
Indication: Potential bullish reversal.
Pros: Signifies buyer resurgence, often leads to trend changes, visually clear and interpretable.
Cons: May require confirmation for strength, could give false signals, context is crucial for interpretation.
The morning star suggests that sellers may be losing momentum, signifying that buyers are starting to take control.
The dragonfly doji candlestick pattern is a bullish reversal pattern that appears after a downtrend, characterized by a small body at the top of the trading range with a long lower shadow and no upper shadow. This pattern suggests indecision in the market and potential buying pressure.
Shape: Small body with a long lower shadow and no upper shadow.
Pros: Indicates potential trend reversal, reflects buyer interest, easy to identify.
Cons: Requires confirmation from subsequent candles, false signals may occur, best used with additional analysis.
A dragonfly doji signifies that buyers have stepped in after a decline, potentially leading to upward price movement.
The rickshaw man doji is a pattern that signifies indecision and potential trend reversal, appearing after an upward or downward movement. It features a small body in the center of the trading range with long upper and lower shadows, indicating conflicting pressures.
Location: Can occur at the end of an uptrend or downtrend.
Indication: Suggests potential indecision and trend reversal.
Pros: Reflects market indecision, versatile across different trends, may signal upcoming reversals.
Cons: May require confirmation from subsequent candles, false signals possible, needs additional analysis for validation.
A rickshaw man doji highlights the battle between buyers and sellers, hinting at potential shifts in momentum.
The long-legged doji is a candlestick pattern that indicates significant indecision in the market, characterized by a small body positioned centrally with long upper and lower shadows. It often suggests that neither buyers nor sellers have gained control.
Location: Can appear at any point in a trend.
Indication: Reflects high volatility and indecision, suggesting potential reversals.
Pros: Indicates strong market indecision, highlights volatility, may precede trend changes.
Cons: Needs confirmation from subsequent candles, false signals can happen, should be combined with other analyses.
A long-legged doji showcases market uncertainty, often preceding a decisive movement either way.
The four-price doji is a type of doji that shows complete market indecision, indicated by the open, high, low, and close all being at the same price. This rare pattern often occurs in low volatility situations and reflects a strong lack of commitment.
Location: Can occur in any market condition but typically in sideways movement.
Shape: All four price points (open, high, low, close) are the same.
Indication: Signals extreme indecision and potential reversal.
Pros: Highlights significant indecision among traders, signals potential shifts.
Cons: Rare occurrence, requires confirmation through subsequent price action, may not provide clear direction.
A four-price doji indicates a strong absence of buying or selling pressure, often leading to a pause before a potential movement.
The hanging man candlestick pattern is a bearish reversal pattern that appears at the top of an uptrend. It has a small body at the top of the trading range with a long lower shadow, indicating potential selling pressure after a period of buying.
Location: Typically found at the end of an uptrend.
Indication: Suggests a potential price reversal to bearish momentum.
Pros: Indicates potential trend reversal, clearly reflects selling interest, easy to recognize.
Cons: Requires confirmation from subsequent candles, may generate false signals, best used with additional analysis.
A hanging man suggests that sellers may be gaining strength, potentially leading to a downward price movement.
The belt hold is a strong candlestick pattern that indicates a potential trend continuation or reversal, depending on its position. In a bearish belt hold, the candle opens at its high and closes lower, while the bullish version opens at its low and closes higher.
Location: Can appear after a trend as either continuation or reversal.
Shape: One solid candle with no upper/lower shadow (bullish version) or a significant downward body (bearish version).
Indication: Suggests strong market sentiment either way.
Pros: Clearly indicates market sentiment, easy to identify, allows for quick decision-making.
Cons: May lead to false signals if not confirmed by subsequent price action, should be used alongside additional indicators.
A belt hold candlestick emphasizes strong buying or selling, indicating the ongoing momentum of a trend.
The gravestone doji candlestick pattern is a bearish reversal pattern that often appears after an uptrend. It is characterized by a small body at the bottom of the trading range, with a long upper shadow and little to no lower shadow. This pattern signifies potential selling pressure and market indecision at the price peak.
Shape: Small body at the bottom of the range with a long upper shadow and little to no lower shadow.
Indication: Suggests potential reversal to a bearish trend.
Pros: Indicates potential trend reversal, signals that buyers may be losing control, easy to recognize.
Cons: Requires confirmation from subsequent candles, can produce false signals, best used in conjunction with additional analysis.
A gravestone doji highlights that buyers attempted to push prices higher but were ultimately overwhelmed by sellers, indicating a potential shift in market dynamics.
Candlestick charts can be enhanced by using moving averages, the Relative Strength Index (RSI), and Bollinger Bands to improve trading strategies. Moving averages help identify dynamic support and resistance levels, and a study by the Technical Analysis Society of America found that combining candlestick patterns with these indicators improved trade accuracy by 20-25%.
Additionally, the Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP) is useful for pinpointing intraday support and resistance, while the RSI confirms overbought or oversold conditions. Bollinger Bands assess market volatility, indicating high or low price movement. Together, these tools help traders make more informed decisions based on candlestick formations.
Single candlestick patterns are essential in technical analysis as they provide insights into market sentiment. Each candlestick represents price action over a specific time frame, showing opening, closing, high, and low prices.
Patterns like doji, hammer, and shooting star signal market behaviors such as indecision, potential reversals, or trend continuations. Identifying these patterns helps traders quickly gauge market mood and make informed trade decisions.
The simplicity of single candlestick patterns makes them accessible to traders of all skill levels. Each pattern is easy to identify and interpret, allowing for quick responses to market changes. When used with other technical indicators, they can enhance trading signals and help pinpoint optimal entry and exit points, making them essential tools in financial markets.
Single candlestick patterns are essential tools in technical analysis, providing insights into market sentiment and price movements. Patterns like the hammer, doji, and shooting star help traders identify momentum shifts and potential reversals. Their simplicity makes them valuable for traders of all levels, especially when used with other technical indicators. Mastering these patterns enhances market analysis and trading strategies.
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Single candlestick patterns are individual candlesticks that reflect market psychology and trading signals over a specific timeframe, indicating bullish or bearish pressures.
Traders can identify these patterns to gauge market sentiment, recognize potential reversals or continuations, and inform their trade decisions, especially when used alongside other technical indicators.
While Single Candlestick Patterns are useful, they can produce false signals and need confirmation from subsequent price action. Traders should use them alongside other technical analysis tools to improve their reliability and effectiveness in forecasting market movements.
Confirmation from subsequent candles or additional indicators is crucial to increase the reliability of candlestick signals, as many patterns may produce false signals without follow-up analysis.
Yes, single candlestick patterns work effectively with various technical indicators like moving averages, RSI, and Bollinger Bands, which enhance trading signals and improve accuracy in identifying market trends.
Yes, Single Candlestick Patterns are suitable for all trading styles due to their simplicity. Traders should adapt them to their strategies and confirm signals with other analysis tools for better results.
Marketing Officer
Olivia Shin is a marketing officer - Korea at XS.com with over a year of experience, also contributing as a blog writer. With more than three years in the fintech industry, she effectively combines her marketing expertise with a deep understanding of financial technology. Olivia is dedicated to creating compelling content that resonates with her audience while driving brand awareness and engagement.
Market Analyst
Antonio Di Giacomo studied at the Bessières School of Accounting in Paris, France, as well as at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM). He has experience in technical analysis of financial markets, focusing on price action and fundamental analysis. After many years in the financial markets, he now prefers to share his knowledge with future traders and explain this excellent business to them.
This written/visual material is comprised of personal opinions and ideas and may not reflect those of the Company. The content should not be construed as containing any type of investment advice and/or a solicitation for any transactions. It does not imply an obligation to purchase investment services, nor does it guarantee or predict future performance. XS, its affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees do not guarantee the accuracy, validity, timeliness or completeness of any information or data made available and assume no liability for any loss arising from any investment based on the same. Our platform may not offer all the products or services mentioned.
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