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Trading Glossary

Candlestick

Technical Analysis

What it means

A bar that shows the open, high, low, and close price for a period. The body is colored (green/red) by whether close was above or below open.

Example

A green 1-hour candle with open $100, close $105, low $99, high $106 has a $5 green body and thin wicks above and below -- price rose over the hour.

Mistake beginners make

Beginners read one candle in isolation and call it a signal. A single candle means almost nothing; what matters is where it forms relative to the surrounding context.

Related terms

  • Doji — A candle where open and close are nearly equal, making a thin cross or plus shape. It sign…
  • Hammer — A candle with a small body near the top and a long lower wick, forming a hammer shape. It …
  • Engulfing Pattern — A two-candle reversal signal where the second candle completely covers the body of the fir…

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