Bull Flag vs Bear Flag: Predict Short-term Trends

The flag pole is a pronounced downward price movement, while the flag is a period of sideways price action. The bear flag pattern is the opposite of the bull flag pattern and is incorporated into short-side trading strategies. So, a bull flag pattern is characterized by an initial sharp rally and then by a period of consolidation. With most bull flag patterns, the volume increases when the pole is being formed, then drops during the period of consolidation.

After we have entered our short position, we can draw a line down from our entry point to determine our take profit point . The bear flag chart pattern strategy only looks for trading opportunities when you get a breakout below the flag price structure to be a seller. There are two basic approaches to enter the market with the bear flag pattern.

Volume Patterns and Bear Flag Patterns

This material does not consider your investment objectives, financial situation or needs and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for you. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the above information. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. Any research provided should be considered as promotional and was prepared in accordance with CFTC 1.71 and designed to promote the independence of investment research.

Your email address is stored securely and updates are pertinent to cryptocurrency trading. Forex trading involves significant risk of loss and is not suitable for all investors. From basic trading terms to trading jargon, you can find the explanation for a long list of trading terms here. When it comes to the speed we execute your trades, no expense is spared. ThinkMarkets ensures high levels of client satisfaction with high client retention and conversion rates. No matter your experience level, download our free trading guides and develop your skills.

Bull Flag vs. Bear Flag: How To Trade Flag Patterns?

The most important component of any flag pattern trade is the entry. It’s generally advisable to wait for a candle to close beyond the breakout point before creating any orders to avoid being burned by a false signal. Most traders will enter a flag pattern trade on the day after the price has broken beyond the trend line. Bull Flags are a subset of our momentum trading strategy and can be used on any time frame. We like trading bull flags on the 2 and 5-minute time frames as a way to scalp short-term price movements. Bull flags form after a price spike that peaks out and slowly forms a short-term reversion downtrend. The starting points for the trend lines should connect the highest highs and the highest lows to represent the flag portion.

• This is due to the fact that the longer the flag has taken to form the more likely it is to fail or experience a weak price move after the breakout.
• It is called a flag pattern because when you see it on a chart it looks like a flag on a pole and since we are in an uptrend it is considered a bullish flag.
• He is the most followed trader in Singapore with more than 100,000 traders reading his blog every month…
• In a bearish flag pattern, the volume does not always decline during the consolidation.
• One popular strategy is to wait for a breakout from the consolidation phase and then enter a short position.
• Active traders would be well advised to commit this phrase to memory.

Determine significant support and resistance levels with the help of pivot points. The take profit level is calculated by measuring the distance of the flagpole. Depending on the strength of a downtrend, the rebound may be sharper or milder. In general, the rebound https://www.bigshotrading.info/ shouldn’t extend above the 50% Fibonacci retracement of the flagpole. Deepen your knowledge of technical analysis indicators and hone your skills as a trader. The textbook profit target is the height of the flag pole measured down from the top of the flag.

Trending now

What happened is that the initial sell-off comes to an end through some profit-taking. The following example will illustrate in detail how to trade the above-pictured Bear Flag Pattern appearing on a chart of the USD/CAD currency pair’s exchange rate. Flags are considered continuation patterns by technical analysts since they generally further the prevailing trend. Flag patterns can be used to identify the likely extent of the continuation of a sharp trend after the price has briefly consolidated or traded against the original trend. A flag pattern is highlighted from a strong directional move, followed by a slow counter trend move. Sometimes, traders often call it the inverted flag pattern as opposed to the bull flag. Most traders usually place their trades on the candle that goes directly after the one that confirms the break of the pattern.

That means that you should place your short order as the “flag” zone of this chart pattern ends. Once you have identified these two parts of the pattern, you can then look for a breakout to the downside from the consolidation phase. This is typically signaled by a move below support or a forming bearish candlestick pattern. A chart pattern is a graphical presentation of price movement by using a series of trend lines or curves. Chart patterns can be described as a natural phenomenon of fluctuations in the price of a… It is essential that traders locate and identify patterns correctly.

How do you trade a bear flag?

If you want to ride the medium-term trend, you can trail your stop loss with the 50MA. Often when you short the Bear Flag, the price is usually below the 20MA. Well, you can set it 1 ATR above the high of the Bear Flag pattern. You don’t want to short the Bear Flag when the price is far from the Moving Average because the price is likely to reverse higher. The market reverses higher and whips you out of your trade.

The bear flag chart pattern in cryptocurrency indicates a cryptocurrency asset’s ongoing downward trend with sporadic periods of consolidation in between. The market psychology behind a bear flag pattern shows negative momentum and increased selling pressure.